Government advisors say “It is imperative that we take action to prohibit financial information being copied by identity thieves”.
Everyone understands why it’s best practice to prevent personal details from falling into the wrong hands.
Credit reference agency Experian have released a report claiming that young people need to take special caution.
Research from Experian indicates that young single adults who often live in shared rented accommodation and are on a reasonable income are at the greatest risk of having their credit cards, bank accounts and other financial products compromised by identify fraudsters.
Single people in their 30s living in rented flats and “high-flying” graduates saving for a mortgage deposit are also among those deemed to be particularly susceptible.
The vulnerability was attributed to those who rent being popular targets for mail interception, a method often used by fraudsters to obtain people’s details.
Darryl Bowman from Experian says: “Criminals are switching their focus from the wealthy to people whose details they can get hold of more easily. Because of this, each one of us needs to be aware of the dangers of ID fraud and take steps to protect our identity and stop thieves from getting access to our personal information.”
Research from the company also reveals that London is the nation’s identity fraud capital, with those living in the city around four times as likely to be targeted by such crime than the average person.
In an effort to protect their UK accounts people should take the utmost care when throwing away bank statements, utility bills and other documents containing their personal details. Instead of simply throwing them away they should use a cross-cutting shredder.
The checking of credit reports on a regular basis for any signs of suspicious transactions was also recommended, while consumers should notify their bank if credit card statements and other mail they have been expecting does not arrive.
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