However, the fight against fraud continues, and at present SOCA is still actively undertaking a relentless front line battle against organised crime.

Just last week, it was announced that a joint operation with the FBI and US Department of Justice had resulted in the closure of thirty-six websites that had been responsible for countless cases of identity fraud through dealing with stolen payment card and online bank account details.

This sort of international co-operation and departmental co-ordination is exactly the sort of action that the new streamlined structure of the NCA is intended to build on, once it takes over the responsibilities of SOCA next year, and we hope to be able to bring you more similar success stories in future updates.

UPDATE: In an apparent act of revenge, it has also been reported today that the SOCA website has itself been taken down using what is known as a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. This is only likely to be a temporary issue, but it does go to show what the authorities are up against, when trying to counter serious organised fraud.

[Source: SOCA]

We highlighted the latest annual report from CIFAS, including data for the whole of 2011, during last month in this blog. However, it is often in the weeks afterwards that some additional interesting trends come to light.

For example, although it only accounts for a relatively small proportion (just over a tenth) of the overall number of cases of identity fraud, bank account related identity fraud rose by over a third between 2010 and 2011.

In 2010 there were 11,030 cases of bank account fraud that also involved identity fraud, but by 2011 this figure had shot up to 14,873 cases, an increase of 34.8%.

Almost all of us need to use a bank account, but it appears that this is one specific area that is increasingly being exploited by fraudsters, and therefore something that we as vigilant citizens need to be particularly aware of.

We will continue to seek out relevant information about identity fraud and changing trends, whenever this type of information is published, and will keep this blog updated with articles on this subject.

[Source: CIFAS]

Pearson is now serving 26 months at her Majesty’s pleasure, but the details of the court case suggest that the scale of his identity fraud crimes could have been a lot more severe, had he not been caught as soon as he was.

Although he had only been able to make less than £2,500 from fraudulent transactions, the catalogue of sensitive personal data that was discovered by police indicated that enough information was available, including details of over 2,700 bank cards, to inflict the same misery on many more innocent victims.

So, we can be thankful that the police have been able to stop Edward Pearson before any more victims were affected, but sadly there are still many more active fraudsters that are still at large.

[Source: York Press]

Identity fraud is just one of the aspects that the service covers, but we thought that the ActionFraud service, and in particular a brand new campaign that has recently been launched, entitled ‘The Devil’s In Your Details’, was something that would be particularly relevant to our readers.

Although the ActionFraud service is available to all people of all ages, the latest campaign is targeted particularly at young men aged 18-25 and women aged 18 to 55, as these groups in particular use their personal information on a regular basis for activities such as social networking and online shopping, and can sometimes be more vulnerable to fraud as a result.

The key message of the campaign is to keep SAFE, by remembering the following four simple steps:

S = Suspect anything or anyone you don’t know – no matter what or who they claim to be.
A = Ask questions. Whatever a fraudster tries, you have the power to stay in control.
F = Find out for certain who you’re dealing with. Challenge anything that seems suspect.
E = End situations that make you uncomfortable. If you feel threatened, contact the police

There are also some additional resources, which can be viewed via the ActionFraud website, including videos and a Facebook application, which may be useful for anyone that wishes to find out more information about the campaign.

So remember to stay SAFE!

[Source: ActionFraud]

The full report can be viewed in its entirety via this link from the CIFAS website (pdf document), but we will also highlight a couple of the most relevant trends.

As has been observed in recent years, cases of Identity fraud once again accounted for almost half (47.9%) of all cases of fraud recorded in the UK for the whole of 2011.

Although there was a small fall in identity fraud cases that were categorised as ‘Mail Order’, between 2010 and 2011, all of the other three categories, namely ‘Communications’, ‘Bank Account’ and ‘Plastic Card’, recorded year-on-year increases, and the overall number of cases rose by over 10%, as we have noted previously.

Of course, we will continue to monitor statistics about identity fraud, as and when they are made available, and will publish further blog articles to keep you informed on this subject.

[Source: CIFAS]

Aside from fraudsters trying to obtain details from your smartphone or to overcome online banking security, we should not forget that it can still be alarmingly easy for fraudsters to steal your identity using more old-fashioned methods as well.

A feature for BBC’s local ‘Inside Out’ show for the West of England, showed just how easy it was to steal the identity of one of the presenters without his knowledge, just from what had been left out in rubbish bins or recycling.

The article can be viewed here, and if you are very quick you may also be able to catch up with the show via the BBC’s iPlayer service [only available until 8pm on 05/03/2012.].

This feature reiterates just how important it is to shred documents, and not just the obvious ones. In fact, anything that contains personal data about you, including your name, address, date of birth etc. can be used to build up information about you that could then be used to steal your identity.

Sometimes fraudsters are able to take different pieces of information from several different documents, each of which would be useless in isolation.

As a final step, don’t forget that you can also do your bit for the environment by adding the shredded paper to a compost heap.

[Source: BBC West]

We have previously blogged about news of changes in the way that the UK government plans to reorganise relevant departments to try to reduce cyber crime, and following on from previous updates there has now been a further announcement by Frances Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office.

A series of new measures is being proposed, including the establishment of a taskforce on fraud error and debt, as well as improvements in the way that different government departments collaborate and share data.

Whilst we welcome any positive steps that the government is planning to take to help combat the fight against all types of fraud, including identity fraud, the timescales involved to achieve the planned objectives are perhaps slightly disappointing, with some of the announced steps not expected to be fully in place until 2015.

However, we would hope that a more co-ordinated approach to fraud by all relevant government departments might help to stem the tide of fraud cases in the UK, which until now has shown little sign of slowing down. There was a 10% rise in the number of identity fraud cases during 2011, with over 100,000 individuals having been affected in each of the last three full calendar years.

As we have noted previously, changes will not happen overnight and it will take time for new initiatives to bed in and have a meaningful impact. However, we will of course be monitoring progress in the hope that these measures will start to take effect over the course of the next few years.

[Source: Cabinet Office]

However, it appears that no matter how sophisticated these security measures become, there is always a danger that hackers will eventually find ever more sophisticated ways to circumvent whatever safeguards are put in place.

Many banks, including Barclays and HSBC, now provide customers with a small chip and PIN card reader that generates a unique code that the customer then uses before key transactions can be authorised, eg: to set up a new payment, or to make transactions over a specific threshold. The intention of this extra layer of security was to generate a unique code that was only valid for a very limited period of time, and could only be created by the customer using their card in combination with their PIN.

In theory it all sounds extremely secure, but there are now some suggestions that even this level of security is not 100% secure in all cases. BBC Click has undertaken an investigation showing that certain aspects of this supposedly secure process can still be prone to attacks from hackers, who are able to exploit weaknesses using malware and alter the process.

Of course, it isn’t possible to release too many details about the specifics of the weaknesses, for fear of further exposing the issues with the process, but there does at least seem to be some admission from banking security experts that the measures could be ineffective under certain specific circumstances.

Hopefully the banks will now investigate the results of this research further, rather than remaining complacent, and will step up their processes to ensure that customers are not defrauded when they bank online.

[Source: BBC Click]

The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, CIFAS, provides regular updates to indicate the extent to which different types of fraud, including identity fraud, are taking place in the UK. The latest bulletin confirms what we have suspected from the interim updates issued during 2011. There was a rise of over 10% compared with the previous year, with over 113,000 reported cases of identity fraud throughout 2011.

We have now seen that the number of identity fraud cases in the UK has breached the 100,000 mark in all of the last three full calendar years (2009 – 2011), and although there have been quarters where the number of cases has plateaued or fallen slightly, the overall trend is still very worrying indeed.

Also, as has been the case for several years, identity fraud cases still accounted for almost half (48%) of all fraud cases during 2011.

To avoid becoming part of the next set of identity fraud statistics, you can discover more about the identity fraud prevention service offered by Identity Alarm, by clicking here to view our main website.

[Source: CityWire]

The Mirror website has reported the loss of personal data from over 1.4 million customers of Shopacheck, which helps to provides loans to people, many of whom struggle to obtain credit elsewhere or who already have poor credit ratings or County Court Judgments.

As we have seen in the past, these high profile data loss incidents often do not involve any financial data, but due to the nature of Shopacheck’s relationships with its customers, it is believed that the payment history details of over 600,000 customers is among the lost information.

Shopacheck’s MD has already written to customers to highlight the increased risk of identity fraud, and a freephone helpline: 0800 8406 563, has also been set up for current or past Shopacheck customers who may still have concerns.

[Source: Mirror]

The start of January is traditionally a time for people to make New Year’s resolutions, whether it’s giving up a vice or doing something positive in your life like trying to lose weight, it is a sad fact of life that these good intentions often do not last.

One alternative resolution that you could consider, and which may be a more achievable target, is to be more identity aware in 2012 by ensuring that you do not do anything to adversely risk or expose your personal information. However, despite positive steps taken by governments and other organisations identity fraud remains a very real danger in 2012.

There are loads of tips about what you can do to safeguard your identity in our previous blog articles, as well as the content on the main Identity Alarm website, so why not make a resolution to do more to protect your identity in 2012?

We hope that you have found this blog informative over the past twelve months, and that you will choose to visit us again for more articles in the new year.

We aim to continue bringing you a mix of news articles and tips throughout 2012, in order to keep you up to speed with all that is happening in relation to the big identity fraud stories that are out there.

So, from all of us here, have a very festive Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year!

However, one case recently, as reported by BBC News, has resulted in a record fine of £130,000. The fine was levied against Powys Council for a breach involving a child protection case, and perhaps is the start of a more stringent regime for the organisation that exists to protect data privacy for individuals in the UK.

We have written on a regular basis about cases in which councils have neglected their duty of care by mis-handling sensitive data, and it is encouraging that the ICO now appears more willing to use additional powers granted to it in April 2010. Admittedly, some of the cases that we have reported during 2011 originally took place much longer ago, meaning that current powers could not be used, but hopefully we will now see renewed efforts to get tough on all organisations that do not take their data protection responsibilities seriously.

In the meantime, if you are concerned about Identity Fraud, and you don’t already have the peace of mind that is provided by Identity Alarm’s identity fraud protection service , then you can find out more by visiting our main website.

[Source: BBC News]

The Bureau Of Investigative Journalism has highlighted instances in which councils have published sensitive personal information for a type of application known as a Temporary Event Notice. Specific examples have included the full publication of applicants’ name, date of birth, postcode, National Insurance number and signature.

Access to this information may be sufficient for a fraudster to commit identity fraud, that could leave the reputation and finances of the victim in a state of disarray for months or years afterwards.

The sensible approach in such situations, where a degree of openness is a requirement, would be to publish redacted versions of the documents with selected information blacked out to protect the data security of the individuals involved. However, there have been several instances of the information being published it its full un-edited form. The named and shamed councils are: Crawley, East Hertfordshire, Kettering, Bridgend and Fenland, so residents in these areas should be particularly cautious when entrusting these local councils with any applications that may later be published.

As well as Temporary Event Notices, there have also been similar breaches that have been discovered involving the more common area of planning applications, and so on the basis of these latest revelations it may be wise to check up on the specific policy of your local council.

[Source: The Bureau Of Investigative Journalism]

Following on from the initial reports of planned changes, there has recently been a specific announcement of a new Cyber Security Policy. This new policy is intended to make significant improvements in the way that the fightback against cyber crime can occur in a more co-ordinated and organised manner.

One of the key strands of the new policy involves greater association with, and involvement of, the private sector. In addition, the overall strategy is intended to increase the levels of co-operation between a variety of different organisations and businesses to help to reduce the amount that is lost each year to the various different types of cyber crime.

To underpin the planned organisational and structural changes, a significant investment of over £650m over four years is also being made available. This may sound like a lot of money, but when consideration is given to the proportion of the UK economy that is wholly reliant on the Internet (estimated at 6% and rising) and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that are directly and indirectly affected, then there is a clear case for ensuring that this important part of ‘UK Plc’ can continue to operate effectively by taking positive steps to limit the damage that sustained cyber crime is able to achieve.

It is to be hoped that the available funds are used effectively alongside the structural changes and spirit of co-operation with industry, to ensure that this area of the economy can continue to flourish, without being held back by criminal activity.

As consumers, there will hopefully also be the added benefit of a reduction in the incidence of fraud, including identity fraud, although as ever it may take some time for the impact of these changes to be fully apparent.

[Source: Cabinet Office]

The original incident dates back to late 2009, although it was only earlier in 2011 that the missing data was eventually discovered again. Although the incident involved the details of over 7,000 individuals on an lost Apple Macbook, the council has been able to avoid a fine on a technicality.

The ICO now has increased powers to impose fines and other measures against organisations that breach data protection regulations, but as the data loss dates back to 2009, when its powers were much more limited, there was no option but to be lenient. Any councils that act in a similarly irresponsible way in the future will most likely not be as fortunate.

As we have reported time and time again, it is exactly this type of data loss that can increase the risk of identity fraud to individuals whose data has been lost through no fault of their own.

[Source: CBR]

We have reported in this blog in the past about cases where identity fraud has been made possible by a fraudster stealing the identity of a child that died at a very young age by using the birth certificate to forge themselves a new identity with the details.

The very high profile case of John Darwin, who faked his own death in a mock canoeing accident, was one such occasion where this vile tactic was used, although numerous similar frauds have been reported over the years.

It has long been argued that changes in the law were required to ensure that additional safeguards could be put in place to ensure that fraudsters are not able to create themselves a new identity in this way. A recent article on the Mirror website now appears to suggest that there are likely to be increased efforts to finally close this loophole and stamp out this practice once and for all.

It has been suggested that by allowing for specific annotations to be made to birth certificates, when the child has died shortly afterwards, would mean that it would no longer be possible to use the birth certificate of a dead child to commit identity fraud. However, there are still several legal hurdles to overcome to ensure that the necessary changes can be made.

We firmly hope that efforts continue to try and close this loophole and prevent the parents of bereaved children from being put through further turmoil at the hands of heartless identity fraudsters.

[Source: Mirror Group Newspapers]

Recently another breach came to light that involved the office of a high profile politician, namely Vince Cable, who is the Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham and the current Business Secretary in the coalition government.

An article in the local press details the story, in which a concerned constituent noticed see-through bags outside Mr Cable constituency office that clearly contained documents that should have been disposed of safely via shredding or other secure means.

Although we should really be grateful to this individual for bringing the matter to light, it is perhaps questionable that they continued to gather evidence over a period of nine months and only then took the information to the press. This means that there is some debate over the intentions of the individual who may have been looking to gain some further political advantage or cause maximum embarrassment, when the best course of action may have been to report the issue straight away. However, there is no getting away from the potential risks that were posed to individuals whose details had been inadequately disposed of by Mr Cable’s office.

Of course, now that the issue has made it into the media, Mr Cable has issued a full apology, and will now be anxiously awaiting the response of the Data Protection Registrar, who may elect to issue a significant fine or other sanctions.

