http://www.ntlworld.com/news/story_uk.php?page_zone=150.5.2&storyid=9352294Identity theft rockets
17/10/2005 20:29
The number of cases of identity fraud has rocketed in the last six years, increasing by almost seven times, it has emerged.
By the end of the year, the UK's fraud prevention service Cifas estimates there will have been 135,000 reported incidents of identity theft in 2005 - compared with just 20,000 in 1999. Most of the victims are ordinary consumers.
The spiralling crime is now thought to cost the UK at least £1.3 billion a year, but the true figure could be higher.
The huge rise in the number of cases of ID fraud was revealed after it emerged that more than 18 million households could be failing to protect themselves from the fast-growing threat.
A study found that three-quarters of household waste contained sensitive material, such as cheques, utility bills, bank statements or insurance documents.
One leading London councillor estimated that the capital alone could be generating 16,000 tonnes of rubbish a year which contained personal information likely to be of use to fraudsters.
This is despite a new poll which shows that the public fear being a victim of identity fraud more than pick-pocketing, mugging or even burglary.
The revelation comes at the start of the first ever National Identity Fraud Prevention Week which aims to tackle the "It won't happen to me" syndrome and educate the public and businesses that they should be doing more to protect themselves.
A specially commissioned poll by Populus showed that 40 per cent of the public rated identity fraud as their major concern in a list of crimes that included burglary (27 per cent), mugging (21 per cent) and pick-pocketing (3 per cent).
Analysis of the household rubbish from 10 streets in south London found that 77 per cent contained at least one item which could assist identity fraudsters.
17/10/2005 20:29
The number of cases of identity fraud has rocketed in the last six years, increasing by almost seven times, it has emerged.
By the end of the year, the UK's fraud prevention service Cifas estimates there will have been 135,000 reported incidents of identity theft in 2005 - compared with just 20,000 in 1999. Most of the victims are ordinary consumers.
The spiralling crime is now thought to cost the UK at least £1.3 billion a year, but the true figure could be higher.
The huge rise in the number of cases of ID fraud was revealed after it emerged that more than 18 million households could be failing to protect themselves from the fast-growing threat.
A study found that three-quarters of household waste contained sensitive material, such as cheques, utility bills, bank statements or insurance documents.
One leading London councillor estimated that the capital alone could be generating 16,000 tonnes of rubbish a year which contained personal information likely to be of use to fraudsters.
This is despite a new poll which shows that the public fear being a victim of identity fraud more than pick-pocketing, mugging or even burglary.
The revelation comes at the start of the first ever National Identity Fraud Prevention Week which aims to tackle the "It won't happen to me" syndrome and educate the public and businesses that they should be doing more to protect themselves.
A specially commissioned poll by Populus showed that 40 per cent of the public rated identity fraud as their major concern in a list of crimes that included burglary (27 per cent), mugging (21 per cent) and pick-pocketing (3 per cent).
Analysis of the household rubbish from 10 streets in south London found that 77 per cent contained at least one item which could assist identity fraudsters.
