ID theft doesn't phase Yorkshire folk

People who live in Yorkshire are concerned about ID theft and are among the most confident when it comes to knowing exactly how to protect themselves according to the latest research from online credit monitoring service MyCallcredit.

Its quarterly ID theft research suggests that a government campaign highlighting the fastest growing type of fraud in the UK and how to combat the ID fraudsters is getting through to the people of Yorkshire - although there is room for improvement.

MyCallcredit director Alison Nicholson says:

"People who live in Yorkshire are less likely than average to have their ID stolen but it's the fastest growing fraud in the UK and the more people know about it and what to do to combat these criminals the better.

By taking a few simple steps, shredding personal documents, cancelling unused credit facilities and checking their credit files regularly, everyone in Yorkshire can protect themselves from fraudsters, only then can we begin to claw back the £1.3bn ID theft costs the UK economy each year."

Key Points

• Leeds is the ID theft hotspot of Yorkshire although the incidence of ID theft in all Yorkshire cities falls below the UK average.
• 73.6 per cent of Yorkshire folk say they are concerned about ID theft now, in July last year 82.4 per cent claimed they were concerned and in October last year 70.3 per cent expressed concern.
• Across the UK as a whole 73.4 per cent of people say they are concerned about ID theft.
• The number of people who live in Yorkshire who say they know exactly how to protect themselves from ID thieves rose from 17 per cent in July last year to 23.7 per cent in October and dropped back to 19.7 per cent now.
• 16.1 per cent of people across the UK say they know exactly how to protect themselves from ID thieves.
• When prompted 86.9 per cent of Yorkshire folk correctly said that shredding personal documents before throwing them away would help in the fight against ID thieves compared to 83.8 per cent nationally.
• 71.9 per cent of the residents of Yorkshire said they would know in a matter of weeks if they'd become a victim of ID thieves, in reality it can take many months before the crime comes to light.
• 25.3 per cent of Yorkshire folk admitted they didn't know when they'd become aware they'd been a victim of ID theft.

What is ID theft

• ID theft is an all encompassing term for different types of fraud committed in another person's name.
• The most common type of fraud involves someone stealing your card details and using them to make purchases or withdraw cash.
• But it can also be when someone takes over your identity completely and applies for loans, mortgages, passports or a driving license in your name.
• By following our simple guidelines people can protect themselves from all types of impersonation fraud and minimise the hassle and losses incurred if they are unlucky enough to fall prey to fraudsters.

How to protect yourself from ID thieves

• Shred personal documents before disposing of them.
• Cancel unused credit facilities.
• Don't give personal information to anyone, however legitimate they may seem, without first confirming who they are and why they want the information.
• Check your credit file regularly to see what information is held about you.
• Be vigilant and check your financial statements.

Editors notes

1. Research by MyCallcredit, which compared the number of recorded incidences of ID theft by postcode as a percentage of the population based on Census figures, provided the city and town analysis.
2. The attitudes to ID theft research was carried out for MyCallcredit by NEMS market research among 1050 adults between 3 and 8 January 2006.