Symptoms

There are many kinds of identity theft crimes and symptoms include:

• You don’t get bills or other correspondence; anything that suggests an identity thief has given a different address in place of your own.
• Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply.
• Denial of credit for no apparent reason.
• Receiving calls from debt collectors or companies about things you didn’t buy.
• You apply for a loan or other credit with a good credit history and you are turned down.
• You check your credit history (see below for details on how to do this) and you see entries that you don’t recognise.
• You think you may have inadvertently entered credit card or bank details into a phishing site.
• You have recently lost or had stolen important documents such as your passport or driving licence.

Immediate actions

Documents (e.g. passport, driving licence)

• Report all lost or stolen documents, (passports, driving licences, credit cards, chequebooks, etc) as soon as possible.
• Passport: UK Passport Service.
• Driving Licence: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Bank or credit card information

• Ask your bank or credit card company for advice.
• Do not continue to use a compromised PIN number.
• Get new cards, account numbers, passwords and PIN numbers.
• Report cheque and credit card fraud to the local police.
• The Bank Safe Online website has additional advice and an email advice line.
• Ask your bank to freeze internet access to your bank account.
• Monitor bank and credit card statements for unusual transactions.

Online identity (e.g. auction site password)

• Consider contacting ecommerce and online auction sites and ask them to freeze your accounts.

Action Fraud is the new place to report fraud 

• Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre.
• If you’ve been scammed, ripped off or conned, there is something you can do about it. Speak to Action Fraud.
• If online shopping fraud has cost you money, call them now.
• If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, please get in touch.
• It is possible to beat fraud if we talk.
• Early recognition of fraud can be vital, so no matter whether you think you’ve been a victim of fraud or you just want to know how to protect yourself, this is the place to start.
• Action Fraud is a central point of contact to call and get help if you’ve been a victim of fraud.

To use the online reporting tool click     

To call and report a fraud Tel: 0300 123 20 40

In all cases

• Follow up telephone calls with written notification.
• Check with credit reference agencies (see below) for any unusual entries and advice.
• Notify the Royal Mail if you suspect mail theft or that a mail redirection has been fraudulently set up on your address.
• Consider registering with the CIFAS Protective Registration Service.

Check your credit history

If an identity thief is opening new credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. There are three main agencies in the UK that produce credit reports and you can get a copy of your report for a few pounds. Additional protection and expedited service costs a little more and charges vary from company to company.

• Experian.
• Callcredit.
• Equifax.

How much will I lose?

There is no compensation for the time required to sort out a case of identity theft. However, if you act promptly and reasonably you can limit the financial cost.  Some banks and credit companies offer additional protection against identity theft and you should check the terms and conditions of the services you use.

Credit cards

Under the UK Banking Code, if someone else uses your card before you tell your card issuer it has been lost or stolen or that someone else knows your PIN, the most you will have to pay, in theory, is £50.

In practice the bank or building society will usually refund the full amount lost providing you were not negligent in some way.

If your card details are used fraudulently but you still have the card in your possession you will not be liable to pay for any part of the losses.

Banks

Banks are committed to keeping their customers’ money safe and will protect customers from internet fraud as long as they have acted with reasonable care. Customers must also take sensible precautions so that they are not vulnerable.

Further information

• Bank Safe Online.
• The Home Office's Identity Fraud Steering Committee website.