if you read one article about uk fraud facts don't be a victim, read this one
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Don't be a victim of fraud! Don't be a statistic and protect your important documents. see original article: http://www.theofficesuppliessupermarket.com/articles/if-you-read-one-article-about-uk-fraud-facts-dont-be-a-victims-read-this-oneTRANSCRIPT
If You Read One Article About Uk Fraud Facts Dont Be a Victim, Read this One
Identity fraud affects many people nowadays, and anybody, including businesses, can fall victim.
If you discover that your identity has been stolen, it’s not just problematic, it can also completely ruin people’s finances and reputation, so ensure you don’t become a victim of identity fraud.
The latest research indicates that nearly a quarter (24%) of all Brits have experienced identity fraud in one way or another, which is the largest population percentage in the whole of Europe.
In addition, another three quarters of UK citizens have been exposed to identity theft scams.
It is the fastest growing crime in the UK, and although most of us are aware of the risks, many businesses and people still do not take necessary precautions to protect themselves or their companies.
SO WHAT ARE THE FACTS ON UK FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT?
UK Fraud Statistics
According to the UK Stop Identity Fraud website:
A staggering 24% of Brits have fallen victim to identity fraudsters, which is more than any other country in Europe
It takes UK fraud victims 7 months on average to notice that they have become an identity fraud victim and a further 3.4 months to resolve the problem. In many more cases however it can take years to sort out an ID fraud problem
25% of Brits believe that it is likely they will one day be an ID fraud victim
75% of UK citizens have been exposed to ID fraud scams
A whopping 63% of ID fraud victims in the UK have suffered some form of financial loss
On average, identity fraud in the UK costs victims £1,076 pp – one case however saw a staggering financial loss of £30k
87% of Brits keep personal data on paper 47% of those who keep personal data on paper do not shred paper
containing sensitive data before throwing it away – 18% say this is because they don’t have a shredder and 18% think it’s because tearing up their sensitive documents is adequate to protect themselves
How Can I Protect Myself?
The most important thing to remember is to ensure that all documentation containing sensitive or personal information is kept locked away, and if you throw anything away, make sure you use a shredder to shred up the documentation.
Tearing up documents with your personal data is not safe and will not protect you from ID fraud.
As the UK ID Fraud Prevention website says, ‘Use Your Head…Shred’ and this is the most effective way to ensure that you do not get your identity stolen from inadequately disposed of paperwork.
You can see some tips on shredding to protect your identity here.
It is also helpful to obtain copies of your credit information regularly to ensure nobody has been using your information to obtain credit, and ensure your password is secure on websites where you store personal information.
It can also help to have internet security installed to warn you of any malicious software or phishing software trying to retrieve data from your computer.
