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If you have become a victim of fraud or identity theft, don't panic! There is help and advice available. You will not normally be liable for debts accrued by a fraudster using your identity, but it is down to you as the victim to sort out the mess caused by them.
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Other useful links
Case studies
How fraudsters work
Glossary of fraud terms
Protective Registration
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It is unlikely that you have been targeted personally. Experience suggests that fraudsters target their victims at random and move on once they discover they can't get any more credit in their name.
If you are a victim - act quickly! The following tips advise you on how to go about fixing the damage done by the fraudster and how to avoid becoming a victim again.
Tips
- If any of your cards (credit or debit cards, charge cards, cheque guarantee cards) or cheques are lost or stolen, inform the issuer as soon as possible. Follow up telephone calls with written notification.
- If you receive bills or statements that are addressed to you but you know don't belong to you, contact the organisations concerned as soon as possible to alert them to the fraud.
- If you see transactions on your statements that aren't yours, tell the relevant organisations, for example your bank or building society, immediately.
- Request a copy of your credit file/report from the credit reference agencies - Experian, Equifax and Callcredit - to check the extent of the fraudster's activity.
- Among other data, your credit file will show all credit accounts opened in your name, plus any recent applications for credit made using your details. If you spot any accounts or applications you did not make, contact the organisation straight away and request they remove the data from your credit file. You may request a note be added to your credit file to state you have been the victim of identity theft. Some credit reference agencies offer services dedicated to victims of identity fraud and will contact the organisations involved on your behalf.
- If you believe you are a victim of identity fraud which has involved the use of plastic cards (such as credit and debit cards), online banking, or cheques, the matter should be reported by the account holder (you) directly to the financial institution concerned. They will then be responsible for undertaking further verification and investigation, and, as appropriate, reporting cases of criminal activity directly to the police where they will be recorded and subsequent investigation considered. These changes to the reporting of plastic card, online banking and cheque fraud were introduced by the Home Office on 1 April 2007, following discussion with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the financial sector, to reduce the level of bureaucracy involved in fraud recording, and to streamline the reporting and initial investigation of such frauds. Where the incident has not involved the use of plastic cards, online banking or cheques then you should report the matter to the relevant organisation in the first instance and, depending on their advice, to your local police station.
- Keep a record of everything! Recovering from identity theft can be a long and complicated process, so make sure that you: keep copies of all correspondence and note who you have spoken to and when; send all letters by recorded or special delivery and keep track of how much time you spend dealing with the problem.
- Consider the CIFAS Protective Registration service to guard against further impersonation attempts. The service works by registering your details on the CIFAS database to make our Members aware of the problems you are experiencing. Once registered, any applications received by our Members using your address will be checked to confirm they are genuine, and not from a third party attempting an impersonation.
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