3. In most parts of the world, identity fraud is the fastest
growing offence. Yet, in the USA, a longitudinal 2005 study
by Javelin Strategy & Research showed that the crime had
decreased since a 2003 study from the Federal Trade
Commission was released in 2003. The most current US
Javelin data also showed that 9.3 million persons, being
4.25% of all adults, are victims of identity fraud on a yearly
basis. In the United Kingdom in 2005 the consumer group
Which issued a report stating that one in four people had
been the victim of identity fraud, or knew someone who
had been a victim.
5. Rigorous research has shown that the following methods
will be most effective at preventing identity theft or fraud:
6. Freeze your credit, if available in your state. With a credit
freeze, no one can open any form of credit in your name.
7. Request your own credit report each year and check the
reports for inaccuracies and new lines of credit issued that
you did not request.
8. Minimize the use of mail for sending or receiving financial
documents, checks, and have your name removed from
junk mail lists (8% of identity fraud results from stolen
mail).
9. Check your bank accounts each week online or at an ATM.
70% of identity fraud is detected by the victim, and victims
who do so through electronic methods suffer losses of less
than 1/8th that of those who rely on paper statements for
monitoring account activity.
10. Use reliable ATM's at reputable sites only. Watch your
surroundings for anything suspicious. If the interior of a
bank is closed but an indoor ATM is still accessible with a
card, refuse helping any stranger to enter.
11. Watch your surrounding when entering sensitive codes of
information at an ATM or on a telephone keypad.
12. Do not use wireless phones or cellular phones to talk
about sensitive information.
13. Shred credit-card receipts, used (processed)
cheques/checks, junk mail and other such documents, as
they may contain private information.
14. Never give out personal information in response to
telemarketers and delete all e-mails that claim to be from
your bank (or other financial provider) and ask you to "log
in" using a hyperlink embedded in the e-mail message.
This type of scam is also named phishing.
15. When shopping online, make sure the company is
reputable and displays an approved security symbol.
16. Watch your surroundings when using a credit card at any
checkout counters or any similar places as some identity
thieves use cell phones with cameras to steal others'
credit card numbers and expiration dates.
17. Limit the amount of personal information you publish on
the web.
18. Do not allow anyone to copy your identification
documents.
19. If someone calls you claiming to be from a financial
institution you do business with asking for personal
information - do not give it to them.
20. As a general rule, do not do business with people that
come to you. If you want something, you find the business
or company.
21. Don't order checks preprinted with your driver's license or
social security number.