80% of Britons fear that they will become a victim of identity fraud, but there are a number of ways you can protect yourself in order to lessen the chances of it happening to you. A staggering number of people put themselves at risk by not taking simple precautions. For example, 19% of us put confidential personal documents in the waste bin or recycling box without destroying it first. Some of the things you can do to minimise the risks include:
- Keep personal and confidential information secure.
- Shred documentation before disposal.
- Regularly obtain a FREE credit report and monitor it for discrepancies.
- Check bank statements and credit card bills for unusual transactions.
- Redirect your mail from your old address if you move house.
- Never give out personal information to unidentified individuals via email, phone or in person.
- Banks will never ask you to do enter your details via email, so if you receive emails asking you to do so, contact the service provider mentioned in the email to inform them.
- Use up-to-date anti-virus protection.
- Avoid emailing personal information
Follow these simple steps and you will be greatly improving your chances of never falling victim to identity fraud. If you think you might already have become a victim, learn about how to detect identity fraud and what to do next.