Protect against identity theft – for free

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Richard Catlin

02 November 2011

More than 89,000 people - that’s an average of almost 250 a day - felt at risk of falling victim to identity theft in 2010 as criminals continue to aggressively target innocent consumers.

The figures released by CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention agency, show that cases of impersonation grew by 4.7% in 2010 compared to the previous 12 months. Though this doesn’t come close to the 32% increase witnessed between 2008 and 2009, it continues the worrying upward trend. Identity fraud is rare in the UK, but there can be no doubt that the level of reported cases, and in particular the numbe of people who believe that they may be at risk of being impersonated, is increasing steadily.

The onset of the recession is believed to have been a major contributor to the growth in identity fraud. The natural tightening of lending criteria by banks meant that it became increasingly difficult for fraudsters to obtain credit using constructed identities and so were forced to target ‘real’ people instead. There are fears that whilst the economy remains fragile, criminals will continue to step up their efforts.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming part of the identity fraud statistic.

As a starting point, you can see how likely it is that your identity will be stolen based on your lifestyle, and discover what you can do to minimise the risks by using the Free Identity Theft Check Service on checkmyfile. It'll highlight anything which might leave you vulnerable, and provide plain-speaking advice about how to reduce the risk.

For true peace of mind when it comes to staying protected, you can monitor your credit report online with checkmyfile. The UK’s most detailed credit report, it is free for 30 days and now includes FREE identity theft Protection. Regular checking of your credit report will allow you to spot any early warning signs and will alert you to any potential dangers – such as active credit accounts at a previous address.

Of course, you’ll also be able to make sure that everything held about you on your credit report is correct, and see straight away whether there is anything else that might need your attention, such as a financial association, linked address, or missing electoral roll entry.

All our credit reports contain not 1, but 7 credit scores for free, together with expert support from qualified credit analysts, via freephone, email or secure message.

Our no obligation 30-day trial of Multi-Agency Credit Report Monitoring includes free Identity Theft Assistance. After the trial period, ongoing access to your credit report and scores, as well as the Identity Theft Assistance, costs just £9.99 a month – the best value credit report in the UK.

Monitor Your Credit Report