42 million Brits have no idea about ID theft
According to Capital One, 42 million people in the UK have no idea how they can check if their identity has been stolen, while just one in ten knows what procedure to follow if they suspect they have been a victim of ID theft.Even though 41 per cent of people admit they are afraid that their identity could be stolen, millions of people put themselves at risk through their own actions.Some16 million people take no preventative action at all against ID theft, while five million leave important personal information lying out on the kitchen table and 2.5 million throw bank statements away in a legible state. Youngsters in particular exhibit careless behaviour regarding their personal information with55 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds confessing that they do nothing to prevent ID theft.Professor Martin Gill, criminologist from Perpetuity, a research consultancy, commented: "Despite the high awareness of identity theft the research highlights a real need for increased knowledge about how to identify and resolve the problems that result from fraudulent use of someone's identity."Sanjiv Yajnik, principal managing director at Capital One added: "It is concerning how many people we asked had no idea how to tell if their ID had been stolen, or what to do about it if they had unfortunately become a victim."The tell-tale signs of ID theft often include unexplained items appearing on bank and credit card statements, receipt of bills and receipts of goods or services you haven't asked for, being told you are already claiming state benefits you weren't aware of, or being refused a financial service despite having a good credit history."
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