Make sure you don't lose more than your wellies….

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Lisa Maskell

17 June 2008

As many horrors as there are out there for us ladies, getting your purse stolen has to be high on our list.

Especially at any big gathering at festivals or other summer events in overcrowded places, there is always a high risk of theft. When you’re likely to be spending your time staying in a tent, where security is low or non-existent, you don’t want to lose more than your wellies in the dirt, in particular letting your purse get into the hands of some little scrote.

Ignoring the fact that your purse is likely to contain your favourite lip gloss, your keys and mobile phone with ALL of your numbers in, it’s also likely to have all of your cash and cards, and perhaps some have a high amount of unused credit available on them.

So ladies, tip number one, if you are going to be attending any festivals this year, set your tent as far from the central area as possible – the more central camping areas tend to have more theft.

Tip number two, don’t leave anything valuable in your tent – use the free lockers provided if you can.

Tip number three, don't take all of your store cards and credit cards with you on a weekend away. Get your cash out before you go and if you need to, take an emergency card AND have some money kept somewhere separate from your purse.

Tip number four, if the contents of your purse, including your driving licence, are stolen, be aware that the thief has all the information they need to steal your identity. We advise that a driving licence is NEVER carried in a purse, at any time, anywhere. If a nice policeman stops you and asks for your driving licence, and you haven’t got it on you, he will give you a form HORT1 which will allow you to present it at a police station of your choice within the next 7 days. Far better that inconvenience than the alternative of unravelling the terrible results of identity fraud.

And final tip number 5, get yourself a free identity theft check from checkmyfile and in just a minute or so we’ll give you personalised advice on how to reduce the chances of you falling victim to identity fraud. Most things we recommend you do won’t cost you a penny.