We suspect that the vast majority of MPs across the country deal with personal data in the proper way, but this story proves yet again that no matter how careful you are with your data there is always a risk that there may be other ways that your personal data can get into the wrong hands. This is exactly how identity fraud occurs in a significant proportion of cases that are discovered.

[Source: Richmond & Twickenham Times]

The event is a regular fixture of the Autumn calendar, having been established in 2004, and has just come to an end for yet another year.

Although this type of awareness campaign can be very useful for informing greater numbers of people about identity fraud, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that it is not the type of issue that we can just think about during one week, and then forget about it for the other 51 weeks of the year.

That’s why the information on the official NIDFPW website is available to view all year round, as well as the additional information that we have available to view on the main identity alarm website.

You can find out even more about identity fraud by reading our previous blog articles, and please feel free to come back again to read regular updates in the future.

This year’s event runs all this week, from Monday 17th October to Sunday 23rd October, and the intention once again is to try and raise awareness of the issue of identity fraud. As we do each year, we will also be doing our bit to help to promote this event.

The latest statistics included on the National Identity Fraud Prevention Week website indicate that the average identity fraud incident now equates to an average of £1,190 defrauded from each victim.

There is also a wealth of additional information available to view on the official NIDFPW website, and we would recommend that anyone who wants to find out more about this campaign visits the dedicated website to find out more information.

Identity fraud has a significant detrimental impact on the UK economy, with estimated costs of almost £3 billion. We want to ensure that the general public has a greater awareness of this crime, so don’t be the next victim, find out more about how to protect your identity today.

[Source: NIDFPW]

Although the changeover is not due to take place until 2013, planning is already well underway, and just this week it was reported that the Home Secretary, Theresa May, had appointed the current Chief Constable of Warwickshire, Keith Bristow, to head up the NCA.

One of key reasons behind the changes is to provide a more co-ordinated approach to many different types of organised crime. As well as absorbing the current role of SOCA, it has now become clear that the activities of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the National Cybercrime Unit will also come under the NCA’s remit.

It is also understood that the new organisation will be responsible for border policing and tackling economic crime. This last area is of particular interest in the fight against identity fraud, which is still rife despite attempts to try and crack down on the activity of fraudsters.

Time alone will tell if the planned changes to a more co-ordinated approach will be more effective in the fight against all types of organised crime, including identity fraud, than has been possible with the current infrastructure. We will also await further news as and when it happens, in advance of the final implementation of the NCA in 2013.

[Source: Home Office]

Sky News has recently reported a data security breach at Betfair, which originally took place in March 2010. It appears that the incident was deliberately kept low key and millions of affected customers were not informed.

Customers deserve more respect when serious incidents of this nature take place. For Betfair to blatantly disregard its customers in this way, despite its belief that security measures would render the data unusable, is unfair in our opinion.

How do you feel about Betfair’s response to this data breach, and would you feel comfortable giving your personal details to a company that did not inform its customers of such a serious incident?

It remains to be seen what further action, if any, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will take against Betfair now that the incident has become more widely reported.

Finally, don’t gamble with your identity – find out how Identity Alarm can help you to protect your identity and assist in the fight against identity fraud.

[Source: Sky News]

Following on from a previous update that it issued half way through 2011, the latest bulletin from CIFAS shows that there was a small fall in the number of identity fraud cases for the period January – August 2011, versus the same eight month period during 2011.

However, far from being a reason for complacency, it is apparent that the threat of identity fraud is here to stay. The fall, which was less than 1%, and within 500 of the 2010 figures, still means that there were over 72,000 cases of identity fraud in the UK in the first eight months of the year. At the current rate, it is likely that the final figure for the whole of 2011 will once again exceed the 100,000 mark.

Identity fraud cases still accounted for almost half (47%) of all bank account frauds during the first eight months of 2011, and despite some high profile convictions that we have reported, there is still a very significant threat.

To prevent yourself from becoming part of the next set of identity fraud statistics, you can find out all about the identity fraud prevention service offered by Identity Alarm, by viewing our main website.

[Source: CIFAS]

The Public Service website reports on an incident from Kent, which is just one of a catalogue of incidents involving our beloved National Health Service.

As mistakes go, the one made by the Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust was quite a significant one, as a CD containing details of over 1.6 million people was inadvertently sent to a landfill site. The CD had been left in a filing cabinet, and although the trust quickly realised its error and was apparently able to retrieve the CD before it fell into the wrong hands, the mere fact that such data security incidents can occur in this day and age is extremely worrying.

Following intervention from the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) the trust has now implemented a series of measures to prevent anything similar happening again. However, incidents like this are a far too familiar story to us as we continue to see reports of unnecessary data breaches, all of which serve to increase the risk of identity fraud.

[Source: Public Service]

However, a recent article from the Independent, which includes research from the Royal Mail and the National Fraud Authority, suggests that the younger generation may be more at risk of identity fraud as they are now much more likely to move home than their parents or grandparents.

One of the biggest contributory factors, which can make identity fraud more likely, is post arriving at a previous address after you have left. This can, and often has, resulted in identity fraud if a fraudster opens letters that were sent to a previous residence. Even relatively basic information contained in items of post can be used to steal your identity and then used to commit fraudulent transactions.

As well as ensuring that you keep companies informed when you move home, it is important to ensure that your inform local authorities from the perspective of your electoral roll registration. It is also worthwhile to consider having your mail redirected, which can be arranged for up to 12 months after you move, in case you forgot to inform specific organisations, which can happen all too easily.

Identity fraud protection, such as the service offered by Identity Alarm, should be an important consideration for anyone, but on this basis of this recent research may be even more relevant for regular home movers in particular.

[Source: Independent]

Collectively speaking, one of the biggest culprits has been local councils. Local authority departments handle large amounts of personal data, and aren’t always as careful with the information as you might wish. In fact, we have reported in the past about some very significant data losses, which originated from local councils, and there have been numerous other incidents over recent years.

Some rather handy detective work from The Bureau Of Investigative Journalism, which has submitted a series of FoI (freedom of information) requests to every local council across the whole of England, gives some insight into the extent of data breaches since 2005.

Some examples and further details of the specific incidents that were reported back can be seen in the article on the The Bureau Of Investigative Journalism website.

What is perhaps more concerning than the sheer number of data breaches and the number of people affected, was that some of the official replies to the FoI requests did not even indicate how many individuals were involved, and no attempt had been made to contact the affected people. It is no wonder that identity fraud in the UK is now so common, when the attitude of certain data processors is so lax.

[Source: The Bureau Of Investigative Journalism]

Get Reading, the website of the Reading Post, carried the story of Michael Long, who has been saved from paying back over £73,000, which he is known to have pocketed from his crimes. He has instead been asked to pay back just £1 because the authorities have been unable to prove that he still had any receipts of his crimes, although it is still believed that there are hidden assets that it had not been possible to locate.

One of the ironies of the court proceedings was that despite the weight of evidence against him, Long had claimed that he himself had been a victim of identity fraud, even though it was him that had committed this crime against numerous different victims.

All of this is particularly frustrating for his victims, not to mention the rest of us who expect that when criminals are caught and convicted that they should not continue to profit from their crime.

We can only hope that the justice system can do more in the future to ensure that receipts from crimes such as this can be tracked down, and they do all that they can to ensure that the money is repaid.

[Source: Get Reading]

Not surprisingly, in many instances these attacks have increased the risk of identity fraud when the personal details of individuals have been acquired in this way.

We reported recently about a high profile incident, in which News Group Newspapers had come under attack. This had then resulted in the stolen details being published online for anyone to view or download. Such cases are especially worrying, as the scope for identity fraud to take place is especially acute.

The latest high profile figure to call on the UK government to take more action to counteract cyber crime is former Home Secretary John Reid, now Lord Reid of Cardowan, who is chair of the Institute for Security & Resilience Studies (ISRS) at University College London, and a principal in the Chertoff Group.

Lord Reid not only calls for an increase in vigilance, but also for a more consolidated government-led approach, as well as greater innovation in the approaches to counteract the threats posed by cyber crime. Concerns have also been voiced about the backdrop of cost cutting as another potential obstacle to the authorities being able to act effectively to prevent and contain the problem.

It is only right that as well as individual organisations continuing to take their own responsibilities seriously, that they must also be backed up by coherent central policies which help to support them.

You can also read more about the ISRS and its work here.

[Source: Public Service]

Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, scooped a record win of over £161m on the Euromillions lottery in July, and this win, which was a high profile news story, now appears to be being used as a cover for scammers to fraudulently obtain details of unsuspecting victims.

The crude but basic intention of the email is to offer £5m to the recipient, but the scam relies on the recipient having to provide their details by reply first. Of course, as the email is clearly not genuine, all that would happen is that the fraudsters then use the details that they are sent to commit identity fraud.

Unfortunately, this type of email is quite common, and though the majority of people would immediately realise that it was not genuine, it only takes a small number of victims to make the scam worthwhile for the fraudsters.

We would reiterate that anybody receiving this type of email should delete it straight away.

[Source: Daily Record]

It is understood that several thousand individuals, who have provided their personal data to the newspaper in the past, may have been affected.

The Guardian has already reported this story, and NGN have already emailed individuals who they believe could be at risk (the full text of the warning email is shown below):

——————-

Important Security Information from News Group Newspapers

Dear Reader,

I am writing to you on behalf of News Group Newspapers (NGN) – publisher of The Sun and former publisher of the News of the World.

As you may be aware on July 19th The Sun website was subject to an organised criminal attack. It has now come to our attention that some customer information from competitions and polls was breached as part of this attack. Details vary, but could include name, address, date of birth, email and phone numbers. No financial or password information was compromised.

We are contacting you because we believe that information that you submitted to us could have been accessed, and may be published online by the group responsible. We are working closely with the Police and the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure that all steps are taken to retrieve the files involved.

We regret that we’ve not been able to stop this incident from happening. We’ll update you directly if there are further developments related to your specific data. We would advise as a precaution to take extra care when dealing with contact from third parties if they are unknown to you.

In the meantime if you have any questions or require any further information, please contact us at custserv@thesun.co.uk or on 0207 8601129.

Regards,
Chris Duncan
Director of Customer Management

——————-

As no financial data is believed to have been involved, the risk of identity fraud is not as high. However, when name, address and date of birth details are involved there is still a risk of this information being used for criminal purposes.

This latest breach is just one more incident in a series of data losses from high profile organisations, and although the reputations of the companies involved may be tarnished, it is ultimately the individuals whose data has been stolen who suffer the consequences.

[Source: Guardian]

The full report can be viewed via this link from the CIFAS website (pdf document), but to summarise, there has been a 10% increase in overall fraud cases, and an 11% increase in the number of cases of identity fraud in the UK, compared with the last six months of 2010.

Identity fraud cases accounted for almost half (46%) of all cases of fraud recorded in the UK between January and July 2011, illustrating what a serious issue this continues to be.

Here at Identity Alarm, we would like to echo calls from CIFAS to encourage an active, preventative, approach to combat fraud, rather than individuals being exposed to time consuming and potentially expensive action after the event.

[Source: CIFAS]

Identity Fraud is an all year round issue, but it is an unfortunate fact of life that some people are much less vigilant than usual while they are on holiday, often just as a result of being in unfamiliar surroundings.

So, to help you out we have have compiled a few summer holiday tips to consider for those of our readers that are venturing abroad this year:

- Keep your passport safe and secure at all times.

- If you are planning to use your credit card abroad it is worthwhile to inform the issuer and also to ensure that your credit limit is sufficient for what you are likely to need to spend.

- Check that your bank and/or card company has current contact details for you, preferably including a mobile telephone number.

- Make a note of the 24-hour contact telephone numbers for your credit and debit cards and keep this information in a safe place.

- Keep your PIN safe and secure at all times.

- Conceal your PIN when at a cashpoint or using a chip & PIN device.

- Try not to depend on just one credit or debit card and organise for some local currency for emergencies.

Finally, have an enjoyable summer holiday, wherever you are going, and don’t let it get ruined by Identity Fraud.

What is quite staggering, in large scale identity fraud cases like this, is the sheer scale of the fraudulent activity both in terms of the number of victims and the amounts of money involved.

This particular case involved 128 separate identities that had been stolen, and a total sum of over £650,000 that had been acquired fraudulently using these identities. In addition, this particular criminal had been getting away with his fraud spree for eight whole years before he was finally caught and convicted.

Although the justice system has now eventually caught up with David Peters, we can only wonder how many others like him are still getting away with this crime. The tens of thousands of reported instances of identity fraud that take place in the UK each suggest that there must be thousands of criminals who are still at large.

Don’t forget that Identity Alarm is always here to assist you with your identity protection needs, and provides a cost effective service that allows you to stay in control of your identity and keep the identity fraudsters at bay.

[Source: Times Series]

However, there are now plans to introduce Individual Electoral Registration (IER), rather then the current method, which relies on one person providing the details for everyone in a particular household. There is strong evidence to suggest that the current system makes it easier to add or falsify entries, so this is an area that the government is keen to pay particular attention to.

It is believed that as well as cracking down on people obtaining extra votes that they are not entitled to, which is the main reason for the proposed changes, it will also have an additional benefit in that it has the potential to significantly reduce the number of false applications for credit that are accepted.

A variety of organisations rely on credit checks, which include electoral data, and it is also hoped that the planned move to IER will dramatically reduce the likelihood that false identities can be registered and provide the secondary benefits in terms of the subsequent credit applications.

This move is to be welcomed, provided that sufficient checks are put in place. To this end, there are also plans for digital identity assurance checks to be put in place as part of the registration process, which would be a big step in the right direction.

[Source: Guardian]

The online hacking group LulzSec, which has already been responsible for data breaches at several other major organisations, recently issued a claim that it had been able to obtain a full copy of the 2011 Census data.

Although the subsequent denial combined with no further evidence to back up this claim appear to suggest that the data is safe for the moment, organisations like LulzSec seem to have an appetite to attempt similar stunts in the future, potentially putting thousands or millions of us at risk of identity fraud.

In addition to the unsubstantiated claims about 2011 Census data, LulzSec had also recently been responsible for bringing down the Police Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCA) website among other organised online hacking attacks.

Sometimes these attacks just affect the availability of websites, but in other instances they can result in significant data losses. It is believed that LulzSec, and other organisations like them, will step up these online attacks, and so major public organisations and private companies alike will need to be increasingly vigilant.

[Source: Sky News]

However, earlier this year a new venture, MyDex, was established seemingly with government backing. This new start-up appears to be aimed at establishing some sort of central resource for “(a) consistent, customer-centric approach to digital identity assurance across all public services”, particularly the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) and also HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) albeit without the use of physical identity cards.

From the limited information that is currently available, including this recent news article, it appears that there have been significant further developments, although the whole scheme remains relatively low-key and has had very little media exposure thus far.

