An Abney Associates Fraud Awareness Program: Fraud soars as Britons fail to protect online identity
09/06-14
The number of confirmed identity fraud
cases increased by 37 per cent between 2012 and 2013, new data reveals.
Analysis
by credit-checking specialist
Experian found that almost 13,000 cases of fraud were confirmed in 2013, with
the biggest increases reported in account takeover fraud, loan fraud and mobile
phone account-related fraud.
Experian
said these increases are linked to the online habits of Britons.
Separate
research into consumer behaviour online suggests that one person in 10 never
changes their passwords and one in 20 uses the same passwords for all of their
online accounts.
With
an average of 19 online accounts each, this could make it easier for fraudsters
to get a hold of valuable information.
Pete
Turner, managing director of Experian Consumer Services, said: "Although
we have witnessed an increase in those seeking support having become victims of
fraud, the good news is that improved fraud detection services are catching
more and more fraudulent credit applications before many suffer financial
loss."
Experian
recommends that consumers always shred financial documentation after use, use
strong passwords when banking online and avoid choosing online passcodes out of
the dictionary.
They
also recommend ensuring that sites are encrypted - indicated by a padlock
symbol - before entering payment details, locking your smartphone's home page
to protect any apps or images with important information, and keeping important
details like birthdays and your mother's maiden name off social
media.
Turner
said: "Fraud is not just about financial loss. If your identity is
compromised it takes on average 246 days to discover you have become a victim
of fraud. That's a long time for a criminal to have and use your identity for
their gain, and potentially harm your reputation and credit rating."