Protect yourself from identity fraud

Prevent ID Fraud

If you're reading this page, you probably already know some of the reasons why you should invest in a shredder. If you haven't already seen the publicity about identity theft and identity fraud, against companies as well as against individuals, then we'll provide you with the information you need and help you decide on what type of shredder is best for you.
 
We went to a meeting recently and gave a brief presentation on identity theft and identity fraud, we then asked how many of the people there had been victims of either identity theft or identity fraud. Out of 14 people, 8 had been victims of some kind of identity theft or fraud. That's a frightening number. Unfortunately, the publicity surrounding the topic only seems to encourage fraudsters to try and steal identities.
 
At BargainBusinessSupplies we aim to help you beat the fraudsters.

If your neighbour has a cross-cut shredder and a would-be identity thief has been down your neighbour's dustbin, the more likely it is that he will move onto the next bin; which could be yours. If your neighbours who buy a crosscut shredder before you, the higher the chances of it being your dustbin that receives unwanted attention.

Bin raiding, where crooks scavenge through your rubbish for any discarded documents such as utility bills, credit card receipts, product receipts or bank statements, is now an organised business with criminal gangs paying up to £5 a document found containing personal information. Even a name and address in a discarded envelope is enough for them to work with.

Identify theft is growing fast

Identity theft is growing fast in the UK. It is estimated to cost 1.7 billion and affecting up to 100,000 people each year.
 
Whilst its not a crime at the moment, the Government is considering making it one. It only becomes a crime when a stolen identity is actually used to obtain goods and services by deception at which point it becomes known as identity fraud. Do you want to take the risk of waiting until that happens?
 
Banks own up to approx £500m of this type of fraud a year in the UK - up from £213m in 2000 and £62m in 1995.
 
How much more was discovered but left unreported, they always deal with in-house thefts of £2k or less themselves? We found that quiet disturbing ....

Who is most at risk?

EVERYBODY!
Younger adults are most at risk according to Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index published on the 4th August 2005. We'd also be concerned about elderly relatives who are particularly vulnerable to handing over vital information. Also be aware of any new post that arrives for a relative who has passed away.
 
Identity theft in the UK is rapidly growing, showing an increase of 165% over the available figures for 2004 according to Experian.

It is estimated to take approximately 300 hours of your time to repair your credit record if you become a victim of identity fraud. Many victims do not discover their identity has been stolen for an average of 18 months. A friend of ours discovered someone had used his identity when arrested and had been convicted of a crime using HIS details. The matter was dealt with, but not all cases are as easily solved.

You'll all be familiar with the latest data loss.
 
"The head of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has resigned after it was revealed in parliament that the personal details of 25 million Britons had been "lost in the post". "
 
So how do you deal with the risks of ID Theft?

What to do about it?

Buy a cross cut shredder from this web-site!! Shred all old bank statements, receipts (unless you need to keep them for warranty, guarantee or tax purposes), card statements, mail outs, catalogues, letters with account numbers or other personal data. Don't put anything in the bin with your name, address or other personal information on it!

Be careful about disclosing personal or financial information to people who cold call you, even if they claim to be from your bank, your credit company or another official organisation. Phone the organisation back with the number you have for them, not the number the caller has given you.
 
Never reply to e-mails asking for personal information – banks and other organisations, such as PayPal or eBay. Paypal and Ebay do not collect details in this way. If you do suspect foul play, obtain your credit report immediately from a company such as Experian or Equifax.

Make sure you only use secure websites for online shopping ( they have "https" in the web address when you access them) and look for the padlock symbol
 
Set your browser to maximum security level (browser software includes applications such as Internet Explorer and Firefox)
 
Never give out your card details just to register with a site
 
Ignore emails requesting personal information, even if they appear to come from organisations you know and trust - they are always scams.
 
Use different passwords and usernames for different sites where you buy products. Don't use the same password for 'everything'.
 
Make passwords and security codes which are hard to guess, visit this site to check your password 'robustness'.
 
Read this article on how to make strong passwords and use them
 
Be careful of internet sites with too good to be true offers - they might be bogus sites looking to gather personal information about you in order apply for credit in your name. If something should be £400 and they are selling it for £50, I'd be suspicious and so should you!