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Just when many analysts had come to terms with the 3.5% rise in retail sales in May and the fact this did not seem correct, June has seen a fall of 3.9% in sales – the worst fall in 22 years. The...
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Friday 20th July 2007
Every day 93 per cent of the UK population, that's 46 million people, go out with enough information on them to allow somebody to steal their identity.
This frightening statistic from Capital One highlights just how easy it is to become a victim of identity fraud - the personal details from paperwork like driving licenses and bank statements can put you at a greater risk if thieves get their hands on them.
According to Capital One, of the 43.5 million people who carry around credit and/or debit cards, 24.5 million also carry a driving license and one million carry old bank statements which, should they lose their wallet, puts them at a very high risk of identity theft.
Professor Martin Gill, a criminologist at the University of Leicester said: "Identity theft is a serious issue, and one that can leave us exposed to a range of crimes.
"Would-be thieves only need a few snippets of information to start stealing an identity.
"By getting hold of personal information such as our address, bank details and date of birth a canny criminal can begin to create chaos within a matter of hours - applying for credit cards, securing loans, buying a mobile phone, applying for benefits for example - all under the stolen identity."
Around 100, 000 people are affected by identity theft every year, with a cost £1.3 billion per year.
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