Following test activity that has already taken place in the London borough of Brent, the government has since announced, via the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, that it would like to roll out this scheme to form the basis of its identity assurance policy. The current timetable is for a prototype system to be in place for Autumn 2011, with final implementation in mid to late 2012.

Here at Identity Alarm, we will be keeping tabs on how this situation develops, as it will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the centralisation of identity related data, and could also have a significant impact for all of us in the future.

[Source: Computer Weekly]

Part of the existing brief of SOCA is to combat organised crime, including identity fraud, and the NCA will most certainly be continuing the efforts to crack down in particular on the cases that are instigated by organised gangs, which are believed to be responsible for a significant proportion of all instances of identity fraud.

However, it remains to be seen if this new structure that is planned by the Home Office can make further headway with the problem of identity fraud, as it appears that the efforts from SOCA have had limited success to date.

Precise details of how different the operation of the NCA will be are not yet clear, but in terms of identity fraud we would also expect that the NCA will continue to liaise closely with the NFA (National Fraud Authority), which is a separate sub-division of the Home Office.

SOCA is still in place at present, and a link to its home page can be found in the useful links section on the Identity Alarm website, along with other helpful information. It has not yet been confirmed exactly when the changeover from SOCA to NCA will be completed, but it is likely to be some time later this year, and we will ensure that our links are kept up to date.

[Source: Home Office]

However, as in many cases of this type, there are still some important questions over the activities of this group. Firstly, the evidence highlighted over 100 instances of identity fraud, and the groups activities had been ongoing for several years. In addition, the sentences will seem relatively lenient compared to the levels of fraud involved and the sheer extent of the crimes in terms of the number of victims that would have been affected.

Unlike many other crimes, identity fraud does not result in physical injury to the victims, but the financial difficulties suffered can and often do persist for many months or years afterwards. As a result, the impact that identity fraud has on the people affected should not be underestimated. As we have reported in the past, convictions like this are very welcome, but the sheer scale of identity fraud in the UK means that there are still many fraudsters that are still out there and committing this crime.

Don’t forget that Identity Alarm is always here to assist you with your identity protection needs, and provides a cost effective service that allows you to stay in control of your identity and keep the identity fraudsters at bay.

[Source: The Argus]

It would appear that in some areas, in addition to individuals being positively encouraged to shred at home, the authorities are taking extra steps to provide shredding facilities at one-off shredding events.

A good example of this is ‘Shredfest’, as highlighted via the US-based DNAinfo website, and which took place in New York City, and also other selected locations in the US, last week.

Here at Identity Alarm we positively encourage individuals to shred their own personal documents at home. We are unaware of any similar events in the UK at present, but if you do hear of any similar events in your local area, then do let us know via the comments link below.

[Source: DNAinfo.com]

If you dispose of any paperwork that contains your name, address, and more especially information such as your date of birth or even financial data without shredding it first, it opens up the possibility of opportunist raiders rifling through your bin to acquire the information to commit identity theft and then to go on and commit identity fraud.

Even if you recycle paper there is an opportunity for paperwork containing your personal information to be taken either before it is collected, or at any time before it is pulped.

The safest way to ensure that the risks are reduced is to shred any documents that contain personal data of any kind, preferably using a cross-cut shredder for added peace of mind.

More and more individuals are taking these sensible precautions to help protect their identities, but there are still far too many people who are leaving it to chance – don’t be one of them!

[Source: This Is Hull & East Riding]

This case is yet another illustration of the tangled web of deceit that can result from identity fraud, and shows that it is not an uncommon occurrence for activity of this type to continue for a protracted period of time before the full extent of the crimes come to light.

This is just one case involving a single perpetrator, and thankfully it has now resulted in a conviction. However, as it has taken so long for the crimes to be detected and for the subsequent prosecution, there are likely to be multiple victims that are still experiencing the consequences of identity fraud.

As is often the case, many victims may be destined to to spend a significant length of time to resolve the after-effects of these crimes, perhaps almost as long as the sentence for the convicted fraudster, who was given a seven year custodial term but could be released from prison within three years.

[Source: BBC News]

Many smartphones, including the iPhone, are capable of automatically connecting to wi-fi networks, to provide an internet connection on the move to those without a monthly data plan. There are certainly advantages in terms of enhanced flexibility for mobile phone users that take advantage of wi-fi in this way, but many phone users do not realise that they may be leaving themselves at risk of having their personal information stolen.

As reported by PCR, there are inherent dangers to this method of automatically connecting to wireless networks. Although it is undoubtedly much more convenient to you, it may also provide identity fraudsters with an opportunity to set up bogus networks that are designed purely to capture sensitive personal data from unsuspecting phone users.

Similar issues can apply to user of tablets or laptops who also rely on the use of wireless networks for internet coverage, so our advice would be to use wireless hotspots with caution, only connect to networks that you know for sure are genuine, and never allow your device to connect automatically. You have been warned!

Source: PCR

The BBC has reported that Sony’s Playstation Network has been hacked, and personal details including passwords have been taken. Sony has also revealed that they cannot rule out the possibility that financial information, including credit card details, have also been compromised.

Unfortunately, as is the case in many of these large scale incidents much of the damage has already been done, but that does not mean to say that individuals that have been affected should do nothing. Any current or past users of the Playstation Network should remain very vigilant, as these large data breaches invariably lead to an increased risk of identity fraud.

The advice from Sony is as follows:

“For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.”

Remember that Identity Alarm is always here to assist you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: BBC News]

This latest update has been compiled in conjunction with National Hunter and Insurance Hunter fraud data sharing schemes and shows that far from going away, the issue of fraud, including identity fraud, is here to stay.

Information has been compiled across many different sectors, including current accounts, mortgages, personal loans, automotive etc., and provides a great deal of insight into the different way that fraudsters are still managing to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. A full copy of the report can also be found here [opens in new window, and requires Adobe Acrobat reader.]

Identity Alarm is powered by extensive credit report information from the UK’s leading credit reference agency, Experian, and we are able to assist you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: Experian]

The latest concerns centre around an American company Epilson, and so far it has transpired that this company handled email data not only for many millions of US customers, but also for UK customers of Mothercare and Marks & Spencer, and perhaps also other companies with customers in the UK that have not yet come to light. Epsilon send out emails on behalf of other companies, and it has been discovered that data they were entrusted with has been misplaced.

Similar to another recent incident that involved the online retailer Play.com, that we reported on last month, it appears that names and email address are the only pieces of information that are involved. On the face of it, it would appear that the risks are limited, as other information, such as card details are not affected.

Although it may be argued that the risks are lower, the mere fact that it may be possible to contact customers via email using their real name will give added credence to false email requests that may be made using the misplaced data.

It is worth stressing that any customers, past or present, could still be at risk of identity fraud in the future, as the information may be used to attempt phishing, ie: attempting to acquire sensitive information via email by masquerading as a trustworthy company.

Remember that Identity Alarm is always here to assist you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: BCW IT Leadership]

In addition to reading relevant news stories in our regular blog updates, there is some very useful background about identity fraud on the main Identity Alarm website, including some hand-picked external links that you may find useful.

Many of the links are to websites of organisations that have a direct association with identity fraud and its impact, as well as websites of other relevant organisations.

There are also links which provide advice if you lose your passport or driving licence, or require mail redirection services if you are moving house.

Hopefully by now you will have completed your form and posted it back or will have completed the information online, which is an option that was available for the first time ever for the 2011 Census.

However, there have been concerns that some unscrupulous individuals may try to exploit this event to try and commit identity fraud.

Although the official Census website provides reassurance about its own security measures for collecting data, there is not a great deal of information to view to ensure you do not increase your risk of identity fraud as a result of any attempts to obtain information by deception.

Therefore, our recommendation would be to use common sense to ensure that you do not put yourself or your personal data at risk unnecessarily. Genuine Census staff may visit households to chase up forms that have not yet been completed, but these staff will have proper identification and you should always ask to see the appropriate ID or request additional authentication if you have any concerns or suspicions. In addition, any paperwork that does not need to be returned and contains personal data should be shredded, rather than being thrown away or recycled.

[Source: 2011 Census]

The precise number of customers affected has not been revealed, although thankfully it appears that credit card and bank details have not been compromised.

However, the mere fact that data such as names and email addresses could have fallen into the wrong hands means that all Play.com shoppers should remain alert. Any customers, past or present, could still be at risk of identity fraud in the future, as the compromised data may be used to attempt phishing, ie: attempting to acquire sensitive information via email by masquerading as a trustworthy company.

Remember that Identity Alarm is always here to assist you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: T3]

This is supported not only by research from CIFAS, which we have highlighted previously, suggesting that around 20% of all identity fraud cases are related to people moving house, but also by information published by insurer LV=.

The potential risk is only made worse when people neglect to take the necessary steps to inform institutions such as their banks or their employer of their new address, and even forget about updating their electoral roll entry. It may seem insignificant, but the neglect of any of these areas can result in just the additional incentive an unscrupulous fraudster needs to take advantage of your identity, and to use it to commit identity fraud.

So stay safe, and protect your identity at all times.

[Source: CityWire]

Further insight, including a link to view the full 44 page report, with contributions from across the entire credit industry, can be found on the CIFAS website. Regular readers of this blog will be aware that CIFAS is a good source of information about developments and changes in the UK’s fraud landscape.

In addition to keeping your personal data safe, it is also recommended that you should try to check your credit report on a regular basis. By viewing your credit report you can see any unexpected activity, that may have been instigated by somebody else.

Identity Alarm is always available to help you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: CIFAS]

However, news has come to light regarding a breach of the Data Protection Act involving this institution, and the incident has since been investigated further by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO.)

Admittedly, the numbers involved are low, just 21, but that would be no consolation to any of these individuals if their personal data had ended up in the wrong hands.

Bearing in mind the potential embarrassment that such an institution has been affected in this way, and has left individuals at risk of identity fraud, even though no specific incidences of identity fraud have yet been confirmed, steps have now been taken to make improvements in training and procedures to ensure that this will not happen again in the future.

[Source: Experian QAS]

It can be beneficial to review the information contained in your credit report on a regular basis to pick up on any unusual activity that you weren’t aware of, or expecting.

Unexpected activity can sometimes provide an indication that Identity Fraud may be about to take place. However, you can also discover additional information within your credit report that may be giving rise to problems when you apply for credit, and may go some way to explain why rejections are taking place.

Sometimes associations have been made in error in the past, including false financial links to individuals, such as somebody that used to live at your address, and in some instances this could adversely affect your ability to successfully apply for credit.

Your credit report can also indicate if there are any commitments from the present or recent years that you have been in arrears on. Your credit report provides a consolidated view of this information across several companies, rather than having to rely on your memory.

All of this information could prove to be vitally important if you about to make a new financial commitment, eg: taking out a new mortgage or a re-mortgage, a personal loan, credit card or other financial commitments that will be dependent upon your current state of creditworthiness.

Identity Alarm members have access to their own Experian credit report, to enable the information to be viewed at any time. This means that as well as having peace of mind, from alerts via email or text for significant changes, the entire report can be viewed at your convenience.

There had been a small increase in the number of cases in the UK last year, but this compares less favourably with a 28% fall in the number of cases in the US for the same period.

However, it is worth remembering that despite this fall, there were still over 8 million reported cases of identity fraud in the US last year, and it is thought that efforts to stem data breaches has also had a significant impact.

In addition, the identity fraud problem is more mature in the US, and the issues facing their economy, and specifically personal finances, mean that the situation is quite different for our American cousins.

As a result, it appears that the latest US figures should not necessarily be taken as an indication of future trends as there is likely to be a risk of further upside in all territories when current financial pressures ease.

[Source: The Register]

Of course, most reputable employment agencies and other companies that match up employees with employers will not be a cause for concern, although there have even been cases of well known names (see our article from January 2009 regarding the firm ‘Monster’) giving cause for concern.

This article on the Brookson website details some of the main areas of concern, following points raised by Equifax. In short, jobseekers should always take care to ensure that they are dealing with a reputable company before entrusting their personal information. CVs and online job application forms can often include a large amount of personal data that could be used to commit identity fraud if it ended up in the wrong hands, and so if you are at all unsure about the credentials of a potential job recruitment site, then it is better to look elsewhere.

Remember that Identity Alarm is always here to assist you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: Brookson Accountancy & Support Services]

It has been several months since the last update, which just considered the first six months of 2010, but CIFAS has now published data on all fraud cases, including identity fraud for the whole of 2010.

The recently published figures show that there was a small increase in the number of cases of identity fraud during 2010, with over 100,000 reported cases. This is against a backdrop of a marginal decrease in the overall reported number of fraud cases of all types.

There was also an increase of 4.73% in the number of victims of impersonation, with almost 90,000 individuals being affected over the past twelve months.

A further stark warning is made by CIFAS, which states that much fraud remains undetected during a period where lending levels have yet to match pre-recession levels.

As well as taking care to ensure that your personal information is kept safe, it is also advisable to keep your identity protected by checking your credit report on a regular basis. Regular checks help to bring any unusual activity, that may be fraudulent, to your attention.

Identity Alarm is able to assist you with your identity protection needs.

[Source: CIFAS]

The BBC has reported that anyone who has shopped online with Lush Cosmetics between 4th October 2010 and 20th January 2011 may now be at risk due to customer data, including credit card details, having been obtained fraudulently by hackers.

It is not yet known exactly how many customers have been affected by this latest breach of security, but there remains a significant risk that fraudulent transactions may have already been made or could still be made unless the affected cards are cancelled.

These customers also face the ongoing risk that the information may also be used to commit further identity fraud in the future. Further information about this incident can also be found on the Lush Cosmetics website.

Here at Identity Alarm, we take your personal data very seriously. In addition, we never store your credit card details directly, instead entrusting this information to global payment providers SagePay, who handle similar data for over 30,000 business clients. SagePay is audited annually under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and is a fully approved Level 1 payment services provider, which is the highest level of compliance. In addition, SagePay is also an active member of the PCI Security Standards Council (SSC) that defines card industry global regulation.

As this latest news shows, anyone could become a victim of Identity Fraud, often through no fault of their own, but there is a cost-effective solution, which works out at less than £1 per week. So, for peace of mind, why not discover more about the Identity Fraud protection service from Identity Alarm?

[Source: BBC News]

The BBC has reported that around 50,000 of these fraudulent iTunes accounts are thought to be on offer at auction site TaoBao, which is China’s equivalent of eBay. Although the full extent and method of this fraud is yet to be fully uncovered, it is believed that the accounts have either been stolen directly, or have been set up using fraudulently obtained information. Either way there appears to be a major risk of large scale identity fraud.

Anyone could become a victim of Identity Fraud, often through no fault of their own, but there is a cost-effective solution, which works out at less than £1 per week. So, for peace of mind, why not discover more about the Identity Fraud protection service from Identity Alarm?

