Avoiding Identity Theft

One of the fastest-growing crimes in the world, in some part due to advances in technologies both to attack and defend against fraud, identity theft occurs when an individual uses another person's information to gain access to their finances. Here, we take a closer look at some of the best ways to avoid identity theft from happening, and what protections you can put in place:

Passwords

It's vital you always use strong passwords with eight characters or more. They should have both numbers and special characters, as this will provide a much higher level of security and protection against the risk of identity theft. Changing your passwords frequently and keeping them secret will further enhance your protection.

Anti-Virus Software

Using antivirus and anti-malware software daily will protect your computer from nasty viruses or spyware. Equally, you should avoid any software that claims to be a game or a screensaver or wants to collect information about you for "marketing purposes", as these are often programs that will include spyware.

Check Your Credit Score

Checking your credit score at least once a year will help you keep tabs on all of your credit activity, so you can subsequently identify inconsistencies, unknown purchases or inaccuracies that may have been carried out by someone else. When checking your credit history, we recommend using a trusted credit score site such as Experian.

Shred Your Documents

When it comes to documents that contain personal information on them, such as credit card receipts, bills, junk mail and more, it's essential that you shred or destroy them. Any documentation that contains personal information, from your address to financial accounts that aren't correctly disposed of, can be later targeted by fraudsters to gain access to your finances.



Stay Hidden

It's important to never reveal personal or sensitive information about yourself or your financial accounts over the phone or email without complete knowledge of security that you are in direct contact with your bank or building society. Phishing is extremely common and unknown emails or phone calls from individuals claiming to be speaking on behalf of your bank, may not be who they say they are, and instead may be seeking to steal your personal information. In similar terms, you should avoid posting personal information about yourself online or on social media, like birthdays, places of birth or family members' names, as this information can easily be found by search engines and used for identity theft.

At Lefevre Litigation, we have the knowledge and experience to help you deal with all types of fraud charges, in a manner that will help you to obtain the best possible outcome for your particular case and circumstances. If you are accused of fraud in this part of the United Kingdom, we urge you to get in touch with us without delay.