For some while this has been bubbling in and out of the news and media. The Home Office recently set up a web site to counter the threat, but according to their own figures “more than 100,000 people are affected by identity theft in the UK each year, costing the British economy over ?£1.3 billion annually”.

How are the thieves getting your identity?

There is a vast amount of information available online about almost everyone. For example if you have recently moved house then your name, address, the price you paid and mortgage details are held by the land registry who will give out this information online, for a small fee.

A utility bill or a bank statement will allow the finder to apply for credit card, open a new bank account, apply for a loan, get a mobile phone etc etc. Your postal address could be changed and all mail redirected to a different address.

Your rubbish may contain documents with all the necessary information required for identity theft. You may be contacted by a fraudster pretending to be from a legitimate organisation in person, by phone or by post. Emails from a bank will never ask you for your PIN or security codes or passwords, but they can look very real.

What can you do to protect your identity?

Shred or tear up anything with your name and address or personal details on it before throwing it away. Be particularly careful with receipts for payments you have made with credit cards, and don’t forget petrol receipts, these all contain part of your credit card numbers!

If you receive an email asking for your bank details do not respond to it. Banks will never do this.

Be on your guard at all times, do not give out any financial details to anyone especially if they are away from their place of business, and always ask yourself why are they are asking this and what for.