5 key tips to protect your personal information

Identity theft has undoubtedly become a key challenge to the general public which is increasing. According to CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention agency, identity fraud increased by 31% during the first three months of 2015 and following these figures the City of London Police have provided 5 key tips for the public to protect their personal information from fraudsters.

Firstly, it is advised to be wary of who you are giving personal information to and how you do so, such as giving personal information to strangers, covering your pin at cashpoints and minimising the information you provide to websites.

Secondly, it is important to create varying and complex passwords for all of your accounts to minimise the risk of your passwords being cracked.

Furthermore, storing and disposing personal documents safely is suggested in order to prevent fraudsters getting hold of important documents and stealing your mail.

The fourth tip from the City of London Police is to not respond to unsolicited phone calls or emails asking for your personal details. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of the call, it is notable that banks or the police will never ask for your PIN.

Finally, in order to protect your personal devices that are connected to the internet, installing and updating internet security software is vital in blocking hackers and viruses, and make sure they are all password protected.

Research with offenders has shown that there are many ways offenders can steal your personal information, such as through the internet and social media or even offenders raiding bins in search of important documents, so the public need to protect themselves as much as possible against these threats.

There are lots of ways offenders get information and we really need to be aware of them and not make it easy.”
Professor Martin Gill, Director of Perpetuity Research

To read more more about our work on identity fraud click here

Furthermore, if you want to listen to an interview with Professor Martin Gill on how to prevent identity theft, please click here