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Fraud rates up 11% in 2010, reveals Experian

A new report by Experian has shown that identity fraudsters are increasingly applying for loans and credit cards.

Key findings from the Experian report include:

  • A 25% increase in fraudulent current account applications – half of these down to identity fraudsters
  • 7 in every 10,000 loan applications were found to be fraudulent, with identity fraudsters responsible for 60% of these cases
  • Young single people living in shared and rented accommodation from all sections of society are amongst those most targeted
  • London remains the identity fraud capital of the UK, with residents Woolwich and East Ham recording the most incidents per head of population.

To protect yourself against identity fraud, follow these top tips:

  • Don’t throw out anything with your name, address or financial details without shredding it first.
  • If you receive an unsolicited email or phone call from what appears to be your bank or building society asking for your security details, never reveal your full password, login details or account numbers. Most banks will not approach their customers in this manner.
  • If you are concerned about the source of a call, ask the caller to give you a main switchboard number for you to be routed back to them. Alternatively, hang up and call your bank back on the legitimate phone number printed on your bank statements.
  • Check your statements carefully and report anything suspicious to the financial institution concerned.
  • If you’re expecting a bank or credit card statement and it doesn’t arrive, tell your bank or credit card company.
  • Don’t leave things like bills lying around for others to look at.
  • If you move house, always get Royal Mail to redirect your post.
  • Get regular copies of your credit report from a credit reference agency.

An identity protection service such as ProtectMyID monitors your Experian credit report and alerts you by email or SMS to potential fraudulent activity. If it's fraud, a dedicated caseworker will help you resolve everything.

To read more on the report, visit the Experian website.

Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.

To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

See also:
Identity Fraud and Identity Theft
Credit Card Fraud

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