IDENTITY FRAUD STATISTICS - ONE IN THREE BRITONS RISKS IDENTITY THEFT WHEN MOVING HOME

Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of people in the UK are leaving themselves open to identity fraud when they move home by failing to re-direct their post, according to research released today by identity fraud protection service CreditExpert.co.uk from Experian®. Of the three quarters of movers (76 per cent) who re-direct their post, at least one in ten (11 per cent) is still at risk of identity fraud by leaving personal documents behind.

Identity fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK, and moving home is one of the key events that put people at risk. Almost half (43 per cent) of identity fraud cases in the UK have occurred at a previous address.

Despite this, the CreditExpert.co.uk research shows a huge number of people leave behind key personal information when they move, which can be used to commit identity fraud. These include mail order catalogues addressed to them (11 per cent), personal mail / letters (nine per cent or 9%) and even bank statements and utility bills (2 per cent). Over one in four people (44 per cent) have left behind furniture and household accessories when moving house, with over a quarter (28 per cent) also forgetting to pack electrical goods and appliances. A small number have even left behind their pets, including cats, goats and fish – although no dogs.

If you are worried that you may have left behind personal information and could be at risk from identity fraud, a credit monitoring service, such as CreditExpert.co.uk, will alert you to any changes to your credit report, so you can take any necessary action as soon as possible. Another advantage of this particular monitoring service is that it is free for the first 30 days.

A good alternative to CreditExpert.co.uk for identity fraud protection is to purchase the unlimited access report from Checkmyfile.com. This will provide access to the credit reporting data from all three credit reference agencies, thus ensuring that you have all bases for identity fraud protection covered. It's also worth noting that this alternative credit monitoring service works out cheaper in the long run.

The Credit Agency's Top Tips for preventing identity fraud when moving house:
1. Re-direct your post as soon as you move - this will ensure your mail will not go to your previous address and cannot be intercepted
2. Buy a shredder – shred any personal documents before placing them in the bin
3. Inform your credit card companies, bank and other financial organisations you have a relationship with (e.g. catalogues) that you have moved – and make sure they update their systems
4. Register with the Mailing Preference Service at your old address
5. Sign up to a credit monitoring service to keep tabs on your credit report and receive alerts if anyone fraudulently applies for credit using your identity

Click here to sign up for the CreditExpert Monitoring Service where you will receive a 30-day free trial to their credit monitoring in addition to receiving a copy of your credit report.

Alternatively, you can click this link to get unlimited access to your credit information from all 3 credit reference agencies (Callcredit, Equifax & Experian) at Checkmyfile.com.

If you have any questions regarding identity fraud protection, feel free to email us at: info@thecreditagency.co.uk