How to Protect Your Identity
As if the ‘letterbox lament’ afflicting many UK households wasn’t bad enough, there are two new threats adding insult to injury in the form of Identity Theft and Impersonation of the Dead (IOD) fraud.
Given many items of post contain valuable personal information such as name, address, date of birth and sometimes even account details, this has made the interception of mail a target for identity fraudsters. So much so that, according to CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention service, Impersonation of the Dead (IOD) has become Britain’s fastest-growing identity crime, with upwards of 70,000 families likely to experience the pain of discovering their deceased loved one has become a victim of fraud this year alone.
Preventing unwanted junk mail being sent is hence a highly effective way to decrease the potential of becoming a victim of this terrible crime trend. After all, home shouldn’t be where the heartbreak is. So in addition to subscribing to Itsmypost.com, you might like to consider:
- Display a ‘No Junk Mail Flyers’ sticker or sign on your letterbox to deter being inundated with leaflets delivered door-to-door;
- Tear up or, preferably, shred receipts and the address panel on ALL mail before recycling or composting the contents so that your personal information cannot be intercepted by ID fraudsters,
- Redirect ALL post promptly when moving house or business address – a replacement storecard or mail order catalogue arriving at your old address can be a real find for fraudsters
- Keep your personal documents locked away safely at home, these documents are increasingly being searched for by burglars,
- Treat your personal data as ‘confidential’ – don’t give it away lightly. Always ask yourself; Who is asking for these details and why do they need them?,
- If you receive letters or emails asking for your personal details, such as PIN numbers, passwords, etc. remember that a legitimate financial institution would NEVER request such information from their customers,
- Be careful when taking telephone calls from people claiming to be from banks or other companies asking for your account or security details – they could be looking to run up massive debts in your name,
- Generally cold-calling for investment business is prohibited by law, so any offers that seem ‘too good to be true’ usually are, so walk away.
In this way we can all help halt the amount of unwanted junk mail flooding into our community as well as protect our personal data and the environment at the same time.
For further information and advice on all forms of identity fraud, visit the webpage of the Home Office’s Identity Fraud Steering Committee.