Your identity and personal information are extremely valuable to you – and to criminals. Fraudsters are constantly looking to exploit individuals who innocently give away too much information or provide them with an opportunity to steal it for their own personal gain.
Criminals can use your personal details to:
- Open a bank account
- Apply for a credit card, loan, passport or driver’s licence
- Purchase goods and services in your name
- Use the information to access or take control of your financial assets such as your bank account
There are some practical common sense rules that can be followed to protect your information in key areas and ultimately help to keep your financial assets safe.
For more information on identity theft, see our list of other useful websites.
If you think you have become a victim or are at risk of identity theft, it’s important to act quickly:
- Report lost or stolen cards, cheque books, financial or utility statements and identity documents to the issuer immediately and inform them of your concern
- Visit the Royal Mail website to report any loss or theft of mail
- Contact your bank or credit card issuer to report suspicious transactions on your statement
- If you have not already done so obtain a copy of your personal credit file and check it for suspicious entries; this is available at a cost from the following credit reference agencies:
Callcredit
Equifax
Experian
If you find out that someone has opened a bank account or obtained credit in your name, contact the company concerned immediately. You should also report the matter to law enforcement. If you have an investment with M&G and are concerned about the security of your account information contact us immediately.