Press Release
DON'T PART WITH YOUR IDENTITY WHEN YOU PART WITH YOUR MOBILE PHONE!
Equifax offers important advice to consumers who no longer want their mobiles
www.equifax.co.uk
London, October 2008 - ID fraud expert, Equifax, is warning consumers that they need to make sure all information stored on mobile phones has been removed before they sell, recycle or give them away to others.
According to recent research*, over 1.5 million people throw away their mobile phones every year. But a survey** conducted amongst Equifax customers in April 2008 found that 16% of consumers store PIN numbers on their mobile devices. So if SIM cards and the actual phone memories aren't cleared this could be a recipe for disaster.
The Equifax survey also found that 24% of mobile phone users record birthday dates on their mobiles. With many people using their date of birth as a key prompt for passwords, etc, in the wrong hands this could be vital data for a fraudster.
"Unfortunately, our mobiles and blackberrys have become the equivalent of our address books", confirmed Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director for Equifax. "So if your old mobile phone gets picked up by a fraudster and you haven't cleaned it of all personal data, it could become a valuable source of information that can help them to steal your identity.
"Consumers need to make sure they have wiped everything off the phone - from phone numbers and texts, to even photographs and videos. It is vital that as well as removing all of this from the phone itself, that the SIM card is removed too before getting rid of the phone. Even if you decide to give your phone to a friend or family member, it's still important to take these precautions. Unfortunately, findings from our survey earlier this year revealed that 1 in 4 fraud victims knew the fraudster who stole their identity.
"For those consumers who are being environmentally aware and recycling their old phones, its important to choose a reputable company - but still remember to remove the SIM and clear the phone memory."
EQUIFAX TIPS TO PROTECT AGAINST ID FRAUD
- Apply for a copy of your credit file to look out for any unauthorised activity
- Do not use the same PIN number for all of your cards and never store your PIN on mobile phones, blackberrys or laptops
- If you are disposing of an old phone or computer, make sure you destroy information on the hard drive
- Be careful of what you carry around in your handbag or wallet. Credit Card receipts, payslips, driving licence, bank statement, utility bill.these all reveal a lot of information about you and a combination of these can be a fraudsters dream
- Keep your PIN secure
- Always check bank statements and credit card statements carefully against receipts
- Shred statements bills and direct mail which contains personal information
- Make sure you have the latest virus protection that ideally updates hourly and you have a Firewall
- When using online banking, ensure people can't view your details and log out of the site, rather than just closing the window
- No matter how much you trust your friends, work colleagues, do not give out your PIN number under any circumstances
*moneysupermarket.com October 2008
**Survey of 608 Equifax Customers in April 2008