[Source: BBC News]

One of the recent entries looked at the position of Identity Theft Investigator, a position which is held by Jeremy Miller from the company Kroll. Among other work, Kroll undertakes investigations of fraud, and in particular identity fraud cases, on behalf of companies, and sometimes high profile individuals who can afford their services.

As a result of this work, many cases of identity fraud are discovered, and the examples that are quoted in the article make interesting reading. It provides a fascinating insight into the first hand experiences of the crime from somebody that spends their working life looking into the fine detail of identity fraud.

Note: You can view the full article at FT.com, but only if you choose to register with them (for free) or are already registered.

Anyone could become a victim of Identity Fraud, but not everyone would be able to afford to hire investigators, such as Kroll, to clear their name. However, there is a more affordable preventative solution at hand, which costs less than £1 per week. So, to provide yourself with peace of mind, why not discover more about the Identity Fraud protection service from Identity Alarm?

[Source: FT.com]

The North-East based Chronicle Live website reports an instance of a customer receiving her own statement, along with the statement of another customer. Not only that, but the extra statement also revealed name, address, bank account and national insurance number details.

The featured recipient has brought this issue to light, but with an estimated 35,000 other statements being affected, there is still the potential for sensitive personal data to fall into the wrong hands.

It remains to be seen what action will be taken against Santander by the Financial Services Authority, now that this issue has been discovered.

This year, why not make Identity Alarm the best new year’s resolution you’ve ever made – find out more about our Identity Fraud protection service today.

[Source: Chronicle Live]

Rest assured that we the Identity Alarm blog will be back once again in the new year with yet more news, tips and articles to keep you fully informed about identity fraud and other related stories.

In the meantime, we hope that you enjoy Christmas as well as looking forward, with us, to a fraud-free 2011.

However, although general levels of awareness about phishing are increasing, there is another variant, known as ‘Vishing’, which is also beginning to be used more regularly. Vishing is the practice of phishing via telephone – the term arises from a combination of the words ‘voice’ and ‘phishing’.

A further variation, where contact is requested by text, is known as ‘Smishing’ (SMS phishing), in which a text is sent, supposedly from a genuine organisation, asking you to make a telephone call to a specific number, which would then be answered by a fraudster who would attempt to obtain personal data from you.

Individuals should remain wary of unexpected texts and telephone calls. If you are unsure, or suspect that a call is not genuine, then you should ask to call the company on a recognisable telephone number, eg: that is displayed on their website or a written communication.

So, whether it’s phishing, vishing, or smishing you could be at risk of identity fraud if you fall for any of these scams, so don’t take any chances if you believe that you have been contacted via any of these methods.

There is some debate as to when exactly the peak shopping day is, with terms such as ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Manic Monday’ being used to describe the busiest online shopping days. The general consensus is that by now the online shopping peak has already passed, but we are still flocking to high streets and shopping centres in large numbers and will do so right up until Christmas Eve.

In the midst of all the shopping frenzy, whether you are braving the weather to visit the shops or shopping from the comfort of your PC, it is always wise to take the same precautions to protect your identity that you would for the remainder of the year, at this time of year too. It can be all too easy to lose track of what you have spent or indeed to misplace personal belongings, such a wallet, purse, credit card or mobile phone in the mad rush at the shops.

So remember, stay safe and keep your personal data from identity fraudsters, as identity fraud is one present that no-one wants to receive this Christmas.

The BBC reports that two institutions, a4e and Hertfordshire County Council have recently been fined £60,000 and £100,000 respectively for breaches that put the personal data of individuals at risk, as a result of negligent handling of data.

When you think back to all the news reports where companies have been negligent with data, and consider the potential cases of identity fraud that may be caused, it might be reasonable to expect there to have been more fines issued by now. However, to be fair to the ICO it was only given the authority to fine institutions since April 2010.

We should be thankful that errant companies are now finally being brought to task, even if there is still much more to be done to ensure that the deterrents are sufficient. We will look with interest at future rulings from the ICO, and of course bring you further news of any relevant cases that are reported.

[Source: BBC News]

One method, that is not given quite as much media attention, is referred to as direct debit fraud, and recent research appears to suggest that this is now growing at an alarming rate. Direct Debit fraud now accounts for around 1 in 10 identity fraud cases, as opposed to just 1 in 10,000 in 2001.

Although Chip and Pin technology has been able to stem the flow of fraudulent transactions that take place at the point of sale, fraudsters now appear to be turning their attentions back to bank accounts and as a result direct debit fraud is on the rise.

Banks and other financial institutions need to do a lot more to prevent direct debit fraud at source, but until there are further improvements in this regard, checking your own bank statements on at least a monthly basis, either online or via paper statements, will help to highlight any suspicious direct debit transactions.

[Source: Insurance Daily]

Its latest campaign is ‘Get Safe Online Week 2010′, which runs from 15th to 19th November 2010, and aims to raise awareness of some of the common problems that can affect business and personal computer users.

Over the past year in particular, increasing numbers of people have been duped by rogue callers, posing as anti-virus organisations, who have contacted them by telephone with false claims that their PC has been infected by a virus. Their victim’s knowledge and fear of online threats can often be used to the advantage of the rogue callers to enable them to obtain details that could then be used to commit crimes such as identity fraud.

Such has been the success, if that is the right word, of these fraudulent calls in being able to obtain details by these deceptive methods, that the number of attempts to scam additional users is now growing rapidly. In fact, research conducted by getsafeonline.org suggests that almost 1 in 4 Internet users in the UK has been contacted at some point for exactly this reason.

We repeatedly call for care to be taken with personal data, but extra vigilance is required when sophisticated methods like this are used by fraudsters to commit their crimes.

[Source: Get Safe Online]

The Register is reporting that the Home Office’s IPS (Identity and Passport Service) division is taking steps to completely destroy all of the data that had been collected so far for the National Identity Register (NIR), and is in the process of appointing companies to undertake this process.

This is good news for anyone who had concerns that such a register may result in an increase in the number of cases of identity fraud, rather than one of its intended purposes, which was to help to combat crime.

Whether or not the decision not to go ahead with the a national identity card scheme in the UK is the right one, we may never know for certain. However, one known factor was that the programme would have been very expensive to set up and administer, and there were also widespread concerns as to how tangible the benefits would have been.

Now that the decision has been taken, we can only hope that this process to destroy the data collected so far takes place swiftly and effectively.

[Source: The Register]

The Royal Mail’s NCOA database consists of information that is collected when people ask Royal Mail to redirect their post to a different address, usually when they are moving home. It contains pending, live, cancelled, and expired redirections, as well as data from the postcode address file.

The intention is that by using this dataset, along with their own application data, companies can start to identify more fraudulent applications and then be able to reject them and/or report them.

Although this type of initiative is very welcome, it is still very reliant on companies paying Royal Mail for the privilege of using their data to try to prevent instances of identity fraud, and the unfortunate reality of the situation is that many companies will either remain unaware of the information or will elect not to use it.

[Source: Marketing Week]

On the back of last week’s event, some further research was commissioned and carried out by YouGov, and provides some interesting insights into the crime. The findings also back up some of the other statistics about identity fraud that were being quoted last week.

Computer Weekly reports the results of the research, in which around one in ten people questioned had been caught out by online identity fraud over the past twelve months. In addition, the research showed the average amount of losses incurred by each victim was almost £700.

By raising awareness of identity fraud, hopefully more people will begin to take sensible precautions to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim, but there is a further method of protection that can assist further if events beyond your control render you a victim of this crime. The Identity Alarm service enables you to stop identity fraud in its tracks, so take a look at the rest of our website to find out more.

[Source: Computer Weekly]

Just to prove that identity fraud is a very indiscriminate crime, a report from BBC Lancashire tells of a detective constable from the Lancashire force who became a victim of identity fraud. Ironically, despite his background of investigating economic crime, the fraud that had been committed using his identity was not detected for around twelve months.

Of course, the victim could have kept quiet to prevent embarrassment, but making his own plight public will hopefully help to hit home to the general public that if he could become a victim, even with his experience and knowledge of the crime, then just about anyone could.

However, even though you can take sensible precautions to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim, there is a further method of protection. Identity Alarm provides a service to enable you to stop identity fraud in its tracks, so if you are not already signed up, why not find out more today?

[Source: BBC Lancashire]

This initiative runs annually to try and increase awareness of identity fraud among the British public, and there have already been numerous media reports highlighting aspects of this crime and also the impact that it can have.

The official campaign website has also prepared a brand new press release, which you can view by clicking here [this is a .pdf document that will open in a new window.]

To re-iterate, the estimated annual cost to the UK economy is £2.7 billion, of which £1.9 billion is the amount that is gained by the fraudsters, with the reminder from indirect losses and 1.8 million people are estimated to be affected by identity fraud each year in the UK.

Identity Alarm is able to provide sound advice about the issues surrounding identity fraud, and can also help you to protect your identity.

[Source: NIDFPW 2010]

The latest information, published by the National Fraud Authority, reveals the extent of identity fraud in the UK in 2010.

The estimated annual cost to the UK economy is £2.7 billion, of which £1.9 billion is the amount that is gained by the fraudsters, with the reminder from indirect losses.

A staggering 1.8 million people are estimated to be affected by identity fraud each year in the UK.

This equates to an average of around £1,000 that is defrauded from each victim.

It is important for the general public to gain a greater awareness of this crime, so don’t be the next victim, find out more about how to protect your identity today.

[Source: NFA]

The passport office in Newport, South Wales, has been earmarked for closure, as well as several interview offices. The interview offices in particular have been cited as being a useful first line of defence for detecting and then preventing fraudulent passport applications, which is known to be a common tactic used by identity fraudsters.

The Politics.co.uk website quotes the general secretary of the PCS, which is the Public and Commercial Services union, who is understandably concerned about the effect on his members. However, concerns are also being raised about the potential for more fraudulent passports to get through the system, and the likely effect that this would have on identity fraud.

Forged and illegally obtained passports are just one way in which criminals have been able to perpetrate identity fraud, but you can find out much more information on the main section of the Identity Alarm website, or from our extensive library of related blog articles.

[Source: Politics.co.uk]

The Mortgage Strategy website reports that somebody very high up at the FSA (Financial Services Authority) has recently discovered that they have become a victim of identity fraud.

Aside from the fact that the FSA is an organisation with an extremely uncertain future, due to the intentions of the current coalition government, it would be no surprise to see the regulatory authority flexing its muscles if indeed one of its own people has been affected by this crime.

It just goes to show that we must never be complacent about the threat of identity fraud, as just about anyone could be a victim.

[Source: Mortgage Strategy]

At sixteen years, the length of time that these ID fraudsters managed to continue their crimes undetected is quite astonishing. This proves the point that many victims of identity fraud can go months, or years in some instances before they realise that they have been affected.

At least these three criminals will not be committing Identity Fraud for a few years as they are detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure, but it may well take some of their victims nearly as long to clear their names and restore their good names.

Although this fraud ring has finally been foiled, it is only the tip of a much bigger iceberg, as the authorities struggle to come to terms with this growing crime.

[Source: Yorkshire Post]

This event has been running for several years and serves to increase awareness of Identity Fraud.

As in previous years, we will be using this blog to update you with lots of information about relevant issues that have been raised during this year’s event, which begins on Monday 18th October and ends on Sunday 24th October.

As you would expect, we will be bringing you news and stories and will be doing our bit to help promote this important annual event.

[Source: NIDFPW]

You can click here to read all the details, but to summarise, the report shows significant increases in fraudulent automotive applications, mortgage applications, and current account applications.

False identities, obtained by identity theft, are also used as cover for many of these fraudulent applications, in particular for current account applications. The innocent victims rarely discover that their identity has been stolen straight away, and it can sometimes be many months after a fraudulent application has taken place that the crime is detected.

One other key statistic from the report is that 35 out of every 1,000 mortgage applications are now fraudulent, and this becomes all the more serious when you consider the huge amounts of money involved, which almost always involve tens of thousands of pounds and will often be well in excess of a hundred thousand pounds.

If nothing else, the report shows that identity fraud is still an issue that needs to be taken very seriously indeed, and that nobody can take the security of their own identity for granted.

Finally, remember that Identity Alarm obtains all credit reports and alerts for members directly from Experian, the UK’s leading credit reference agency.

[Source: Experian]

One such recent example, that has come to light, has resulted in the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) liaising with the Yorkshire Building Society to ensure that their laptop security policy is applied much more carefully across the group.

An unencrypted laptop, containing customer details from the Chelsea Building Society, which was recently taken over by the Yorkshire, was found in a skip. Fortunately, in this instance, forensic checks appear to show that the data had not been accessed, although attempts had been made. Therefore, in this case it appears that the customers involved have been fortunate, and will not be exposed to identity fraud, but many thousands more people each year are not so lucky.

For peace of mind, Identity Alarm can provide unlimited access to view your own credit report in addition to alerts via email or text for any significant changes that take place. The service works out at less than 14p per day for an annual subscription.

[Source: ICO]

Normal service, in terms of our regular news articles and tips, will resume next week.

Remember, Identity Alarm can help you to protect your identity and to stop identity fraud by alerting you to significant changes to your credit report.

News of the record fine was reported this week, although the incident took place in South Africa back in August 2008, and wasn’t flagged up to the authorities for a further twelve months.

Although there appears to be a renewed appetite for the relevant authorities to punish companies that have been careless with their customer data, each incident of this type gives rise to the potential for many more victims of identity fraud.

Don’t forget that Identity Alarm can provide unlimited access to view your own credit report in addition to alerts via email or text for any significant changes that take place to your credit report. The service works out at less than 14p per day for an annual subscription – a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[Source: BBC News]

Although major events in your life may be very stressful, in some cases they may mean that you are more at risk of becoming a victim of Identity Fraud as well.

Choosing to move house, or even leaving home to go to university, as many students will be doing in a few weeks’ time, can in fact result in additional opportunities for unscrupulous identity fraudsters to take advantage of your changing circumstances.

Many of us who are careful with our personal details at other times, may take less care when faced with the stresses of such a change in our life circumstances. Therefore, everything you do to protect your personal information at other times should also remain in force, especially when you are moving to a new address. When information is requested or required, you need to ask yourself if the recipient is genuine and ensure that information is only provided when necessary, and that the details provided do not compromise your identity. In addition, it can also be worthwhile to ensure that institutions are informed that you are moving as well as arranging with Royal Mail for your post to be forwarded to your new address.

By taking care to safeguard your personal information at all times, including times of major upheaval in your life, you can certainly reduce your exposure to identity fraud.

Although it is believed that this practice is unlikely to be replicated in the same way here in the UK, due to the different way in which National Insurance numbers are generated, it does go to show that identity fraudsters are willing to go to new lengths to commit their crimes. The benefit to a fraudster in the US, of obtaining a child’s social security number, and using it to commit fraud, is that there is less chance of the crime being discovered.

