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National Identity Fraud Prevention Week
By John F | October 6, 2008
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Last week [in the UK] it was National Identity Fraud Prevention Week. I’m not a great admirer in these type schemes, although they do seem to raise awareness, which is the main priority. The ‘national week’ event does tie in with this blog and Identity Fraud is big business for organised crime gangs and opportunist scammers.
In the UK it is estimated that Identity Fraud costs the UK economy £1 billion a year. That’s a lot of credit card statements, skimmed cards and stolen personal details that change hands.
Another measure that the UK government announced and will help combat identity fraud is that death records will be sent encrypted to credit-checking agencies of recently deceased people every week.
Fraudsters increasingly search the obituary columns and then apply for accounts in these deceased people’s names. What a nasty world we live in.
I know two people who have been affected by identity fraud. One person’s card was skimmed in a petrol station [or for any US readers, a gas station] and they were contacted by their credit card company who were checking if the three computers they recently ordered were a genuine purchase. They were very lucky their credit card company were proactive in this instance.
The other person stupidly threw bank statements away in their bin, un-shredded and then various mobile phone accounts were set up in their name to the tune of £1000. Ignorance is no defence.
The financial cost of identity fraud can normally be refunded by your bank or credit card company as long as you can provide proof of due diligence. However, the time, stress and anxiety caused by clearing your name can take a huge toll on your sanity and time. Click here for some horror stories.
If you live outside of the UK, the advice and measures you need to take to prevent yourself from being a victim of identity fraud are the same. Follow the advice from this link to save yourself from being a victim of identity fraud and many sleepless nights.
Topics: Computer Privacy Usefulness, Computer Security Usefulness |