Identity Theft
Question: I believe I am a victim of Identity Theft, what can I do about it?
Answer: For information about Identity Theft visit the Home Office's Identity Theft webpage and crimereduction.gov.uk's Identity Theft Kit. This also conatins a useful guide on how to avoid becoming such a victim.
If you believe you may be a victim of other types of Internet fraud, we recommend you visit the Home Office fraud site.
Additional information that may be of use to you can be found on other FAQ's on Computer Crime, Fraud & Financial Scams, Phishing and Premium Rate Dialers.
Question: I believe someone has tried to use my identitiy to apply for credit, where can I find out for sure?
Answer: There are a number of website where you can find out: Equifax, Experian and CallCredit, all offer this service for a nominal fee. Alternatively you can obtain an online credit report for free from Annual Credit Report.
Question: What can I do to protect myself from becoming a victim of Identity Theft?
Answer: Follow these steps:
- Keep Windows up to date, either by ensuring that you have the Automatic Updates option enabled or by paying regular visits to the Window Update Website. This helps protect your PC against any security holes.
- Before submitting your credit card details to a website, ensure it is secure. Look for a padlock icon in the status bar of your browser and check that the site's URL begins with https://.
- If you're sharing a broadband internet connection using a wireless router, ensure that you have WEP enabled to prevent hackers from easily accessing your files.
- Install antivirus and anti-spyware tools and make sure you keep them up to date. Outdated virus and spyware definitions mean you will not be protected against the latest threats.
- Never respond to any email asking you to confirm user names, passwords or bank details.
Page Created: Mon, April 25th, 2005
Page Modified: Fri, December 21st, 2007
