ID theft in the UK
The authorities have issued some startling facts about ID theft in UK which should make all of us think again when disposing of our financial statements and giving out our personal details to an unknown third-party. It is estimated that identity fraud is costing the UK economy around £1.7 billion year but a more worrying figure is the fact that year-on-year growth is a staggering 500%!
When you consider that more than 100,000 people with victims of ID theft back in 2005 we can only imagine what the figure will be for this year, next year and for the future. One of the more worrying factors about ID theft is the estimate that 18 million homes in the UK still throw out financially sensitive documentation with their general rubbish and do not shed these documents. These are literally an Aladdin's cave for ID fraudsters who will regularly rummage through rubbish in wealthy areas of the UK, although ID theft is not just committed in wealthy areas, in order to find highly sensitive and highly useful information.
Those who are more susceptible to ID fraud appear to be in the age bracket 31 to 40 with those earning in excess of £60,000 almost 3 times more likely to be targeted by ID fraudsters. It may surprise many to learn that Manchester and Nottingham have the highest rates of ID fraud in the UK per 1000 population with credit card fraud, using stolen IDs, still the most popular form of fraud in the UK.
Conclusion
We all need to be more aware of the potential and growing threat of ID fraud, we all need to take more care with our documentation and personal details and above all we need to check our credit report on a regular basis. Flagging potential ID fraud in the very early stage can save hundreds if not thousands of pounds which has and continues to have a significant impact upon many people around the UK and around the world.