Fox News also reports that the practice has become increasingly popular among fraudsters, as they can start with a totally clean credit history, and then undertake a practice known as ‘piggybacking’ which involves linking to someone else’s credit file.

If you have concerns about identity fraud then the service from Identity Alarm gives you unlimited access to view your own credit report. This is in addition to alerts via email or text for any significant changes that take place to your credit report, which could act as an early warning sign. The service works out at less than 14p per day for an annual subscription – a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[Source: Fox News]

The figures showed a 14% increase in identity fraud, while the number of victims of impersonation rose by 22%, versus the first six months of 2009. Overall fraud cases actually fell slightly (by 3%) over the first six months of 2010, which is slightly better news, despite the instances of identity fraud and impersonation.

As well as taking precautions to keep your personal information safe, a good way to keep you identity protected is to check your credit report on a regular basis. These checks would help to highlight any unusual activity that may be fraudulent. Identity Alarm can assist you with your identity protection needs.

In other news, following last week’s article about National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, we are now able to confirm that this year’s event will run from 18th October – 24th October.

[Source: CIFAS]

You can find more details about making a nomination on the awards page on the National Identity Fraud Prevention Week website. Winners and shortlisted businesses will also be featured on the website as Identity Fraud Ambassadors. If you would like to get involved then fill out the form on the website, but remember that the deadline for submissions is 17th September 2010.

As we have done in previous years, we will again be promoting National Identity Fraud Prevention Week in 2010. As well as having confirmation of dates, we will also be featuring information from the official website nearer the time.

[Source: National Identity Fraud Prevention Week]

Identity Fraud can strike at any time, but rather than letting your guard down when you are on holiday it is advisable to take extra precautions. As well as ensuring that you keep your passport safe at all times, it is important to take particular care with your finances as well, and there are several key points to remember, especially in relation to your credit and/or debit cards:

- Make sure your card company has up-to-date contact details for you, including a mobile telephone number.

- Make sure you have the 24-hour contact telephone numbers for each of your cards in case you need to speak to your card company.

- Some issuers have reduced customers’ credit card limits recently, so make sure the credit limit on your card is sufficient for the spending you intend to make.

- Safeguard your PIN at all times, and do not reveal it to anybody else, even if they claim to be from the police or your bank.

- Hide your PIN with your free hand when entering it into a keypad in a shop or at a cash machine.

- Consider taking more than one card with you as well as some local currency in case you need an alternative payment method as a backup.

- Finally, it may also be worth informing your bank/credit card issuer before you travel that you are going overseas, as some customers have been stopped from using their card as transactions abroad have been detected and flagged up as ‘unusual activity’.

Remembering these simple steps will help to reduce your risk to Identity Fraud, while you are on holiday.

One common misconception about the crime of identity fraud is that victims will be refunded quickly and easily. However, this research shows once again that is not always the case and as well as the hurdles that victims face to get their money back, there is also the potential long term impact of a sullied credit report. Many victims who do manage eventually to have money refunded to them face varying degrees of difficulty in ensuring that the unauthorised activity is removed completely from their credit history.

Of course, there is help at hand, and members of the identity fraud protection service from Identity Alarm have unlimited access to view their own credit report, as well as being entitled to receive alerts via email or text for any significant changes that take place, which could act as an early warning sign.

[Source: Which?]

However, identity fraud is a very real crime, with very real victims as illustrated by yet another recent case that came to court in Gloucester. In this particular case, like many others, the fraudster obtained key pieces of personal data from his victim, and then tried to time the fraud to coincide with race week in Cheltenham when there would be more cash withdrawals than normal. However, like every crime of this nature, there are usually innocent victims who are left to pick up the pieces and clear their names.

Identity Alarm are identity fraud protection specialists, and can help to prevent you from becoming another identity fraud crime statistic.

[Source: This Is Gloucestershire]

Therefore, it is good to hear that a new series ‘Identity’ that begins on ITV1 on Monday 5th July, is going to examine some of the aspects of identity related crime in a way that will be seen by several million viewers.

Of course, the series is a fictional drama, but many of the aspects of identity related crime that are covered will have echoes of real life events. As a further twist, it appears that one of the main stars of the new show, Keeley Hawes, has already been a victim of identity fraud herself.

We are looking forward to seeing how this new series tackles these issues, and welcome the additional levels of discussion that will come from the exposure of this subject on mainstream TV.

Identity Alarm are identity fraud protection specialists, and can help to ensure that you do not become the next victim.

[Source: ITV]

Some of these principles have been mentioned in this blog previously, but this is a timely reminder to anyone that may not have seen them in the past:

- Shred all correspondence containing reference to your personal details.

- Remember to check your bank account and credit card statements for any unexpected activity.

- Use strong passwords and PINs (personal identification numbers) that will not be easily guessed – preferably using a mixture of letters and numbers, and do not share or write down this information.

- Beware of bogus communications, including emails, letters and telephone calls. If you ever feel nervous or unsure about revealing personal data, then it is much better to be safe than sorry.

- Take care when disposing of old computer equipment or old paperwork to ensure that they do not contain sensitive personal data.

- If you ever suspect that you may have been affected by identity fraud, then it is best to speak up straight away rather than delaying.

Although taking sensible steps, like the ones outline above, can help to reduce the risk of identity fraud, circumstances beyond our control mean that it is never possible to be fully safe. Of course, many readers of this blog will already have the added peace of mind that a subscription to an identity fraud protection service offers. For everyone else, isn’t it time you did too?

The latest high profile story centres on Surrey, and a case that has taken the best part of twelve months to resolve.

The scale of this particular identity fraud ring was significant, when you consider that 70 credit cards, 30 passports and 20 forged driving licences were recovered. Of course, these particular fraudsters will have defrauded many different victims, several of whom will only now be realising the scale of the problems that face them as they try to clear their names, a process that could take them many months.

The importance of keeping control of your identity, by having full access to your own credit report, should not be underestimated. You can find out more about the service that Identity Alarm offers by viewing the extensive identity fraud protection information throughout this blog and the rest of the Identity Alarm website.

[Source: Surrey Herald]

Of course, the best way to avoid identity fraud is to sign up to a service like Identity Alarm, which provides peace of mind by giving you full access to your credit report, and provides alerts for any significant changes that take place.

However, it transpires that more recently, yet another government body, HM Revenue and Customs, has sent out tens of thousands of letters that contained other people’s personal data to tax credits claimants. Overall, it is estimated that around 50,000 have been affected.

As well as containing salary details of other individuals, the letters also included bank sort codes and the last four digits of bank account numbers. Although there is a relatively low likelihood that this information alone could be used to commit identity fraud, it would not require much additional information for one of the individuals whose details had been exposed to be become a victim of a determined identity fraudster.

[Source: Reuters]

This week marks a milestone, with the 100th post. We hope that regular readers find the articles informative, and that you continue to come back and read all the latest news as we find it.

Regular articles are usually posted each Wednesday morning, with occasional additional updates from time to time. There is also an option to subscribe to updates via our RSS news feed (via the ‘Subscribe to Feed’ link and orange RSS icon, towards the top right corner of this page.) RSS news feeds can be viewed using one of several available RSS news reader programs, which are usually free to use.

Remember, as well as the informative news articles and information in this blog, you can also view all the information that is available on the main Identity Alarm website.

What is worrying, is the extent to which many identity fraudsters can continue to commit serial identity fraud over such an extended period of time without being brought to justice. Also of concern is the fact that the numerous victims of these frauds are likely to end up suffering for longer than the eighteen months or so that the main perpetrator in this case is likely to spend in jail, due to the adverse impact on their credit report.

In order to protect your identity, and ensure that you become aware as soon as anything suspicious appears on your credit report, Identity Alarm is here to help.

[Source: Manchester Evening News]

“Too much information? Dr Edgar Whitley questions whether the governments plan to protect us from identity fraud through its proposed ID card scheme could backfire…”

Click the play arrow on the embedded video, above, to view, or alternatively the clip can also be viewed directly on Youtube, here

[Source: Youtube / LSE]

THE NHS, with 1.7 million staff, may be the UK’s largest employer, but the number of serious data breaches is still unacceptable. The ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) revealed that there have been 287 separate breaches from within the NHS in this period. However, more precise details on the total number of individuals involved has not been made clear.

Only time will tell as to whether the NHS, as well as other public sector bodies and private companies, will start to feel the full force of the recent additional powers that have been bestowed upon the Information Commissioner’s Office, as of April this year.

[Source: BBC News]

In addition to the number of devices that are lost, the research suggests that there is a huge differential between the perceived cost of such a data breach, and the possible penalties, of up to £500,000, that can be imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

When you consider some of the high profile cases in the past of companies that have lost, mislaid or had data stolen from USB sticks, then it is no surprise that the number of identity fraud cases continues to rise.

Although there are some additional precautions that can make it safer to use USB sticks as devices to hold and transfer data, it is not advisable for businesses to use such portable media to transfer customer data at all. Identity Alarm takes Data Protection and the safekeeping of our members’ personal data very seriously indeed: members’ details are never transferred to portable media devices, such as USB sticks, and are only ever stored on highly secure fixed location servers.

[Source: BlockMaster]

It is understandable, with other priorities, that identity fraud is not one of the key debating points, but it is surprising that this issue is only mentioned very briefly in the small print of the manifestos.

The sections on crime are addressed in much more general terms, leaving the only mention in relation to the section on ID cards in the Labour Party election manifesto. Labour claim that the ID cards scheme would help to fight ID fraud, which has been strongly refuted by their opponents. Labour still plan to introduce a nationwide ID card scheme, while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have vowed to scrap the plans. There is not another mention of identity fraud anywhere by any of the three main parties.

Hopefully, future governments will give more consideration to this issue, and ensure that more can be done to stem the tide of identity fraud, and the impact that it has on thousands of innocent victims, as well as the effect on the wider economy.

This is a more sophisticated type of fraud that involves the fraudster impersonating their victim at their current address rather than at a previous address. Although this course of action provides greater risks for the fraudsters, the rewards are potentially greater as well, as it provides a higher likelihood of a false application for credit being accepted.

This type of identity fraud accounted for over half (55%) of all cases in 2009, as compared with less than a third of cases (31%) in 2008. In fact, in 2009, over 85% of frauds relating to mail order account applications were done this way.

In addition to taking sensible precautions to safeguard your personal information, it is also advisable to regularly check your credit report, which would highlight any unusual activity that may be fraudulent. Identity Alarm can help in this regard, to ensure that your identity remains protected.

[Source: CIFAS]

Identity Alarm is able to provide an affordable service, which works out at less than £1 per week, and is powered by extensive credit report information from the UK’s leading credit referencing agency, Experian. Registered members have unlimited access to view their own credit report as many times as they wish, as well as the peace of mind of being signed up to receive alerts by email or text for any significant changes to their credit report.

Victims of identity fraud, as well as suffering a great deal of inconvenience initially, often cite the subsequent and lasting damaging impact on their credit rating. Many victims of this crime have continuing difficulty trying to clear their name and apply successfully for credit in the future.

So don’t leave identity fraud to chance, sign up with Identity Alarm today.

Of course, like many other cases of identity fraud, mortgage fraud results in a great deal of inconvenience and a potentially damaging impact on the credit rating of the individual whose identity has been used to commit this type of crime. Often, by the time that the fraud has been detected, the criminal is already long gone, leaving an innocent victim to sort out the ensuing mess.

In the past, the scale of this issue has been relatively small, with around 20 frauds per 10,000 mortgage applications, but recent data suggests that this proportion is likely to increase. Viewing your credit report regularly would indicate any fraudulent applications that had been made in your name, including a fraudulent mortgage application. However far too many people remain unaware of this type of crime until it is too late.

[Source: FT Adviser]

We have previously reported several instances of high profile corporate data losses, in which innocent consumers have been put at risk of identity fraud when companies or government departments have been negligent with sensitive customer data.

In response to such incidents, there have been suggestions from influential think tank ‘Demos’ that compensation should be paid to individuals whose personal data is misused or lost, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.

Although such suggestions appear to have some merit, even this would be scant consolation to any individual that had to endure the difficulties of dealing with identity fraud, if their details fell into the wrong hands through no fault of their own.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]

Whilst applauding the sentiments of the annual National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, here at Identity Alarm we believe that the profile of this important issue should be maintained all year round.

As well as ‘doing our bit’ to promote the annual event each Autumn, we aim to bring you news, tips and other information relating to identity fraud throughout the Winter, Spring and Summer too.

If you want to find out more about the annual National Identity Fraud Prevention Week event, then you can visit the website at any time.

In addition, there are now almost one hundred articles in this blog, which provides a wealth of information about this very important subject, and which can be searched via the ‘Search’ box to the right of this article. You can also stay up to date via our RSS news feed, using the ‘Subscribe to Feed’ link below the search box.

[Source: National Identity Fraud Prevention Week]

Although by no means an isolated occurrence, a recent report from BBC Wales highlights a case in which ID fraudsters stole the identity of a child that had died sixteen years ago, and then applied for driving licences and bank accounts. Once the details of the fraud came to light, this was obviously extremely disturbing for the family of the deceased child.

This latest case just goes to show there are no barriers to the type of victim of ID fraud, and as well as these rarer cases where the deceased are targeted, every one of us is a potential victim. However, sensible steps can be taken to keep personal documents safe, and regular checks of your credit report can help to identify this crime before it is too late.

[Source: BBC Wales]

Further to their initial report, CIFAS has also published a further report, entitled Fraudscape, which provides additional insight into the fraud landscape in the UK.

Men in their forties are statistically the group that is at highest risk of fraud, but there has also been a significant growth in the rate at which women have become victims. The full report can be found at this link (Adobe Acrobat Reader required), and page 19 also illustrates an identity fraud map of the UK.

To reiterate our previous thoughts on this subject: as well as taking all practical precautions to ensure that your personal information remains safe, the best way to protect your identity is to regularly check your credit report, which would highlight any unusual activity that may be fraudulent. To this end, Identity Alarm is here to help with your identity protection needs.

[Source: CIFAS]

The BBC’s newsnight programme has highlighted a number of concerns about Chip and PIN, and has also been able to illustrate how this supposedly secure system could be beaten by determined fraudsters. This news is obviously of concern to the vast majority of law abiding citizens who could now be more likely to be exposed to fraud as a result of identity theft having taken place, as cards could be used without needing the correct PIN.

We will be monitoring this story and reporting back on any significant updates as and when we hear about them.

[Source: BBC Newsnight]

The headline figures make very stark reading: a 31% annual increase in the overall number of victims of fraud, as well as a 32% annual increase for identity fraud, which exceeded 100,000 cases over the past twelve months.

There can be no doubt that the prevailing difficult economic conditions have contributed to these rises, as growing numbers of individuals who are rejected for credit via legitimate means, have turned instead to criminal activity. However, even prior to the recession, the last decade has seen large scale growth in identity fraud, despite campaigns to raise awareness.

