Identity Theft - What if it happens to you?


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Things to look out for

You may become a victim of identity theft if:

you have lost or had stolen important documents such as your passport or driving licence

post expected from your bank has not arrived or you are receiving no post at all

You may already be a victim of identity theft if:

you identify entries on your personal credit file from organisations you do not normally deal with

items have appeared on your bank or credit-card statements that you do not recognise

you applied for a state benefit but are told that you are already claiming

you receive bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for goods or services you haven’t asked for

you have been refused a financial service, such as a credit card or a loan, despite having a good credit history

a mobile-phone contract has been set up in your name without your knowledge

you have received letters from solicitors or debt collectors for debts that aren’t yours

financial institutions that you do not normally deal with contact you to chase an outstanding debt.

Your credit report

Obtain a copy of your credit file from the following credit reference agencies, it costs as little as £2:

Call Credit – http://www.callcredit.plc.uk/

Equifax – http://www.equifax.co.uk/

Experian – http://www.experian.co.uk/

Look at your credit file in detail. If you find entries relating to organisations you do not normally deal with, contact them immediately. Keep a record of all your actions, including who you spoke to and when, and copies of letters sent and received. The credit reference agencies may be able to help you with this.

If you believe you are a victim of identity fraud which has involved the use of plastic cards (such as credit and debit cards), online banking, or cheques, the matter should be reported by the account holder directly to the financial institution concerned. They will then be responsible for undertaking further verification and investigation, and, as appropriate, reporting cases of criminal activity directly to the police where they will be recorded and subsequent investigation considered. It should be noted that this process is applicable to England, Wales and Northern Ireland only.

These changes to the reporting of plastic card, online banking and cheque fraud were introduced by the Home Office on 1 April 2007, following discussion with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the financial sector, to reduce the level of bureaucracy involved in fraud recording, and to streamline the reporting and initial investigation of such frauds.

Where the incident has not involved the use of plastic cards, online banking or cheques then you should report the matter to the relevant organisation in the first instance and, dependent on their advice, to your local police station.

Report all lost or stolen documents, (passports, driving licences, credit cards, chequebooks, etc).

Notify Royal Mail if you suspect mail theft or that a mail redirection has been fraudulently set up on your address – they have an investigations unit who will be able to help.

Consider registering with the CIFAS Protective Registration Service. CIFAS Protective Registration may be placed by individuals against their own address when they have good reason to believe it may be used by a fraudster, for example, when a passport has been stolen. For a full explanation of the CIFAS Protective Registration Service, go to http://www.cifas.org.uk/ and follow the link to Protective Registration. Alternatively you can phone 0870 010 2091 (Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm)