You can’t be too careful with your personal information

Never give out personal banking details or passwords to anyone contacting you over the telephone – wherever they say they are calling from.  Your bank will never ask for your password over the telephone.   

If you are contacted unexpectedly, ask for a name and contact number and verify this with the organisation before calling back. If it is a company you are not familiar with, get the company’s number from the phone book, not from the caller – they could give you a scam number.

Don’t accept a caller is genuine simply because they can quote your customer reference number – they could have gotten it from a discarded bill.    

Be on your guard

You can help to guard against identity theft  by shredding or burning personal correspondence such as bank statements.  If you cannot do either, tear the papers up into very small pieces before you throw them in the bin. 

If you move home, remember to inform all the company’s that are likely to send you personal information in the post.  It is worth re-directing your post with Royal Mail 

Online Fraud

Always use an anti virus programme and a firewall on your computer.  These should ideally be upgraded from time to time.  

Beware of unsolicited emails. Do not respond to emails that have apparently originated from your bank or other authority/company.

Remember your bank will never ask for your details by email  

Do not post personal details on the internet which could be collected together and used to clone your identity.

Have you been a victim of identity theft?

If your identity has been stolen, you may notice any of the following:

• Missing regular monthly statements
• Charges to your bank account that are not yours – remember to check your bank and credit card statements   
• Debt collection agencies contacting you about outstanding payments for items or services that you have not ordered.

 If you are contacted by a debt collection agency, beware not to give out any personal information they say is needed to sort the problem out! 

If you think you are a victim - act quickly

Do not ignore the problem - you might not have ordered the goods or opened the bank account, but the debt will fall to you  

Once blacklisted for credit it could take many years to fully recover the problem, and you might have difficulties getting a loan

You could consider getting a copy of your credit report from a credit reference agency such Equifax or Experian, and monitor your report for discrepancies, they are relatively inexpensive.