Remember, as well as taking all practical precautions to ensure that your personal information remains safe, the best way to protect your identity is to regularly check your credit report, which would highlight any unusual activity that may be fraudulent. To this end, Identity Alarm is here to help with your identity protection needs.

[Source: CIFAS]

Please click here to see the full range of video clips

In a press release earlier this month, David Smith, who is the Deputy Commissioner at the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) has also gone on record to say how vital it is for consumers to be fully aware of the information in their credit file.

Although there is a statutory requirement for consumers to be able to check their credit file, this only allows for a one-off request. The best way to stay informed of all relevant changes on an ongoing basis is to subscribe to a service like Identity Alarm, which provides you with full access to your credit report when you need it. Once you have registered and have viewed your report for the first time, the Identity Alarm service also provides peace of mind by sending alerts, via either email or SMS, for any significant changes to your credit report.

[Source: ICO (Please note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view this .pdf file)]

These latest figures, based predominantly on 2008 data, indicate a massive increase on previous estimates from 2007 that put the cost at closer to £13 billion, although this rise is due in part to improvements in research methods. Furthermore, fraud against individuals, ie: identity fraud, is now responsible for around 12% of the overall amount, which is a substantial figure in its own right.

The report, which originates from the UK Government’s Attorney General’s Office, illustrates the financial burden that this type of crime has on the country as a whole. It is intended that this information will enable the Government, in liaison with the NFA, to develop policies to prevent, detect and deter fraudsters and tackle the UK’s fraud problem. However, this should not deter individuals from taking personal responsibility to reduce their risk to fraud as well.

The full report, in .pdf format, can also be viewed here.

[Source: National Fraud Authority]

However, there are a few sensible precautions that should be applied, when deciding what information to share, and with whom, to ensure that you are not increasing your risk to identity fraud:

1. Take care with information that you make public and make full use of security settings – Most social networking websites allow you to control what information is displayed, and exactly who is able to see it. Along with your name, fraudsters may be able to gather other pieces of basic personal information, such as date of birth and place of birth, and use this to steal your identity and commit fraud in your name. It may not seem significant, but posting details such as your pet’s name or special dates may not be a wise idea either, as you may have already used this information as a security question with a lender.

2. Take time to consider the content of the information you post – If you regularly provide details of your whereabouts, including when you are away on holiday, then you may increase the risk that your home may be targeted by somebody who knows exactly when it will be unoccupied.

3. Be wary of requests from people you do not know – Do not be flattered to receive lots of friend requests, particularly from people you do not know very well. Although most people are genuine, there is still a significant minority of people who are not. Fraudsters can and have used information that has been taken from social networking websites to commit identity theft and identity fraud. The best advice is if you are unsure then you can usually make contact with a potential friend to discover more about them and their reasons for wanting to be associated with you.

On the whole, social network sites are very popular, and used with common sense can be fun and informative. However, it is advisable to consider the above points to ensure that you do not give too much away and inadvertently become a victim of identity fraud.

The London based GSM agency, which is responsible for having created the code that is used to provide security for the majority of mobile phone calls, has been aware of a potential issue since 2007. During that time, it has devised a short-term solution, which involves some minor changes by the main mobile phone carriers, which will ensure that individuals are not affected.

However, it must surely be a matter of time before sophisticated hackers are able to exploit other weaknesses in the system, which may in turn increase the threat of identity fraud in the future.

It is also worth remembering that regular access to your credit report is an invaluable aid to help protect your identity.

[Source: Reuters]

GSM (the Global System for Mobile communications) has been around for over twenty years, but it has been reported that a group led by a German scientist, Karsten Nohl, has been able to crack the A5/1 code. The issue could be an extremely significant one, as it is estimated that over three billion people in over 200 countries make use of this code to allow telephone conversations via mobile phone, equivalent to around 80% of all mobile phone users.

If it were routinely possible to decode and listen to other people’s conversations, then it may also be possible to use any information that is overheard to commit identity fraud.

Of course, we will bring you any further updates on this issue, as and when there is anything else significant to report.

[Source: Daily Mail]

We will be back early in the new year with more news, tips and informative articles. In the meantime, we hope that all regular readers have a restful and enjoyable festive season, and a fraud-free 2010.

It is true that each time you view your own credit report, this will be recorded as a ‘search.’ However, in contrast to searches that are made by other companies, searches that you make yourself only leave what is known as a soft footprint to ensure that this information is not considered by other lenders who make requests to view your credit history.

Therefore, you can rest assured that using to a service that allows you to view your credit report, will not lower your credit score.

However, there does now appear to be an increase in the level of awareness about the risks of identity fraud. As a result, consumers are demanding that websites match up to their expectations for a secure online experience. An important part of this strategy is the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, which enable secure e-commerce, communications and interactions for Web sites.

Many websites rely on trusted providers, such as Verisign, to ensure added peace of mind for concerned Internet users. Identity Alarm’s website is secured using a Verisign SSL certificate, and you can see the certificate details by clicking the Versign secured logo, at the bottom of the Identity Alarm home page.

[Source: CNN Money]

When was the last time that any of the following occurred, and are you confident that you would be fully aware that they had taken place:

- You were the subject of a credit search?
- A new credit account was opened in your name?
- A county court judgement was made against you?

You may believe that you would always be aware of any of these occurrences, and in many instances you would be correct in this assertion.

However, the sad truth is that victims of identity fraud will often be blissfully unaware of fraudulent changes that would have shown up within a matter of days on their credit report, and that many victims of this type of fraud will remain unaware for several months.

For an annual subscription costing less than £1 per week, Identity Alarm is able to provide you with full access to this data, as powered by credit report information from Experian. What’s more, the service also provides alerts on a weekly basis if there are any significant changes to your credit report, such as the ones listed above.

As a result of this incident, there will be many worried voters in the St. Albans area. The missing data consisted of names, addresses and dates of birth, but also, perhaps of greatest concern, signatures of thousand of people who had entrusted their data and have been put at risk through no fault of their own.

In such cases, the cost of the laptop is irrelevant as the potential value of this information for an identity fraudster is many times more than the machine on which it was stored. As in any similar losses of data, the big unknown is if and when the data may be used to commit identity fraud, as it could be many weeks or months before fraudulent activity takes place. What’s more, victims are often totally unaware of subsequent fraud taking place until many months after the criminals have used the information for their own means.

[Source: St Albans & Harpenden Review]

- You may be about to apply for credit, such as a mortgage, credit card or loan
- You may have already been rejected by a lender
- You may have concerns about the threat of identity theft
- You may have recently moved house
- You may want to reassure yourself that there are no inaccuracies on your credit report

Of course, if you are an Identity Alarm subscriber, then you will already have the benefit of being able to view your credit report on a regular basis. If not, isn’t it time that you considered signing up? You cant find out more by clicking this link.

Such are the increased risks when an incident like this occurs, that it pays to be able to have full control of your credit report to ensure you would be made aware of any subsequent suspicious activity that could be happening in your name.

Identity Alarm is able to offer a comprehensive credit report monitoring service that provides you with unlimited access to your credit report, when you want to view it, as well as providing alerts for any significant changes that take place. Where else can you have such peace of mind, with annual cover working out at less than £1 per week?

[Source: Computerworld]

Although it appears that no bank details were stored, there would still potentially be sufficient information to allow identity fraudsters to use the available information to commit ID fraud.

This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place, and it probably won’t be the last, but it does at least serve as a timely reminder that there is potential for personal information to be compromised in this way. Of course, signing up for unlimited access to your credit report would enable you to be aware of any suspicious activity, before it becomes a problem.

[Source: BBC News]

However, even though there may well be important steps that can be taken by others to help in the fight against identity fraud, it is important that we, as individuals, continue to remain vigilant at all times.

You can stay one step ahead of the identity fraudsters by regularly checking your credit report for any unusual activity, and this is something that can be put in place with Identity Alarm, at a cost of less than £1 per week – a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[Source: V3]

Each day this week, we have been bringing you updates to tie in with the UK’s National Identity Fraud Prevention Week.

As well as extensive information about identity fraud, that has been collated on the official campaign website, there has also been a lot of media focus on this issue.

As it is Friday, we will sign off for this week by leaving you with a link to an article on BBC News’ Magazine section that provides some further details about the extent and impact of identity fraud.

[Source: BBC News]

However, if you were to discover, or even suspect, that you have become a victim of identity fraud, then there is some further advice on the official National Identity Fraud Prevention Week website.

However, the best way to beat this crime is to stay one step ahead of the fraudsters. There can be significant benefits from having your own personal identity fraud protection in place, such as the service that is offered by Identity Alarm.

The latest figures from CIFAS, the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, show that nearly 60,000 UK residents have fallen victim so far this year – a 36% increase when compared with the first nine months of 2008! The figures speak for themselves – the threat of identity fraud is real and current – yet people continue to ignore the advice that could keep their identity, their finances and their reputation safe.

Some other statistics, related to identity fraud, can be viewed by following this link.

Of course, rather than taking a chance with your identity, there is a ready-made solution that will enable you to remain in control of your identity at all times.

CIFAS, the UK’s Fraud Prevention service, has calculated that it takes an average of 539 days (that’s almost 18 months!) for victims of identity fraud to discover that they have been affected. This situation can easily be addressed by using an identity fraud monitoring service, such as the service that is offered by Identity Alarm.

Even more information can be found at the event’s official website

Last month, we gave advance notice of an important forthcoming event, namely the UK’s annual ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week’.

As we are now into October, and this event is due to begin next week, we have included a reminder of these details below.

National Identity Fraud Prevention Week takes place from 12th to 18th October and has its own website at www.stop-idfraud.co.uk. This nationwide awareness drive has been put in place by an expert group of public and private sector partners including regional police forces, Crimestoppers and the Identity and Passport Service, and Identity Alarm is proud to publicise this initiative.

It is our intention to play our part to help make the public more aware of the dangers of identity fraud, and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves.

Stay posted from next Monday for updates throughout the week.

These ‘phishing’ emails are intended to fool you into thinking that you have received a genuine email, and then go on to use that false trust to obtain details that could then be used to commit identity fraud. In the particular instance of emails that are set up to look like they are sent by HM Revenue & Customs, the victim often feels inclined to respond as they are given false hope of a tax rebate.

If you ever have any doubts about correspondence of this type, then it is best to check with the organisation in question. In addition, HM Revenue & Customs have provided some guidance to ensure that you don’t fall victim to email scams that attempt to fool you into thinking that you will receive a tax rebate.

[Source: HM Revenue & Customs]

It’s almost that time of year again when efforts are stepped up to improve the public’s awareness of identity fraud.

This year, National Identity Fraud Prevention Week will be taking place in the UK between 12th and 18th of October, and we will be highlighting specific issues that this initiative will raise.

So, stay posted to this blog for plenty of useful insight and information to help keep your identity protected.

The four main areas, to be wary of, are:

i) Opportunist Methods
ii) Card Skimming
iii) Scams (there are several different types)
iv) Impersonation of the Deceased.

This section of the CIFAS website goes into more detail on each of these four areas, and it is worthwhile to acquaint yourself with the different types of threat that are posed.

Of course, for added peace of mind, further information about how you can remain in control of your credit report and stay one step ahead of identity fraudsters can be found here. The Identity Alarm service is powered by extensive credit report information from the UK’s leading credit reference agency, Experian.

[Source: CIFAS]

CIFAS recorded 633 cases between January and June 2009, against 899 for the whole of 2008. Whereas in the past, ID fraudsters have used more traditional means to obtain your details and takeover your identity, the potential for this to occur via mobile phone is on the rise. Technology such as Bluetooth, as well as improvements in mobile phone functionality, in which many are effectively small hand held computers, is undoubtedly driving this increase.

Our advice is to always check your mobile phone bills carefully, and also that the security for your mobile phone is adequate, in terms of PIN/password protection.

[Source: BBC News]

Applied to the entire population, this equates to a staggering eight million people in the UK that may have put themselves at risk from identity fraud unnecessarily. We continue to stress the importance of keeping your personal information to yourself, and yet this research is a timely reminder that far too many people are putting themselves, and potentially their financial security, at risk.

It is hoped that, after ongoing negotiations, the US government will also give its approval to join the scheme, with the potential for it to be extended further to include other countries at a later date.

However, whilst it is encouraging that governments are beginning to work together to address cross-border identity fraud, the sheer scale of the problem means that there is still a long way to go for the authorities to get to grips with the challenges of this very important issue.

[Source: UK Border Agency]

Reports from a recent court case in Grimsby, highlight the case of a fraudster who racked up debts of over £7,000, using the details of his landlord, who was also his friend.The fraud, which took place over a period of several months, escalated and the fraudster claimed at one stage that he had opened a joint bank account as a surprise for his friend, to help out.

Although most friends would not stoop to such depths, it is sensible to ensure that the opportunities to commit identity fraud are kept to a minimum. If you discover anything unusual, for example if utility bills that you had been expecting to receive, do not arrive, then it is best to investigate your suspicions immediately. Better still, keep all your personal documents locked away in a safe place to protect them from burglars, as well as opportunist thieves, including errant friends.

In addition, membership with Identity Alarm would also give you access to your credit report as well as providing notification about significant changes, including new applications. This is powered by extensive credit report information from the UK’s leading credit reference agency, Experian.

[Source: This Is Grimsby]

It is not yet known how many of the affected card numbers belonged to UK residents, but with the sheer volume of details involved it is anticipated that potential victims will be spread right across the globe. You can read more about this story, on the BBC News website.

[Source: BBC Business News]

Research has highlighted some of the dangers of using social networking sites, and in particular some specific flaws in applications that are associated with Facebook:

From the information in the above clip, it is apparent that even if you take great care with how you use social networking sites like Facebook, there’s no guarantee that all of your Facebook friends will be quite as careful as you. As a result, your personal details could fall into the wrong hands, through no fault of your own.

Therefore, it may be prudent for those people who use Facebook and other similar websites to check again to ensure that sensitive personal details are removed to prevent them from ending up in the hands of an identity fraudster.

Their latest figures have just been published, and show an alarming 40% year on year increase in the number of cases of identity fraud in the UK in the first half of 2009, which may unfortunately be a symptom of the current economic climate.

In addition, 52,000 cases of impersonation were recorded for the period January to June 2009, which represents a 43% increase.

The only silver lining is a fall in the number of cases of application form fraud, but the combined figures show double digit increases in overall fraud cases and also the amounts involved.

These latest figures show just how important it is for individuals to remain alert to the threat of fraud.

[Source: CIFAS]

At first glance, this fine might seem like a huge amount. However, when you consider that the numbers of individuals that were put at risk (over 180,000), and the potential amounts of losses from identity fraud often escalating to thousands of pounds per victim, perhaps HSBC escaped relatively lightly?

At least the authorities have acted in this case, and hopefully other companies will take note of the punishments, and treat their customers’ personal data with the care it deserves in the future.

[Source: Financial Services Authority (FSA)]

As we have previously warned about the use of stolen passports by identity fraudsters, it makes sense to also consider the possible pitfalls of credit card misuse.

The key points to remember are:

- Make sure your card company has up-to-date contact details for you, including a mobile telephone number.

- Make sure you have the 24-hour contact telephone numbers for each of your cards in case you need to speak to your card company.

- Some issuers have reduced customers’ credit card limits recently. Make sure the credit limit on your card is sufficient for the spending you intend to make.

- Safeguard your PIN at all times. Don’t give it to anyone, even if they claim to be from the police or your bank.

- Shield your PIN with your free hand when typing it into a keypad in a shop or at a cash machine.

- Consider taking more than one card with you as well as some local currency in case you need another payment method to fall back on.

A full copy of the guide, in pdf format, can also be viewed by clicking this link.

Following this advice will vastly reduce the likelihood of sensitive credit card information being compromised, that may then be used to commit identity fraud.

[Source: UK Cards Association]

Apparently, even Post Office workers, who are accustomed to dealing with identity documentation, such as passports, are finding it increasingly difficult to tell the difference between fakes and the real thing.

The extent to which ID fraudsters are capable of stealing identities, and then using them to enable fraud to be committed, is a stark reminder to all of us of the importance of ensuring that we remain aware of this very real threat.

Identity Alarm membership costs less than the equivalent of £1 per week. The identity protection service includes unlimited access to your own credit report, as well as weekly alerts via SMS or email for any significant changes to your report. By taking control of your identity now, you’ll be able to stay one step ahead of the fraudsters, and ensure that you’ll be aware of any potential fraudulent activity, rather than finding out months or even years later.

[Source: Silicon.com]

If you have ever wondered who has been checking up on you, then wonder no more. As well as providing important information about any credit accounts that you hold, a subscription with Identity Alarm also enables you to access and view other information that is contained within your credit report. This includes any searches or credit checks that companies have undertaken against your record.

Most of the time, these searches are perfectly legitimate, and would usually be done with your permission by a company with whom you have a financial association, in particular when you open a new bank account or apply for a new credit card, mortgage or other credit agreement.

However, if any unexpected searches appear in your credit report and the details that are shown do not relate to an existing or new financial association, then this can be an indication that there has been some unauthorised activity that may in turn lead to identity fraud.

Without access to your credit report you could remain oblivious until weeks, perhaps months, after the event, by which time it is likely to be too late.

Of course, a passport enables you to confirm your identity when you are travelling abroad, and it is important that it is kept valid. As well as remembering to take it with you on your travels, it is also vital to keep it safe whilst you are away.

If the worst happens, and your passport is lost or mislaid, then the correct authorities must be informed as soon as possible.

In the wrong hands, a passport can be used to commit identity fraud, and as many people are now becoming aware, the impact on victims of this crime can be devastating.

This is the link for the passport office, which provides details of exactly what you need to do in the event of your passport being lost or stolen.

This link, along with others relating to the subject of identity fraud, can also be found on this useful links page.

Buy-to-let landlords, as well as tenants,

It appears that not everyone is who they claim to be in the UK rental market. As well as tenants using stolen identities to fraudulently rent properties, there are also risks the other way round, with some landlords committing fraud against unsuspecting tenants, often using information contained in items delivered in the post.

Although credit check services are available to allow landlords to verify that tenants are legitimate, only a relatively small proportion are likely to pay for such a service, meaning that this problem is likely to grow.

Although the laptop was stolen on March 23rd, it has taken over two months for this information to come to light. During this time the identities of the many thousands of people, whose details were contained on this laptop, have been and continue to be at risk.

It is good business practice not to store any sensitive customer data on portable media, eg: laptops or memory sticks. Identity Alarm is careful not to store customer data in this way, and all information of this type is held on secure servers in locations other than where normal business is conducted.

This, and similar high profile data losses, highlight just how important it is to for individuals to credit check themselves by accessing a service such as Identity Alarm.

[Source: BBC News]

The image shown above is an exclusive advance preview of the new Identity Alarm home page, incorporating a brand new design and layout.

The remainder of the website is also in the process of being re-designed to fit in with the new look, although the same levels of functionality and security will remain, in addition to everything you need to know about identity theft protection.

Stay posted later next month for the full website re-launch.

Remember, the Identity Alarm service cannot prevent identity theft, but can alert subscribers to the initial crime and prevent the often damaging impact of identity fraud.

However, identity fraud remains a real and present danger, and the lingering impact of the crime is an aspect that isn’t given as much coverage, but can have far-reaching effects that continue for months, or even years, afterwards.

Recent press coverage of research conducted for insurer LV= suggests that half a million people in the UK have already been victims, and this number is set to increase by a further 440,000 in the next five years alone. In addition, the impact of this crime on the day to day lives of victims should not be underestimated, as in times of tigher credit availability, any adverse effect on an individual’s credit rating could have serious consequences. The fact of the matter is that the ongoing effects of a bad credit history are very difficult to shake off.

[Source: Sunday Mercury]

This is in response to recent research, suggesting that there is a lack of awareness within this age group of the threat that exists from identity fraudsters.

The results of the survey, carried out by TNS in February 2009, showed that over one third of victims of share fraudsters were over 65, and over two fifths of those aged over 65 did not realise that personal details from passports, driving licences and mortgage applications could be used to steal their identity.

Clearly a lot more needs to be done to educate the public about the threat of identity fraud, and a process to increase awareness among the most vulnerable in society is a step in the right direction.

[Source: FSA]

Whereas the trend had appeared to have levelled off off during 2008, the figures so far for 2009 show a significant increase (40%). There were over 60,000 recorded cases in the first three months of this year, and it appears that these numbers are likely to continue to increase in the wake of the current economic climate.

In addition, the incidence of facility takeover, which involves takeover of existing accounts, rather than applying for new accounts in a victim’s name, is up a worrying 75% for the same period.

We are all aware that credit is now more difficult to obtain, with financial institutions being particularly cautious in their lending outlook. It is these market conditions that appear to be causing an ever greater number of people to obtain finances by fraudulent means, which in turn requires the law abiding majority to remain vigilant to this threat, and pay close attention to their credit file.

[Source: CIFAS]

What would it take for our elected representatives in the Houses of Parliament to understand that Identity Fraud is a real concern in modern day life?

Perhaps experiencing fraud themselves, as well as the unpleasant after-effects, might make an impression?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Tewkesbury MP, Laurence Robertson, who having been a victim of credit card fraud earlier in the year, is now urging people to remain alert to the risks of identity fraud.

Although his losses have now finally been reimbursed, he has had to endure all of the difficulties in the intervening period. It was several months before any sort of problem was suspected, by which time fraudsters had helped themselves to almost £2,500.

[Source: This is Gloucestershire]

As well as discovering relevant news stories, anyone who has only recently found this blog and wants to learn more about Identity Fraud, will find a plethora of helpful background information here.

Many of the links are to websites of organisations that deal directly with Identity Fraud or its impact, as well as others to authorities that are indirectly related, but are also relevant.

Helpfully, the links page also includes information on what to do in case you ever lose your passport or driving licence, or need to have your post re-directed if you are moving home.

However, a recent article suggests that the current government still seems determined to press ahead with its plans, despite there being reservations over the way in which government departments have handled data in the past. This, in turn, has given rise to serious concerns for such a scheme, and that it may result in more Identity Fraud rather than serving to prevent it.

Even if, as is the latest suggestion, chip and pin technology is used to try and reduce Identity Fraud via ID cards, organisations still need to be ultra cautious that sensitive information does not leak into the public domain in other ways, as has been seen all too often in the past.

Although initially it is intended that ID cards will only be required for individuals from outside of the EU, and then to young people on a voluntary basis, it would appear that a wider compulsory scheme for the entire population is still in the pipeline.

[Source: FinExtra]

This time, the details of over 19,000 individuals, along with their home addresses and credit card information, have been located, freely available for anyone to see, via an Internet search.

Nigel Evans, who is an MP on the Government’s all-party Identity Fraud committee, was rightly concerned. However, we see this sort of issue occurring time and time again, and therefore it is little wonder that Identity Fraud continues to take place at the alarming levels that have been seen over recent years.

You can also rest assured that Identity Alarm takes such security issues very seriously indeed, and as well as being Verisign secured, we do not retain the credit card details (such as card numbers and security codes) of any members who sign up for our service, on any of our internal systems.

[Source: Daily Mail]

However, most people probably don’t give a second thought to the sensitive information that might be being stored on their mobile phone.

The NE Business website reports on recent research from Cendant, which suggests that lost or stolen phones could potentially be an extremely valuable source of information in the hands of a identity fraudster.

The survey indicated that almost half of all mobile phone users do not password protect their handset. Furthermore, almost 1 in 6 mobile phone users, that were surveyed, used their phone to store bank details, and 1 in 4 stored passwords and PINs on them. This issue is even more important for anyone who uses their mobile phone to access emails.

All in all, this report is a timely reminder that it makes sense to apply the same levels of precaution to our mobile phones as to any other source of personal data.

[Source: NE Business]

Well, according to a recent survey that was conducted by Halifax Insurance (as reported on the What Mortgage website), identity theft and identity fraud are very high up on the list:

1. Burglary (64%)
2. ID Theft / ID Fraud (55%)
3. Theft of personal belongings outside the home (47%)
4. Vandalism (45%)

Although these figures are the national averages from the survey, there are also some significant regional variations, eg: more Londoners cited ID theft / ID fraud as a fear (63%) than any other factor.

What is more alarming, is that although people say that they feel safer by having security locks on the windows and doors of their home (67%), far too many people have not yet realised that they can sleep easier with a service that alerts them to Identity Fraud, such as the service offered by Identity Alarm , which provides peace of mind and great value for less than £1 per week.

[Source: What Mortgage]

What is particularly worrying is that although this incident was first reported on February 26th 2009, it may in fact have been as long ago as December 2008 when the memory stick, containing details of individuals and their vehicles, was originally lost. Delays of this length could give an important head start to any fraudsters who may be able to use the time available to utilise any information that came into their possession.

As well as heightening concerns over how well data from a national identity card scheme would be securely managed, if indeed such a scheme is ever established, this incident once again highlights the importance of being able to view your credit report on a regular basis in the event that your personal information falls into the wrong hands.

[Source: BBC News]

Of course we all know that this information could potentially be devastating in the wrong hands, and we have made much of the impact of identity theft and subsequent fraud via this blog in the past, but just how many people are guilty of any of the following?:

• Writing down passwords
• Revealing password information to friends, family, or work colleagues
• Using common words for passwords , eg: ‘password’ or the name of a family member
• Re-using the same password for several different access points

This appears to be backed up by a recent article from Computer Weekly, which highlights research that far too many of us are still relying on just one or two different passwords to access numerous websites, and that ‘weak’ passwords are far too common.

Perhaps it’s time to review how you choose and manage your passwords?

[Source: Computer Weekly]

An article in the Daily Mail highlights evidence that banks now appear to be getting tougher, and are following a harder stance, on compensating consumers who have been victims of card fraud.

Not all card fraud results from identity theft, but this is just one area that can and often is affected. However, it is worthwhile to ensure that you check your credit report regularly so that you can become aware of any significant changes, as this should highlight any unusual activity that hasn’t taken place as a result of your own actions.

[Source: Daily Mail]

The latest security breach took place on January 23rd 2009, but the scale of this latest attack, involving over 4.5 million UK users, was not made public until four days later on January 27th.

This is the latest in a catalogue of problems for the jobs website. In 2007, details of over 1.3 million users were affected, and again in 2008, details of over 1.6 million users were stolen and many were subsequently subjected to phishing attacks.

Although entire CVs are not believed to have been taken, other information including user names, passwords and dates of birth were, and anyone who has ever registered with the website is advised to remain vigilant to the increased threat of Identity Fraud.

[Source: BBC News]

It was CIFAS’ intention to provide relevant advice for members of the public in the run up to Christmas, but in fact all of the tips that are listed in the linked article are relevant all year round.

Although CIFAS acts as a central point to collate credit data and to identify fraud when it occurs, it is obviously preferable for everyone to take steps to prevent the risk of fraudulent activity taking place.

Although the regular readers of this blog will already have a keen awareness of many of the issues that are mentioned, there are bound to be one or two of the listed points that will be of relevance.

Notes: CIFAS (which stands for ‘Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System’) is the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service with over 270 Member organisations spread across banking, credit cards, asset finance, retail credit, mail order, insurance, investment management, telecommunications, factoring and share dealing. Members share information on identified frauds in the fight to prevent further fraud. CIFAS is unique and was the first data sharing scheme of its type in the world.

[Source: CIFAS]

Recent research by consumer magazine ‘Which? Computing’, as reported in this article on the technology section of the BBC News website, has suggested that the only way to ensure that the data on old hard drives is not compromised is to ensure that the hard drive is completely destroyed, preferably with a hammer.

There have been instances of old PC equipment being taken from waste disposal centres and then used to commit identity fraud, so it is well worth bearing this in mind the next time you consider upgrading to a new computer.

[Source: BBC News]

The BBC’s ‘Real Hustle’ programme recently reprised its ‘Twelve Scams of Christmas’ feature.

One section is particularly relevant as it shows first-hand just how easy it could be to commit Identity Theft and then to use the knowledge gained to allow a burglary to take place.

You can see the ‘ID Theft: Break-In Hustle’ by either clicking the embedded video at the top of this article, or the link at the bottom of the article to view the video via the relevant page on the YouTube website.

We can quote ‘matter-of-fact’ statistics about the number of victims of Identity Theft and the fraud that can takes place afterwards, but sometimes it takes a short feature like this to bring home the reality of ID Theft and how it could affect you.

[Source: YouTube / BBC's Real Hustle]

It has been a very busy 2008, but this blog will be taking a brief hiatus over the Christmas and New Year period.

However, remember to come back in the new year for more topical information and news updates.

In the meantime enjoy the remainder of the festive season!

The subject of credit reports and credit ratings is still not fully understood by many people, and so anything that can be done to enlighten the public on these matters has to be a step in the right direction.

This link provides some further details about some of the most common myths and misunderstandings in relation to how lenders decide whether or not particular individuals are worthy of credit based on a credit rating.

This is an issue that has become increasingly important in recent times, especially with lenders now being more cautious generally in terms of the decisions that they are making.

Thankfully, there is already a dedicated area on the Identity Alarm website that has been created to show sample credit reports, and to explain on a section by section basis what is included, as well as including more details about the type of information that is retained in a typical credit report.

By reading through this guide we hope that you will gain a much better understanding as to what exactly is included, which in turn will help to demystify the subject.

