Press Release

WHO'S IN YOUR BIN?

Equifax warns consumers to beware ID thieves going through their trash

London, 15th April 2008 - Police in the West Country area of Taunton Deane recently warned householders to watch what they put out with the rubbish, after a local woman caught a suspected identity thief going through her bin. Equifax, a leading ID fraud expert, is urging consumers to think before throwing out old bank and credit card statements, as midnight bin raids are more common than they might think.

A woman from Bishop's Hull, Taunton Deane was woken by a noise at 3.30am. Thinking it was a fox she went to investigate and found a man ripping open her bin bags, apparently looking for sensitive information such as bills or documents containing her name and address. This follows a similar incident reported in the village a few months earlier and should be a wake up call to local residents, warns Equifax.

"People don't realise how valuable their personal information is to ID fraudsters," explains Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director for Equifax. "A bank statement will give a fraudster all the information they need to open accounts in that individual's names and run up huge debts. There were over 77,000 victims of ID fraud in the UK in 2007* alone and this means hours of anxiety and phone calls trying to set things straight again.

"We advise everyone to treat their personal data as confidential and destroy all documents showing their name and address. Utility bills, card receipts and even envelopes with their address on should be destroyed, rather than putting them out with the potato peelings. As the residents of Taunton Deane have discovered, ID fraudsters will go to any lengths to gain access to this valuable information, so don't make it easy for them."

Equifax is also advising consumers to regularly monitor their credit information - this can often be the first way they will discover if their identity has been stolen by fraudsters. Equifax provides its Identity Watch service to provide on-going monitoring of individual's credit files. The cost of subscription is just £3.99 a month** and it can start working for a consumer within minutes of them registering on www.equifax.co.uk. There is no wait for PINs or passwords. This is vital for anyone concerned that they might have been targeted for identity theft. They can take action immediately.

The service includes:

Alerts to consumers on a weekly basis with any changes to their credit file by email
One free Equifax Credit Report™ when the subscription is started
A monthly 'no news is good news' message, if there has been no activity on their credit file

The Equifax Identity Watch™ website provides easy to navigate advice and information and advice and support is available from Equifax customer care. Individuals can, therefore, benefit from learning about how to protect themselves against identity theft, as well as have access to a glossary of credit terms to make it easier to understand the terminology used by lenders and in their credit report.

Equifax Identity Watch™ will help catch potential fraud early, therefore greatly reducing the time and effort spent correcting a credit report and, in many cases, prevent fraud before it even happens. It also allows individuals to monitor their individual financial situation regularly and will enable consumers to manage their debts more effectively.

EQUIFAX'S GUIDE TO KEEPING YOUR ID SAFE

Keep your personal data safe at all times
Destroy all documents showing your name and address, including pre-filled forms and envelopes or letterhead
Think about investing in a paper shredder
Check your bank statements for signs of unauthorised activity
If you think you have been a victim of ID fraud inform your bank, the police, other creditors and utility providers
Obtain a copy of your credit file from a Credit Reference Agency (www.equifax.co.uk 0870 010 0583)
You can notify CIFAS, which runs a Protective Registration service and a notice will be placed on your credit file informing lenders that you may be at risk of identity fraud. Tel: 0870 010 2091.
You can also consider registering with a monitoring service such as Equifax Credit Watch, which will alert you of any changes to your credit file.

For further press information please contact: Eli Puzey, Louise Fowler, Cecile Stearn or Wendy Harrison at HSL on 020 8977 9132 / Fax: 020 8977 5200 or Email: elinor@harrisonsadler.com