ID Theft - What is it? How do I protect myself?

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK. In 2007, total card fraud losses increased by 25% to £535 million according to figures provided by APACS (Association of Payment Clearing Services). Most identity thieves go on to steal money from financial companies by impersonating their victims - this is known as identity fraud. The effects of this can wreck your credit file and can then have a significant impact on your life. At the very least, it can mean a miserable month of telephone calls and letters to repair a financial account that has been severely damaged.

However, the worst-case scenario is being arrested for crimes that you know nothing about and being left with a tattered credit history, which could take years to put right. More often than not, because fraud is rarely a physical crime it can take months, or even years, before it is detected, allowing the fraudster to wreak havoc both emotionally and financially. Fraudsters prey on those members of the public that are less than vigilant in protecting their personal details and it is all too easy to be careless with our personal information.

Our service automatically monitors your credit report daily for key changes and will send you an email if anything is detected. If the changes look suspicious you can act fast. Our Victims of Fraud service will provide you with all the assistance you need to stop the fraud and make sure it doesn't impact your credit file.

To receive an early warning signal should you have your identity stolen click here.