Seven out of ten Welsh folk concerned about ID theft

Seven out of ten Welsh folk are concerned about having their ID stolen but also have a better than average chance of beating fraudsters through knowing how to protect themselves according to MyCallcredit's quarterly ID theft survey.

Its research found that 72.7 per cent of people in Wales were concerned about having their ID stolen compared to 71.5 per cent nationally.

But 74.2 per cent of Welsh people said they should check their credit file regularly to help combat fraudsters compared to 66.9 per cent nationally. And 10 per cent more Welsh people also identified that cancelling unused credit facilities would help to keep them safe.

However, 75.4 per cent of Welsh people were confident they would know if they'd been a victim of ID fraud within the first few weeks compared to 71.8 per cent nationwide. But in reality it can take many months for someone to become aware they have been a victim of identity theft.

MyCallcredit director Alison Nicholson says:

"People in Wales are worried about having their ID stolen but they've also got a head start on the fraudsters as they know what to do to protect themselves.

"It's quite simple to protect yourself from ID thieves if you shred financial documents, cancel unused credit facilities and check your credit file regularly."

Key Findings

• People in Yorkshire and Lancashire are most worried about having their ID stolen with 44 per cent and 43 per cent respectively saying they were very concerned about ID theft compared to a national average of 34.9 per cent and 38.5 per cent in Wales.
• Scots are now the least worried about having their ID stolen with just 24.5 per cent saying they were very concerned compared to 53.1 per cent three months ago.
• Women are more concerned about having their identity stolen than men, 76.6 per cent against 66.4 per cent.
• More than 10 per cent more women than men identified that shredding financial documents would help to prevent ID theft.
• 82.2 per cent of Welsh people identified that shredding financial documents would help to minimise the risk of ID theft compared to a national average of 82.3 per cent.
• 66.9 per cent of people nationally said checking your credit file regularly would minimise the risk of ID fraud compared to 74.2 per cent in Wales.
• 72.4 per cent of Welsh people thought cancelling unused credit and charge cards would reduce the risk of ID theft compared to 62.5 per cent nationally.
• Those aged 55 to 64 were most worried their ID would be stolen with 46.9 per cent saying they were very concerned. Three months ago the group that felt most at risk was aged between 45 and 54.
• Youngsters remained the least concerned about their ID with only 16.2 per cent claiming they were worried compared to 34.9 per cent across all age groups.
• 48 per cent of the population thought they would become aware in a matter of days if their identity had been stolen compared to 47.8 per cent in Wales.
• 19.1 per cent of people in Wales said they were not sure when they'd become aware their identity had been stolen compared to 24.5 per cent nationally.

How to protect yourself from ID fraud

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

Editors Notes

1. The research was carried out by NEMS market research for Callcredit between 4 and 8 October 2005 among a representative sample of 1000 people.
2. A report by personal protection advisers, the CPP Group found that it took 480 days or 16 months to discover identity theft.
3. It can take a typical ID fraud victim 60 hours to prove their innocence (Source CIFAS).