Avoiding Identity Fraud

Top Tips 

• Always dispose carefully of credit / debit card receipts, old bank statements, Student Loans Company letters and other documents containing personal / financial information. Use a paper shredder before binning them
• When using cashpoints or Chip and PIN machines, make sure no-one can see you entering your PIN
• Check that a cashpoint hasn’t been tampered with before inserting your card. Thieves can attach a convincing-looking cover to ‘skim’ your card details and make a copy of your card
• Read your bank and credit card statements every month and check for any transactions you don’t recognise (although don’t blame someone else if you get regular “shopping amnesia”!)
• Never ever respond to ‘phishing’ emails. These are sent from mailboxes pretending to be your bank, credit card company or Paypal asking you to ‘reconfirm’ your details by clicking a link. The link may lead to a surprisingly genuine-looking website but if you enter your account and password details, these can then be used to steal money from your account
• Use Royal Mail Recorded or Special Delivery for posting important documents (e.g. passports). These allow you to Track and Trace the parcel on the Royal Mail website 
• Make sure you can receive post securely, particularly if you live in a block of flats with a communal hallway. It’s possible to rent a secure Post Office Box from Royal Mail (although it costs £54 a year)
• Arrange to collect new bank cards and cheque books from your local bank branch rather than having them posted
• If you’re moving house, arrange for all your mail to be forwarded to your new address to prevent any letters getting into the wrong hands
• If you suspect that you may be a victim of identity fraud, you should contact your bank / credit card company immediately and report the matter to the police to get a crime reference number.  For a small fee you can check for anything unusual in your credit rating, a record of your financial information, held with 3 companies:  Experian, Equifax and Callcredit - see related links
• You can also request that anyone applying for credit in your name is automatically double-checked by the Fraud Prevention Service (for a small fee). Visit the UK's Fraud Prevention Service at the CIFAS related link 
• For more information and advice about identity theft go to the relevant related sites