07
August
2006
|
00:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Midlanders say police not responsible for ID theft

Midlanders are the least likely region in the UK to look to the police to protect them from ID thieves according to research from online credit report service MyCallcredit.

When asked 72 per cent of people in the Midlands said they were concerned about ID theft compared to a national average of 74 per cent.

And 75.3 per cent of people said it was their own responsibility to protect themselves from ID thieves.

But 20.1 per cent said the main responsibility fell to lenders while only 4.6 per cent - the lowest across the country - said the police bore the brunt of responsibility for protecting them from ID theft.

Despite the concern about ID theft in the Midlands only 24 per cent of people correctly identified that their risk of becoming a victim was one in 1000, the remainder drastically underestimated the likelihood they would become a victim of ID theft.

Callcredit director Mel Mitchley says:

"It's quite right that people should take the main responsibility for protecting themselves from ID thieves but lenders and the police are also working hard to make life harder for these criminals.

It's only with a concerted effort from all parties that we'll be able to combat this growing fraud. We just need to make sure that the message about how to protect yourself and what indicators there are that your ID has been stolen continues to get through to people."

Key Findings
  • 72 per cent of Midlanders are concerned about ID theft compared to 74 per cent nationwide.
  • 68.7 per cent of people who live in the Midlands say they know how to protect themselves from ID theft against an average of 70.1 per cent.
  • 4.6 per cent of Midlanders say the police bear the main responsibility for protecting them from ID theft compared to 7.5 per cent nationally.
  • 20.1 per cent of people in the Midlands say it is the responsibility of lenders against a national average of 16.9 per cent and 75.3 per cent say it is down to the individual.
  • Men are more likely than women to think lenders bear the main responsibility for protecting us against ID theft, 23.3 per cent against 14.2 per cent.
  • Women are more likely to rely on themselves for protection against ID theft than men, 77.4 per cent against 70.3 per cent.
  • Only 24 per cent of people in the Midlands correctly identified that their chance of becoming a victim of ID theft was one in 1000, the lowest in the country.
  • Young people aged between 16 to 24 are more aware of the risk of ID theft than any other age group with 42 per cent correctly identifying that the risk of having their ID stolen is in one in 1000.
  • Pensioners over the age of 65 are the most likely to underestimate their risk of falling victim to ID theft with 26.2 per cent saying the chances are one in 15000.
  • Pensioners are also most likely to say they are not concerned about having their ID stolen, 35 per cent against a national average of 23.2 per cent.
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 guidelines people can protect themselves from all types of impersonation fraud and minimise the time and hassle involved in restoring their credit file to its correct state.

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 and sign up to a service which alerts you to any changes on your credit file - often the first indication you will have that a fraudster has got hold of your ID.
Editors notes
  1. The research was carried out among 1003 people for MyCallcredit by NEMS Market Research between 3 and 9 August 2006.