Protect your identity

We’ve all done it: whether it’s absent-mindedly leaving the car unlocked all night or accidentally dropping our wallet in the street, everyone has made a mistake that could lead to theft.

Most people are lucky enough not to suffer; the crimes that exploit a lapse in concentration are by their nature opportunistic and statistically speaking you’re likely to get away with it.

But there’s a new crime in town; one that specifically seeks out and exploits the occasional slip in our personal security.

Identity theft takes many forms and is as much a danger in the everyday world of shops, dustbins and petrol stations as in the virtual world of email scams and hackers.

Join us as we explain the risks and offer some practical common-sense tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.

We also have step-by-step guides to the most important security measures for your PC.

First, within this feature we have provided a free tool that will defend your PC from spyware ­ a type of malicious software that monitors how a PC is used and sends back data that can be of use to criminals who specialise in ID theft.

The value of personal data
ID theft is an insidious crime and at its worst the consequences can be felt for years.

It involves somebody obtaining information that enables them to pass themselves off as you; they can then order goods and services, commit fraud, apply for a passport, register a vehicle, obtain a credit card… the list goes on.

When the card limit is reached, the car traced for road tax evasion or the bill arrives for a champagne lifestyle, trouble knocks on your door. Afterall, the actions were taken in your name and the authorities have the records to prove it.

Information of interest to identity thieves includes anything with your name, address and any account numbers on. Credit card bills are a favourite but any domestic bills will do.

The theft of personal identification numbers (PINs) for credit cards occurs every day at cash machines around the country; various scams have been uncovered at petrol stations and restaurants where card numbers and the security number on the back of the card are simply written down (this is called ‘skimming’) and used to order expensive items (‘card-not-present’ fraud).

Those with shared access to their home, such as in flats, can find new debit cards and their PINs going missing, or routine utility bills swiped for the information they contain.

It’s amazing what information people will happily hand over to strangers, especially when people call in person or on the phone claiming to be from the water company.

Compared with the everyday world, opportunities for ID theft online are relatively limited. There are two main types of internet-based ID theft: the first is technical in nature and involves spyware that can be used to commit a broad range of crimes.

Our mini-Workshop (see the link at the end of this feature) shows you how to install and use the very latest version of Webroot’s Spysweeper software to root out spyware and defend your PC against it in future.

The second type is what the police describe as an old crime committed using new tools: confidence tricks. Like all con tricks, internet swindles target the naïve and the greedy.

People still fall for the Nigerian email scam, where a fraudster poses as a respectable figure and promises a share of a fortune to the kind soul who will permit him to place it in their bank account as he moves to the country.

He’ll need your account number and internet banking password, of course.

Then there are the wonders of winning the online lottery; usually a lottery the person hasn’t entered and for which the organiser needs to confirm your bank details in order to deposit your winnings.

These are the clear signals of a criminal who wants to empty, not fill, your account and then use the details to assume your identity.

Another well-known example is the email that prompts you to ‘confirm’ account details to your online bank.

Detecting ID theft
Unlike most fraud, ID theft becomes apparent only when the bills arrive. You should check debit and credit card statements carefully to check that you made all the transactions.

Often ID thieves will use a stolen card number to purchase a small item first to prove it is valid. Call the bank to discuss unfamiliar transactions and direct debits immediately.

Shared post boxes or hallways leave post vulnerable ­ if you are expecting a new card ask the bank whether you can arrange to collect it from the branch.

Another group at particular risk is those who have moved house; if you are moving, contact the bank formally to give the new address and date of moving.

You can pay for mail to be redirected from your old address for up to one year ­ it costs from £7.10 per month and you can find details at http://tinyurl.com/2qmm2r.

In an example of the depths to which ID thieves will sink, even the identity of recently deceased people is not safe.

Families understandably take some time to close the affairs of loved ones who have passed away and opportunistic crooks can take advantage of this.

You can register bereavements at www.deceasedpreferenceservice.co.uk and prevent thoughtless direct mail as well as crime.

The Home Office’s advice website (www.identity-theft.org.uk) suggests that you check your credit worthiness regularly. This service is available from credit agencies such as those listed in the box on page 17 for about £2.

You should certainly check your credit history if you have moved house in the past year or if you have been the victim of a crime, such as a mugging or other loss of personal details. In this case you can go one better and register with the Cifas Protective Registration service (www.cifas.org.uk).

It costs £11.75 and will delay all applications for credit in your name.

That may be a trifle inconvenient but nobody will be able to obtain services, goods or documents in your name without confirmation from you.

Common sense rules
Here’s the golden rule to remember for all online activities: respectable companies do not contact you by email and ask to ‘confirm’ any sort of details. If such an email arrives, bin it.

If you want to check whether the company has something to say to you, call them.

A similar rule applies to phone contact, although companies are making it much more difficult for consumers in this area.

Several Computeractive staff have been called by their bank and asked to supply information, such as full postal address to identify themselves.

Our response was to refuse and then call the bank to see if it really was the source of the call ­ and to chide them for being irresponsible.

People are generally lulled into a false sense of security by officialdom; be wary when asked to provide or confirm personal details at any time, whether online, over the phone or in person.

Ask why the information is required and where possible call the organisation on an officially published number rather than responding to the caller.

Don’t follow links in emails, particularly those asking you to ‘confirm’ details.

Bills and other documents should be disposed of carefully ­ you don’t need to buy a shredder, although they are available from as little as £10.

Just develop a technique for ripping up documents so that account numbers and your name and address are unreadable.

Thieves are unlikely to sift through bins and then trying to paste ripped bills back together. As we’ve already discovered, there are much easier ways.

Disposal of computers or storage devices needs thought, too.

If you discard or donate a PC to a charity or someone else, it’s important to erase the hard disk. To do so, you will need a data-shredding application, such as Eraser.

You should also give thought to the kind of information you reveal about yourself in online forums, chat rooms and social networking sites.

Don’t list postal addresses or telephone numbers ­ and be sure that any younger household members with access to the PC understand this too.

Make sure your computer is protected in the three crucial ways: a firewall, some anti-virus tools and an anti-spyware utility.

Finally
Don’t have nightmares
There’s no doubting that ID theft is on the rise and that anyone can become a victim; each of the techniques revealed in this feature has been personally experienced by members of the Computeractive staff or their friends and family.

But it’s important not to allow the wave of negative publicity about ID theft to stop you living a normal life. Crime is a constant and we’ve always needed to be on guard against criminals.

With the advice here, some common sense and the help of the five free security applications on offer from Computeractive, you can stop the ID thieves in their tracks.

Rid your PC of spyware: Click here to access this mini Workshop

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