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Burglars, muggers and car thieves are as interested in your personal papers and documents as they are your TV, jewellery or stereo. They can be sold on or used in impersonation attempts.
How secure are your documents?
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Other useful links
The scammer
Scam types
Avoid being a victim
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Remember, post can be intercepted or stolen and your post will contain a multitude of important documents. And, in the past even, fraudsters have been known to use stolen mail to pose as their victim and request their credit file/report from a credit reference agency. The agencies now make extensive checks before sending out credit files to reduce the possibility of this happening, but you yourself can take several steps to ensure you are doing all you can to remove the window of opportunity for the fraudster.
Studies conducted by Experian have shown that the public still discard documents that a fraudster could re-use - bank and credit card statements, utility bills - indeed, anything showing your name and address. Our everyday rubbish offers a wealth of information.
Avoid falling prey to the opportunist:
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Do not just bin it! Strange as it may sound, fraudsters have taken to raiding rubbish bins in search of useful documents thrown out by unwitting householders.
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Shred anything that could be of use to fraudsters (even envelopes bearing your name and address).
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One North London Authority discovered that homeless people were being paid upwards of £5 by fraudsters for each document they found in the rubbish.
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Fraudsters may not even need to come to your home to get hold of your personal information. By looking over your shoulder, fraudsters can capture personal details. You may be filling out an application form in a shop or business, using your PIN number to pay for goods or discussing your personal details over the phone in a public place. This is commonly known as ‘Shoulder Surfing’. Always make sure you are not revealing this information in public.
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Fraudsters also target debit or credit card receipts discarded or left behind. Many receipts show a full (or part) card or account number, and may also still show your signature.
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