ADRIAN CHILES
Adrian Chiles on ID fraud
“Identity fraud costs the UK more than £1 billion every year, and has already affected more than 4 million adults in Britain – so I am pleased to lend my support to National Identity Fraud Prevention Week. With the assistance of media coverage and campaigns like this, awareness of identity fraud has grown in the UK but people are still unaware or simply ignoring advice and vast numbers continue to fall victim. Your identity is your most prized possession – people have got to understand how they can protect themselves from becoming a victim of ID fraud.
National Identity Fraud Prevention Week is a great campaign that is focused on communicating to consumers and businesses the dangers of identity fraud and the preventative steps that could – and should – be taken. With a wealth of good advice coming from organisations at the forefront of the identity fraud battle, Britons would do well to pay attention.
Britain’s businesses have come a long way in protecting employees and customers from identity fraud but public confidence is at an all time low and the business community still has a major role to play. While many have introduced stringent identity fraud prevention policies, more than a fifth of businesses in the UK still don’t have comprehensive strategies in place. Until this is rectified, customer, employee and stakeholder trust will continue to dwindle
There are eight simple things everyone can do to help protect themselves against the risk of identity fraud:
- Ensure that your PC is equipped with security software
- Pay attention to billing cycles and investigate missing post
- Store documents in a safe place and try not carry them on your person, unless absolutely necessary
- Always report lost documents, such as passports or driving licenses, immediately
- Regularly check your credit report!
- Always check bank statements and bills for discrepancies
- Make shredding part of your everyday life: always shred sensitive documents and personal information before throwing them in the bin
- Never give your personal details to unknown or unidentifiable sources – be that online, over the phone or face to face
This week is the time to listen and to act on the advice being offered. I hope everyone takes note of the simple steps that can be taken to protect their identities so we can stop handing our identities to fraudsters on a plate.”