Probably a question we all ask ourselves at some point, normally after we have done something daft or realise we are completely in the wrong job!
But did you know that 79% of us are doing just that?
Yes, that is the percentage of us Brits who continue to throw away our identities!
This week is the UK's third National Identity Fraud Prevention Week; which is a major awareness drive to warn us of the dangers of identity fraud!
Despite continuing efforts to combat identity fraud, (which is still one of the UK's fastest growing crimes) a poll commissioned for this campaign shows that three quarters of us have now been personally affected, or have friends and family who have been affected, by identity fraud.
It has become so rife that 80% of us now fear having our identity stolen!
And it's easy to see why as national bin-raiding research, which was commissioned by Fellowes, reveals that not enough is being done to keep the identity thieves at bay:
- Over 19 million of us regularly place sensitive materials in our waste and recycling bins
- 11% of us throw away whole credit/debit card numbers; a combination of a complete card number with its associated expiry date and owner's signature was found in the waste and recycling of 13% of households
- Over 30% of us are still throwing away everything a fraudster needs to steal a person's identity, including passports, driving licences, CVs, phone and utility bills.
If you are a
Glaswegian, then you need to hang your head in shame in shame as you fared worst in this study: in one week,
82% of households had disposed of material that could have been used by a fraudster.
London's (Wandsworth) residents followed closely behind as 74% had disposed of material that contained such sensitive material. The most responsible behaviour patterns were seen in Birmingham (62%) and Cardiff (69%).
Exclusive research carried out by Experian for National Identity Fraud Prevention Week shows that the wealthiest and most creditworthy sections of society are at the greatest risk, with fraudsters increasingly launching premeditated and sophisticated attacks.
However, while wealth and lifestyle can make us more likely to be targeted, those of us that rent are also at high risk. Graduates and young professionals are among those most at risk, as are council tenants.
Research conducted for last year's campaign showed that 97% of us regularly put sensitive materials in our waste and recycling bins (doh!)
The 18% decrease this year shows the impact that campaigns such as this are having in educating us all about the dangers of identity fraud, and the preventative steps that could and should be taken.
Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director of credit agency Equifax said:
"I don't know anyone who would leave their wallet open for thieves to simply take cash or cards, but that is virtually what is happening with people's personal details, both in terms of information thrown away and information put on the web. Personal information is a valuable asset, and the steps are relatively easy to reduce the risk of ID fraud and theft"
So how does ID theft and fraud work?
There are several ways ID fraudsters can potentially target us such as:
- Good old fashioned theft of personal documents or security information
- Stealing post from communal hallways
- Using mail which has not been redirected after someone has moved
- Duping consumers to disclose personal details online
- Bin raiding
ID fraudsters need more than one single piece of information or documentation to steal your identity. Whilst an address, postcode, driving licence, passport, national insurance number or even a utility bill are not necessarily useful to a fraudster in isolation, collectively they are as valuable as cash to the ID fraudster, so they need to be stored securely or disposed with care.
So what steps can you take to protect yourself?
- Keep your personal and confidential documents secure
- Always shred, using a cross cut shredder, before disposing of documentation - bank and credit card statements, utility bills, receipts, direct mail containing any personal information, mortgage applications etc
- Regularly check your bank and credit card accounts for unusual transactions
- Regularly obtain a copy of your credit report from credit reference agencies Callcredit, Equifax or Experian, and monitor it for discrepancies
- When you move home, redirect your mail from your old address to your new address for at least a year. You can now apply online 24/7, visit: www.royalmail.com/redirection for more information
- Going away? If you're planning to be away from home, you'll want to make sure you don't leave any obvious clues, like a pile of mail on your doormat. Contact Royal Mail about their 'Keepsafe' service which will hold your mail for up to two months, and deliver it on your return.
- Regularly check your bank and credit card accounts for unusual transactions.
- Never give out any personal information to unidentified individuals or organisations who contact you by phone, email or face-to-face.
- Never respond to e-mails asking for personal or financial information. Be especially careful when sending personal information over the internet.
- If you receive an email that warns, with little or no notice, that an account will be shut down unless you reconfirm billing or security information, you should not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the institution cited in the email using a telephone number or web site address you know to be genuine.
- Use up-to-date anti-virus software and a personal firewall and, if your computer uses the Microsoft Windows operating system, keep it updated from the Microsoft website. Be extra careful if using Internet cafes or any PC which is not your own and over which you have no control. If in doubt, a good place to get help and guidance on how to stay safe online is your bank's website. Check regularly for specific information and guidance on protecting your PC and yourself online.
- Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial information through a web site, look for the 'lock' icon on the browser's status bar. It signals that personal information is secure during transmission.
- Never give personal information to people calling from companies you have not dealt with before. Always check the identity of these people by calling them back. Obtain their office number from directory enquiries and then confirm their position with the switchboard before speaking to them.
- If you have been a victim of identity fraud involving the use of plastic cards, online banking or cheques, the matter should be reported direct to the financial institution concerned. They will then be responsible for further investigation and, where appropriate, onward reporting to the police. Other incidents should be reported to the relevant organisation and, dependent on their advice, to your local police station.
The National Identity Fraud Prevention Week team has once again produced its invaluable '
Protecting Your Identity' guide, which you can get free. In addition, an online identity theft risk assessment is available on the official campaign website www.stop-idfraud.co.uk
For this and more information on how to protect yourself, and how to cope if you are a victim of identity fraud, visit www.stop-idfraud.co.uk, or call freephone 0800 1810 1810 to get a copy of the guide.
So, now that you know about Identity fraud, do yourself a favour and stop throwing your life away!
© www.experian.co.uk 2007
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