False sense of security putting Brits in danger
May 31, 2008
According to a recent report Brits have been lulled into a false sense of security over the safety of their personal information and documents, and this is putting them at increased danger of becoming victims of identity theft and fraud. The identity theft firm CPP recently carried out a survey, and the results suggested that a massive three quarters of Brits are only too aware of the fact that identity fraud is now commonplace yet only one third of us actually take steps to try and protect our personal information and documentation from opportunists and thieves.
Fraudsters can use a variety of details off personal documents such as a passport, birth certificate, banks statements, bills, and other documents containing personal data in order to commit crime or apply for various lines of credit through identity theft. However, despite these dangers many of us would not immediately notice of important documents went missing, and the vast majority fail to keep such documents safely under lock and key.
The results of the survey showed that only 20% of consumers would notice right away of their birth certificate went missing and only 25% would notice right away if their passport was missing. Whilst more of us would miss our driving licence more quickly, the figures showed that only a third of us would realise that it was missing right away. The figures also showed that a massive 92% of consumers think that their home is secure and safe from burglars, even though 15% have already been the victims of burglary.
One industry official stated: “Don’t leave personal information lying around the house. We have had cases of ID theft where friends, neighbours and even family have stolen personal documents and taken out big loans, mail order and credit cards.”
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