PERSONAL INFORMATION IS MORE VALUABLE THAN CASH

Equifax welcomes ‘The Devil’s in your Details’ campaign and urges consumers to think before they divulge

www.equifax.co.uk

London, 10th April 2012 - ‘The Devil’s in Your Details’ campaign, launched by the National Fraud Authority, UK Payments and TUFF is focused on raising awareness of the value of personal information and the importance of protecting it. Supporting this campaign, leading ID fraud expert, Equifax, is urging consumers to treat their personal information like cash and stop and think before giving it out.

“As fraudsters get more and more unscrupulous and determined, consumers must remain on their guard and review the measures they are taking to protect their personal details,” advises Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director at Equifax. “After all, in an increasingly cash-less society, personal data is actually more valuable than cash! You wouldn’t leave your wallet lying open for anyone to take your cash - so don’t do the equivalent with your personal information. Don’t give it out unless you are 100% certain about who you’re giving it to.”

Recent Equifax research has revealed some key risks being taking by people with their identity information:

Equifax ID fraud survey*:

• 60% of Brits share their bank PIN codes with their partner, children and friends
• 19% of respondents choose not to use privacy settings on their social networking sites
• 9% aren't aware of the privacy settings or don’t know how to use them
• 9% have privacy settings on some of their social networking sites but not all
• 47% do not regularly review their privacy settings
• 17% know their partners passwords

Equifax Facebook friends survey**:

• Nearly 62% provide their full date of birth
• 78% provide a personal email address
• 32.37% provide the name of their employer
• Nearly 10% provide their mobile numbers

EQUIFAX TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL DATA

When it comes to your personal details consumers are recommended to:

• NEVER email your bank account details or PIN to anyone - your bank will NEVER ask you to do this
• NEVER write your PIN down or tell anyone your password - partners, family, friends or work colleagues
• NEVER leave financial documents lying around - work or at home
• NEVER forget to password protect your computer, laptops, mobile phones, private and confidential documents
• NEVER forget to fully log out of website accounts/online banking
• NEVER carry around more financial details than you really need in your wallet, purse or bag
• NEVER move houses and forget to redirect your post
• NEVER put more than your email address on your CV when posting it online - you can always give your date of birth, address and phone number at a later date
• NEVER click on a link in an email if you do not know the sender
• NEVER put your full date of birth on a social networking page - the day and month will do
• NEVER put your phone number or address online or add status updates detailing when you are going on holiday/not in your home
• NEVER forget to regularly check your bank/credit card statements and credit reports to spot any unusual activity and report if your personal details have been used by fraudsters

If you have been a victim of fraud, notify CIFAS, which runs a Protective Registration service. A notice will be placed on your credit file informing lenders that you may be at risk of identity fraud on 0870 010 2091.

You can also call Action fraud for advice and support on 0300 123 2040 or visit their website www.actionfraud.org.uk.

* June 2010 - 931 respondents
** Analysis of the data made available by 173 Facebook friends August 2010

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For further press information please contact: Louise Fowler, Clare Watson or Wendy Harrison at HSL on 020 8977 9132 / Fax: 020 8977 5200 or Email: louise@harrisonsadler.com

About Equifax

Equifax is a global leader in consumer and commercial information solutions, providing businesses of all sizes and consumers with information they can trust. We organize and assimilate data on more than 500 million consumers and 81 million businesses worldwide, and use advanced analytics and proprietary technology to create and deliver customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Equifax operates or has investments in 17 countries and is a member of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500® Index. Its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. For more information, please visit www.equifax.com.