Protect your ID and the community

New figures show the cost of ID theft in the UK is equivalent to 2600 extra police officers a year according to the UK's fraud prevention service (CIFAS).

Figures released by the UK's fraud prevention service, CIFAS, show ID fraud has risen by 7 per cent over the last year at a cost of £300m a year to the economy.

In addition ID fraud costs the Treasury £100m in lost tax revenue, which would pay the salaries of 2600 police officers a year.

Research by MyCallcredit shows seven in ten people say they are concerned about ID fraud, yet more than 10m Britons are leaving themselves open to it by failing to cancel unwanted credit facilities.

MyCallcredit director Alison Nicholson says:

"ID fraud is one of the fastest growing frauds in the UK and it is very distressing for anyone who becomes a victim. Furthermore the research conducted by CIFAS shows that it's also having a financial impact on all of us because the economy and the Treasury are picking up the tab.

"But people can take some very simple measures to protect themselves like cancelling unwanted credit facilities, shredding personal documents and checking their credit file."

How to protect yourself from ID fraud

Shred any personal documents before disposing of them. Be vigilant, log on to HYPERLINK "http://www.mycallcredit.com" www.mycallcredit.com and check your credit file. Write to lenders who are listing a credit facility you don't want and cancel it. Inform the lender when you cut up a card or stop using it.

Editors Notes

Source CIFAS half year fraud trends figures.
A report by personal protection advisers, the CPP Group found that it took, on average, 480 days or 16 months to discover identity theft. It can take a typical ID fraud victim 60 hours to prove their innocence (Source CIFAS).