ID theft
What is Identity Theft?
This is the process whereby someone pretends to be you in order to buy products, take out loans or credit cards, open bank accounts, steal other people’s information or even get a mobile phone, passport or driving licence in your name.
According to Government-backed website www.identitytheft.org, it costs the UK economy £1.2 billion per year.
How do they do it?
If you think of your life as like a jigsaw, then by finding certain clues and pieces of that puzzle, criminals can easily pull together enough information to clone your identity.
The details don’t even have to be in the same place. They might find your date of birth and email address on Facebook, details of your family on a blog, a mobile number posted on Twitter and password information, copied because your computer was hacked.
Even if your social network page is private, with the right security settings to stop strangers seeing the information, the necessary details could still be found on your friends’ profiles or blogs.
That is why you should always think about everything you put out into cyberspace and also monitor what others are saying about you.
For example, you might not tell the world you’re on holiday but if a mate asks you in a public forum “How’s Spain?” that could be the perfect clue for a wannabe burglar.
Who steals identities and why?
Making money will always be the biggest driver for a criminal attempting identity theft.
But some people may do it to use your identity to cause others emotional distress.
If a former friend you’ve fell out with knows your Facebook password, and uses your profile to send hurtful messages to others in your social group, then that is a form of identity theft online too.
How can I tell if I am a victim?
If you receive emails about goods and services you’ve not bought or enquired about, that could be one sign.
But also be alert to any messages you receive showing someone has tried to change your passwords using any security reset information.
You might also receive things through the post such as bills or letters.
Never reply to so-called Phishing emails, which specifically ask you for passwords, account numbers or PINs. The message will pretend to be from a legitimate organisation such as your bank and it may direct you to a website that asks you to enter your details.
If you do so, they will be captured and recorded by criminals. If in doubt, ring up your bank or the company the email says it is from. But get their contact details from an official source, rather than the email itself.
Where can I get help if I think I have become a victim?
One way is to check your credit file with the agencies that keep this information. It is used to determine how worthy you are when applying for loans and cr edit cards and keeps a record of every piece of credit taken out in your name. Look up Equifax and Experian for help in obtaining your file.
The www.identitytheft.org.uk has lots of useful information too.
But if you really are worried you might have become an identity theft victim, call the police and report it immediately.
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