Beware of identity theft

Published 15 Oct 2009 09:00 0 Comments

The case of an Enniskillen businessman who has been made aware that a fraudster has been impersonating him is a wake-up call for us all.

Identity theft is something that could happen to any of us. A binned bill with your full name and address or a bank statement getting into the wrong hands could make your life very difficult indeed.

The businessman was shocked to discover that the fraudster had managed to get hold of his telephone statement and that he had also made calls to his banks and other businesses.

He suspects that the fraudster got his details out of a fake magazine he had advertised with.

While that situation may not happen to the average person, all of us needs to be extremely careful when storing or disposing of personal information such a bank or building society accounts, passports, driving licences and credit card statements. Police warn that if moving house remember to have your mail redirected and the relevant people informed of your change of address. Identify theft is a serious matter and people should review how they look after records of their personal details and should never disclose such information to any unauthorised people or callers, they would warn.

The message is to be careful what you do with your personal information and who you give it to.

And when disposing of sensitive documents with your name and address on them, it is best to destroy or shred them so that they cannot be read again.

The reason why your personal documents are so important is that these can be used to set up bogus accounts with credit card companies or mobile phone companies in the name of the defrauded person. The fraudster may then benefit from the services without paying a penny with the bill in the name of the defrauded individual.

Look after your documents if you don't wish to endure the "weeks of hell" endured by the Enniskillen businessman.

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This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 15 Oct 09

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