Identity is easy to steal

Mar 8 2005 By Helen Logan Evening Gazette

Are you among the 25pc of people who have either fallen victim to identity fraud or know of someone who has?

I am.

Luckily it is not something I have personally experienced but I know someone who has.

And it was frightening how easily it could happen.

They had moved and their former home, which was up for sale, was empty.

The property was broken into but it appeared nothing had been taken.

But then came a call to say that someone had tried to borrow thousands of pounds in their name.

It transpired some energy bills that had not been re-directed to their new address by the post office and had been lying on the door mat at the time of the burglary and it was these which had been taken.

The criminals then used them as proof of identity.

On this occasion, the system picked up the scam and those responsible were caught, but others are not so fortunate.

One in ten people have been a victim of identity fraud and another 15pc of people know someone who has had their identity stolen, a survey by the consumer magazine Which? has found.

It says ID fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the UK and costs the country an estimated £1.3bn a year.

And while new technology and the Internet have made it easier for thieves to rip off their victims, there are also less sophisticated methods, such thieves stealing rubbish to search for sensitive documents like bank statements or utility bills.

I now shred or rip up credit card bills and receipts and the like before throwing them in the bin.