Also, don’t forget that the Identity Alarm service provides full access to your own credit report with information from the UK’s leading credit reference agency, Experian. In addition, once you have signed up and have viewed your credit report for the first time, then you will also be set up to receive weekly alerts for any significant changes to your credit report, In addition, you will also have unlimited access to view your own credit report for as long as your membership remains active, and annual membership works out at less than £1 per week.

£5 ?
£80 ?
£14,500 ?

All of the values quoted above are relevant to this topic, as it transpires that individual pieces of information are being sold online for as little as £5, and that all available information for an identity can be sold for as little as £80.

Contrast this with the average amount that is taken as a result of each case of identity fraud, £14,500.

This information is being publicised from research conducted by ICM Research for ‘Get Safe Online’, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.

It is always a good idea to stay safe online, as well as doing all that you can to ensure that your personal data does not fall into the wrong hands. However, Identity Fraud still continues to have a devastating impact on thousands of victims each year.

A less daunting figure is £1, as this is the amount it works out each week for an annual subscription with Identity Alarm (just £49.90 per annum.) This subscription ensures that you have unlimited online access to your credit report, as well as being notified via alerts whenever there are any significant changes.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]

Although a prison sentence can be a good method of rehabilitation for some criminals, it would appear that there are far too many convicted fraudsters who are utilising this time as an opportunity to share information with others and to discover new methods to continue committing this crime once they are released.

Estimates from the government’s own Identity Fraud Steering Committee put the annual cost of ID Fraud to the UK economy at over £1.2 billion, and so suggestions that there could be a proliferation of identity fraud from within our prisons is certainly a matter for the authorities to consider further.

[Source: VNUNet]

However, if the initial shock of this crime was not bad enough, then the future difficulties that can be experienced can have a potentially devastating impact on victim’s lives.

A recent article from a local newspaper in Rochdale tells the story of a woman from the town, Catherine Bennett, whose identity was stolen by a Ghanaian immigrant who then went on to commit fraud using Catherine’s details. The article in the link describes some of the consequences of the crime, as well as illustrating the subsequent worries that ensue for victims.

A monitoring service to alert you to changes to your credit report, that can indicate when fraud may be about to take place using your identity, is available from Identity Alarm. As individuals, we tend to ensure that we protect our valued possessions, such as our homes and cars with alarms, but as your most valuable possession of all why should your identity be any different? Remember, it’s always best to try and stop these problems at source, rather than to try and live with the consequences.

[Source: Rochdale Observer]

Central to each and every decision that is made by a lender or another financial institution, about whether or not to lend, is the credit report of the individual who is making the application.

Your credit report contains a variety of information about your credit history and is the same information that is considered by any company that makes a final decision about you.

The actions of lenders are vital at any time, but recent turbulence in the financial system now means that many more people who have not previously experienced any difficulties applying for credit, are now finding their applications being declined.

For more information about how you can stay in control of your credit report, visit Identity Alarm, which is powered by extensive credit report information from the UK’s leading credit reference agency, Experian.

We have already reported previously in this blog about several significant data losses from government departments and contractors working on their behalf. This is worrying enough, but the fact that even the police force is not immune to such security breaches is concerning to say the least.

A local MP, Nigel Evans, has called for more clarity in terms of what procedures are in place to inform those individuals that may have been affected. However, over eighteen months after the event, the laptop as well as the data it contained, still remain missing.

The full news article, as originally reported in the Blackburn Citizen, can be viewed in a new window by clicking one of the links in this blog entry.

[Source: Blackburn Citizen]

We all know that it is commonplace for jobseekers to supply their CV when applying for a position or registering with an agency. However, it is important to ensure that the same precautions are exercised in these circumstances, as would be the case for any other occasion that you supply sensitive personal information about yourself.

You can read more here about an experiment that was carried out for National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, in which a fake company advertised for a non-existent job and was able to acquire information that could have been used to commit identity fraud.

[Source: BBC News]

As has happened on numerous other occasions, a laptop containing sensitive personal data about these individuals has been stolen. Consequently, they now face a much higher risk of their identities being used to apply for credit, leaving them to face the consequences.

We have already provided a lot of information to show how to keep your identity safe, but in these circumstances the best way to stay one step ahead is to ensure that you have access to detailed credit report information that is updated on a regular basis.

Fortunately, Identity Alarm can provide such a service, powered by extensive information from the UK’s leading credit reference agency, Experian, as you can see from the details on our website.

[Source: GetReading]

It is a very distressing subject for some, but there have been numerous instances whereby identity fraudsters have taken and used the details of other people that have recently died.

However, this article from BBC news, reports that positive steps are being taken to provide information about deceased individuals to organisations to reduce the likelihood of this type of fraud being possible in the future.

However, identity fraudsters have a myriad of methods to take advantage and steal other people’s identities to enable them to pass a credit check, and so we all need to remain vigilant to every method of fraud.

[Source: BBC News]

Today’s blog entry is short and sweet. So far this week, we have provided you with lots of information about Identity Fraud, and how to prevent it, and so now is the time for you to take the test and assess your level of risk.

It’s Friday, and today we are including details of the last in a series of articles that have been compiled for ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week.’

Each day this week, we have included articles that have been compiled for ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week.’ However, it’s all very well understanding the theory, but it is also important to comprehend how it affects real people. So in order to illustrate the impact of Identity Fraud, today’s link provides details of some ‘Real Life Stories’.

Over the last few days, we have already brought you some informative articles that have been compiled for ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week.’

As promised, we are continuing to bring you information from ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week.’

DAY ONE: MONDAY OCTOBER 6th 2008

As we have already mentioned previously in this blog, today is the start of ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week’ in the UK, and this year’s campaign is being fronted by Adrian Chiles, who is one of the presenters of the BBC current affairs programme: ‘The One Show.’

Each day this week we will be bringing you informative articles relating to identity fraud, that have been compiled for the campaign – just click on the links each day, which will open up the relevant article from the official website.

Today, we are going to start with an article entitled ‘Still Risking Your Identity’

[Source: NIFPW Website]

Last month, we gave advance notice of an important forthcoming event, namely the UK’s annual ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week’. As we are now into October, and this event is due to begin next week, we have included a reminder of the details below:

National Identity Fraud Prevention Week takes place from 6th to 12th October and has its own website at www.stop-idfraud.co.uk. This awareness drive has been put in place by an expert group of public and private sector partners including regional police forces, Crimestoppers and the Identity and Passport Service, and Identity Alarm is proud to publicise this initiative. The main aim is to be part of the national drive to make the public more aware of the dangers of identity fraud, and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves.

As a preview to to next week’s event, we have included a link below to an amusing and informative video that has been created by Fellowes, one of the partners for National Identity Fraud Prevention Week:

Link: Paper Shredders at Amazon.co.uk

It has long been suggested that here in the UK many of us have rather a lazy attitude to password security, and this is something that could lead to an increased risk of identity fraud.

Computer Weekly has recently reported on research that was conducted in association with the retailer, Comet. Not only does there appear to be a general issue with laziness, resulting in people choosing relatively obvious passwords that could potentially be guessed, but some people are also taking this one step further and opting to purchase computers that come bundled with fingerprint technology for added security.

The survey showed that the top types of passwords that people choose are: 1) Partner’s Name; 2) Own Name; 3) Birthdate; 4) Pet’s Name; 5) Name of football team, and perhaps most worryingly – 6) ‘password’ (the full top ten can be seen at this link.)

It is worth remembering that as an extra security measure, Identity Alarm members are required to supply their unique membership number, as well as username and password details, in order to access credit report information.

[Source: Computerweekly.com ]

Here is Identity Alarm’s step-by-step guide of what to do if your bag, wallet or purse have been lost or stolen.

Remember, you may carry lots of information that, in the hands of an identity fraudster, could be used to impersonate you. This in turn could allow the fraudster to gain financially by making new applications in your name, eg: by taking out a loan or applying for a credit card.

Firstly, double check that your bag, wallet or purse has not just been accidentally mislaid. If it is definitely missing, either lost or stolen, then remember to take these steps:

1. Police – Inform the relevant (local) police force and report everything that is missing. They will give you a crime number that you may need to quote later, for insurance purposes. You should NOT dial 999. Either go in person to, or obtain the telephone number of, the local station.

2. Cash – If your home insurance policy has ‘all risks’ cover, then you may be able to claim for cash and other contents in the event that they are not recovered. Check your insurance policy documentation for full details.

3. Cards – Cancel your debit and credit cards. Most banks and credit card companies will have emergency numbers (check your statements or their websites for details) that you can call to inform them. You will need to do this as soon as possible.

4. Passport / Driving Licence – These links inform you about what you need to do if you lose your passport or driving licence. Again, this should be done as soon as possible.

5. Keys – If your house keys have been stolen along with any other document that shows your address (remember: items such as your photo driving licences also show your address) then you will need to ensure that these locks are changed fast. Some insurance policies cover this, although you will need to check your policy documentation. Care is also required for car keys, if it is possible that a thief may have your car key and may be able to identity your car, eg: if they also have your address. If this is the case, then you probably need to contact the relevant dealership, who should be able to help.

6. Mobile Phone – call your service provider and ensure that they suspend your SIM card. They can also blacklist your phone if you have previously registered the phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.

7. Other Personal Documents – The best advice is to only carry personal documents with you if it is 100% necessary, as this information could be used to perpetrate identity fraud if the documents are lost or stolen.

8. Other items – Be aware that you may also have been carrying other items such as season tickets, railcards, membership cards or permits. It is a good idea to keep a separate record of these items at home, with contact details, so that you can get in touch and sort out replacements.

Of course, as well as taking a few sensible precautions, members of Identity Alarm also have the peace of mind that they will be alerted to any changes in their credit report, including any applications for credit as a result of a credit check, or new accounts etc.

As an important event in the calendar, we wanted to ensure that we gave advance notice of the UK’s annual ‘National Identity Fraud Prevention Week’. This event has its own website at www.stop-idfraud.co.uk

The National Identity Fraud Prevention Week will take place from 6th to 12th October. The awareness drive has been put in place by an expert group of public and private sector partners including regional police forces, Crimestoppers and the Identity and Passport Service, and Identity Alarm is proud to publicise this initiative.

The main aim is to be part of the national drive to make the public more aware of the dangers of identity fraud, and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves. However, although National Identity Fraud Prevention week is publicised for a week in October, it is important that we remain aware of these issues all year round.

You can view this list and follow any of the helpful links, by clicking here which will open up the page in a new window.

The page also includes helpful information on what to do in case you ever lose your passport or driving licence, or need to have your post re-directed if you are moving home.

Now it is the turn for the spotlight to be focused on financial institutions. Recent news has come to light regarding highly sensitive information left on the hard drive of a computer that was sold on EBay for just £77. Details of several million customers of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Natwest Bank and American Express could have been compromised if this information had got into the wrong hands.

Serious lapses of this kind make it all the more important for individuals to remain aware of their credit history and to ensure that they can keep up to date with changes in their credit report.

[Source: BBC News]

The research, as undertaken by G2 Data Dynamics showed that, despite warnings, worrying levels of people choose to include sensitive personal details on their social networking profiles. The levels of apathy towards these dangers also appear to be highest amongst the younger (18-34) age groups.

[Source: Precision Marketing Magazine]

The loss of a disc containing the details of 25 million child benefit claimants in November 2007 was probably the most high profile example, but there have been a number of further high profile cases that have come to light during 2008. As well as the loss of data for several thousand hospital patients by NHS trusts, the Ministry of Defence has admitted to having lost a staggering 658 laptops in the last four years.

The latest news report of government data going missing was last week, when details of criminals that had been stored on a memory stick were lost. All of this goes to show that when it comes to protecting your identity, it pays to be safe.

[Source: BBC News]

1. Be aware of ‘Phishing’ Scams – these often take the form of emails requesting personal details or data that appear to be from legitimate companies.

2. Be vigilant when clicking on links in e-mails – if you click on an e-mail link you could be taken to a website that has been created by a fraudster. Instead, type the address manually, ensuring that you know the base address of the company concerned.

3. Be wary of opening e-mail attachments – Note: Identity Alarm does not send attachments out with emails.

4. Do not share your e-mail addresses and passwords.

5. Be cautious about sharing personal details via chat or instant messaging programs or social network websites.

6. Only install legitimate software on your computer.

7. Use strong passwords that will not be easily guessed – preferably using a mixture of letters and numbers.

8. Be careful when disposing of old computer equipment – the hard disk could contain details that would be invaluable to a fraudster.

9. Only use secure websites for transactions – look out for ‘https’ in the website address and the padlock symbol next to the address bar, which indicate a secure website. Note: Registration with Identity Alarm is fully secure, as is access to the Members Area.

10. Shred all correspondence that contains references to your personal details.

Welcome to the updated Identity Alarm blog. Those of you who are familiar with web logs, or blogs as they are more commonly known, will require no further explanation from us. However, for anyone that is new to the world of blogging, this page is where we will update you with any news relating to Identity Fraud as well as aspects of the Identity Alarm service. As well as bookmarking this page (press Ctrl+D) for future reference, you can also access this blog any time via the ‘News’ option from the main Identity Alarm website.

Bookmark Us! (Ctrl+D)

Members will receive access to important information relating to their own credit report:

Firstly, you will have unlimited online access to your credit report, as powered by Experian, the UK’s leading credit reference agency. This will enable you to check current and historical activity and keep a track of this over time.
Secondly, you will also receive weekly alerts, either by email or text, containing notification if any of the following actions have occurred on your credit report in the past seven days:

• Additions or deletions of credit accounts
• Changes in the payment history of a credit account
• Additions or deletions of a Court Judgement
• Searches are made of your credit report
• Additions or deletions of a Notice of Correction
• An account has been settled
• A significant balance change on any revolving credit accounts opened in the last six months

If there are no changes in a particular week you will not receive an alert. However, for your peace of mind you will receive a quarterly ‘no-hit’ communication at the end of each quarter if your credit report has not been affected by any of the above changes in the past three months.

By checking the details of your credit report online, or by viewing the changes in the alerts that you receive, you will be able to view activity as it occurs, including anything that may not have been instigated by you. Such changes may be an indication that there has been unauthorised activity taking place in your name and that your identity may have been used fraudulently.

Our website also contains links to other useful resources relating to identity theft, as well as advice on how to protect your identity and other significant news articles. Regular newsletters will also keep you informed of our service as well as other relevant news.

Finally, we are also able to provide peace of mind for you by offering phone advice from credit reference specialists if there are any aspects of your credit report about which you may be uncertain

However, don’t forget that your own personal identity is your most valuable possession. Criminals are increasingly targeting people’s identities instead of their property or vehicles, as it tends to take much longer before the crime is detected. All too often this is far too late, and victims of identity theft then suffer both in terms of all the time and effort required to clear their name, as well as the potential financial implications. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that you stay fully informed of any changes that take place to your personal information.