Press Release

ID FRAUD EXPERT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENTARY ON ID THEFT DATA BY POLICE FORCE AREA

London, July 23rd 2009 - CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention Service - has released figures on ID theft by police force area. Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax is available to provide independent expert commentary on this issue if you are planning a feature.

The CIFAS data shows the number of times an individual living at an address in a police force area has been a victim of impersonation (where their name has been used by a fraudster to apply for a product or service) or a victim of account takeover (where the victim's genuine account has been hijacked by a fraudster).

"It can only take three pieces of information for a fraudster to be able to steal someone's identity and open accounts in their name so that they can rack up huge debts, leaving the victim to foot the bill", confirmed Neil Munroe. "And as these latest figures from CIFAS reveal ID fraud is a real issue affecting people right across the country.

"People need to take proactive steps to protect themselves from the threat of fraud. From ensuring they don't carry around unnecessary information in wallets and handbags, to properly disposing of financial and other personal documents, there are a number of sensible precautions that can make a difference. Monitoring their credit information can also play a crucial role in alerting them to any fraudulent activity."

EQUIFAX TIPS TO PROTECT AGAINST ID FRAUD

Apply for a copy of your credit file to look out for any unauthorised activity
Shred statements bills and direct mail which contains personal information
Redirect mail if you move
Keep your PIN secure
Always check bank statements and credit card statements carefully against receipts
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
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
Do not use the same PIN number for all of your cards and never write your PIN number down
Use the privacy settings on social networking sites
If you are disposing of an old computer, make sure you destroy information on the hard drive
Make sure you have the latest virus protection that ideally updates hourly and you have a Firewall

ENDS

*CIFAS 2009 ID Fraud data, released 22nd July 2009

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