How to protect yourself

Contents
1. Overview 2. How your identity can be stolen 3. Keeping your identity safe 4. Phishing 5. Tips to protect your identity 6. Signs you may become a victim 7. Signs you may already be a victim

It is increasingly difficult to open a bank account these days without supplying the bank with a thick handful of official documents. Most organisations offering financial services now ask for driving licences, birth certificates, passports, utility bills or council tax records. If any of these documents are stolen and abused by a fraudster out to make a fast buck, it can make your life very difficult. Identity theft can go undetected for an average of 16 months, and can take a further two years to sort out. So it is essential to know what to do if your identity has been stolen.

Criminals often steal your identity by taking personal information from your rubbish, and even making contact with you by imitating legitimate organisations. This may be by telephone, email or now even through spyware your computer picks up over the internet.

If you become a victim of identity theft, it could become difficult for you to obtain financial services in the future.

Although your bank details are one of the most common things criminals look for, your identity can also be stolen through your passport, your driving licence and junk mail that you receive. You may think that you are keeping your details safe, but identity thieves have also been known to go through dustbins to look for receipts that you've thrown away.

You may not find out that your identity has been stolen until you try to apply for a credit card and you're told that you already owe money to a number of companies. You could also find out if you apply for benefits and are told that you seem to be already claiming them.

Your identity and personal details are as valuable to criminals as your mobile phone and your wallet, so you should take the same amount of care to protect them. As well as using your common sense to keep your cards and passwords safe, there are more specific ways you can protect your details:

• Rip up, shred or burn your receipts safely before you throw them away to make sure your card number cannot be seen
• If you're about to go to university, don't change your address with your bank until you're happy that your personal mail will be safe
• If you've just moved, set up a mail re-direct with the Post Office for at least a year, this will make sure that all your mail will be sent to your new address automatically - you should also change your address with your bank and other companies as soon as possible

Phishing is one of the newest and most sophisticated ways that internet fraudsters are trying to steal identities. The scam works by sending fake emails that seem to come from well-known and well-respected companies.

Phishing emails usually look like they've been sent by online banks or internet stores. They will claim that due to security checks or IT failure they have lost your information or that it is no longer secure. They usually provide a link for you to click on and re-enter your bank details or password. They then take these details to log onto the real website or online bank.

Although it sounds like an easy thing to spot, the email messages are now becoming more authentic looking, and are using images copied from the real company's site or are imitating the appearance of email newsletters.

Although phishing emails are becoming more convincing, there are still a number of things that should make you think twice about replying:

• Messages with spelling mistakes are unlikely to be sent out by a legitimate company as it looks unprofessional
• If the email message begins with 'Dear shopper' or 'Dear customer' instead of addressing you personally
• If the email says that your account will be disabled unless you send your information

Remember that companies will never ask you for your account details or any password that you use to log in to a website.

If you do receive a suspicious email that you think may be part of an online scam, contact the company that supposedly sent the email and let them know. You can email them through their official website. You could even give them a phone call if you know the customer service number.

The tips below will help you protect your identity and prevent criminals from committing fraud using your good name:

• Regularly watch your credit reports ideally from all three credit reference agencies, i.e. Experian, Equifax and CallCredit.
• Destroy or shred statements, bills and direct mail, don't simply throw them away.
• Install reputable anti-spy software on your computer and keep it updated.
• When asked to reveal any personal identifying information, such as bank details, make sure you know how it will be used, if it will be shared and who you are giving the information to.
• Don't carry all your identification information and cards with you.
• Always thoroughly check bank statements and credit card statements.

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