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How to protect personal information
By admin | October 25, 2008
Fraudsters commit identity fraud by stealing your personal information. This can include your full name, date of birth, place of birth and debit and credit card numbers. The starting point for fraudsters is often your dustbin - rubbish is checked for discarded personal information. Another method used by fraudsters is to make contact with you pretending to be from a legitimate organisation and requesting personal details. Your identity and personal details are valuable to criminals. Keep them safe.
Basic tips on how to keep personal information secure
- Regularly get a copy of your personal credit file from a credit reference agency to find out which financial companies have accessed your personal details.
- If you live in a house where other people can access your mail, you need to be particularly careful. If you are concerned that your mail is not secure, you could arrange for sensitive items such as credit and debit cards to be delivered to your local branch or office.
- Never put sensitive documents in your dustbin. Always use a paper shredder or burn them.
- If you suspect your letters are going missing or being stolen, contact the Royal Mail Customer Enquiry Line: 08457 740 740. It’s possible that your mail is being re-directed without your permission.
- If you have moved, tell your bank, debit and credit card issuers and all other important financial organisations that you deal with immediately. Ask the Royal Mail to redirect any letters from your old house to your address for at least a year after you have moved house.
- If you are getting a lot of junk mail, you could consider the Mailing Preference Service to limit the amount of junk mail that you receive.
Topics: Identity Theft Fraud Protection |
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