Identity Theft Kit

Identity theft is a growing problem in the UK. More than four million people have fallen victim to this crime and had their identities stolen – a staggering five-fold increase since 1999. ID theft occurs when criminals obtain your personal documents or data and, by impersonating you, use the information fraudulently to obtain money or buy goods and services. This Kit provides help in fighting this problem. It explains measures that you can take to reduce the likelihood of ID theft and gives advice on what to do if you are unlucky enough to fall victim to the ID fraudsters.

The Kit includes a free CD with trial anti-virus, firewall and anti-malware software from AVG.

Edition:	First		Published	2007
Format:	Sealed Wallet		ISBN:	9781905261291
Code:	P224		Price:	£9.99

Barry is co-founder of the Credit Reporting Agency which, in 1999 through checkmyfile.com, became the first company in the world to make credit scoring available to consumers and to provide online credit reports in the UK. In 2006 the company launched annualcreditreport.co.uk - the first company to provide a free annual subscription service to UK consumers. Barry is a high-profile figure in the credit industry, acting as an Executive Member of the Association of Mortgage Lenders, Chairman of the Brewery Lending Group and previously serving as co-opted observer on the CIFAS board - the UK's fraud prevention service. He is currently a member of the Institute of Credit Management's (ICM) Technical Advisory Committee, which provides feedback to government on credit issues.

Examples of how identity theft can affect you

Card-not-present fraud (?CNP?)

Having your credit card ?skimmed?

Theft of your credit cards

Theft of your personal details by people at your last address

Stealing your bank details

Airport theft

Checking in at hotels

Advance fee scams (?419? scams)

Abuse of social network websites

Theft of your personal details from within a company

Buying expensive items on eBay

Theft of your personal details from someone close to you

Bin bag theft

Giving away your personal details inadvertently

Mortgage refinancing schemes

Fraudulent address change of your existing credit card

Targetting your old hard disk information

Fraudulent mail redirection

A job offer you cannot refuse

Car buying nightmare

Putting your personal details on a school or work reunion site

Goods ordered for your company, but not by you

You are a retailer and suffer unjustified chargebacks

Initiatives to reduce the threat

The law

Identity cards

Lost and stolen documents register

Electoral roll opt-out

Credit file monitoring

Password disciplines

Identity theft insurance

Increased card security

Warning signs

You are unexpectedly declined credit

Your credit card is refused unexpectedly

Your credit card company calls to query a foreign or unusual transaction

You find accounts you do not recognise on your credit file

The police arrive with a warrant for your arrest

Your cheques bounce unexpectedly

Mail appears to be late, or bunched, or fails to arrive

You are burgled, but nothing much seems to have been taken

A County Court summons arrives for a debt you know nothing about

A debt collector, bailiff or Sheriff?s Officer arrives at your door

You receive a debt collection call at work for an unknown debt

You receive an overseas health claim on a Form E111 in your name

You receive notice from your local post office that a redirection notice requires renewal

You are stopped unexpectedly when you try to leave or enter an airport

Financial fraud prevention

Web disciplines

Travelling

If you are a director of a company

If you have purchased UK domain names in your personal name

If you move house

Specimen letters

Victim assistance checklist

Useful contacts checklist