Britannia

National Identity Fraud Prevention Week

18 - 24 October 2010

Protecting your Identity
Identity Fraud continues to be one of the UK's fastest growing crimes – a serious threat to individuals and businesses across the UK. Latest figures from CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service shows that nearly 60,000 UK residents fell victim in the first nine months of 2009 - a 36% increase when compared with the first nine months of 2008! Although most people know about identity theft, consumers and businesses are not aware of, or not taking the steps they could and should be taking to fully protect themselves.

What is identity fraud?
Identity fraud occurs when personal information is fraudulently taken and used to obtain credit, goods or other services. It can even extend to securing a fraudulent passport or driving licence. Identity theft takes away your control over your affairs and can be damaging to your financial reputation. As such, it is important to understand how fraudsters can get their hands on your information so you can take steps to protect yourself and your family.

• Safety in numbers  - Look after your PIN and Secure Personal Information.
• Don't leave a paper trail  - Take care of important documents.
• Value in information  - Think about the sort of information you carry with you.
• Checking your credit history  - Know how to access your personal credit information.

Find out more ways to protect yourself from this rising crime by visiting the Stop ID Fraud website .