Top Tips To Stop Chrismas Fraud

By MoneyhighStreet Staff. Published on December 23, 2006 This post currently has no comments.

Father Christmas

Christmas may be a time of giving, but the last thing you want to
give is your identity to fraudsters. Increased spending, travelling,
and socialising during the festive season result in many people
letting their guard down, meaning opportunities for thieves to steal
their identities are increased.

CreditExpert has identified the top high risk area of the festive
season and the Top Do’s and Don’ts when it comes
to protecting your self against identity theft this Christmas:

Don’t ever let anyone see your PIN when you are using a
cash machine or in-store card reader – It is easy to get
absorbed in your Christmas shopping, but don’t become so
focused that you fail to notice a shoulder surfer jotting down your
PIN number. Check the actual machines carefully too – in worst
case scenarios thieves can position devices that copy or eat your
card, you can never be too careful.
Don’t let you’re credit card go out of your sight
whilst making payments – When eating out, don’t let
the waiter take your card away, even for a short period; ask for the
card processor to be brought up to your table or if you can pay on
the way out, this can prevent your account details being copied –
you don’t want a thief to enjoy a very merry Christmas all at
your expense.
Avoid leaving your rubbish unattended – Make sure your
trash bags aren’t seen as present sacks by thieves. During
the Christmas period, rubbish bin collection times will tend to
vary, shredding any sensitive information and making sure your
rubbish isn’t sitting outside for longer than it has to is
advisable.
Take steps if your usual Christmas cards don’t arrive,
don’t ignore it. Communal halls in flats give unscrupulous
parties the perfect opportunity to intercept or redirect your mail.
If you’ve moved home recently, your cards may be opened by the
new occupant at your old address. Also, visiting family or taking an
Xmas holiday can mean that your post is left unopened and unchecked,
or even worse – hanging out of the letterbox. To a fraudster
this is like an invitation for them to harvest your personal
details.
Be careful when sending cheques by post– We all love
receiving money in the post, but be careful when sending cheques to
friends and family. They not only contain your title, name and bank
account details, but also your personal signature; if a fraudster
intercepts one of your cheques in the post, they could use this
information in all means of fraudulent ways.
Don’t stray from your normal financial routine –
Even if your travelling away from home or feeling all the more
relaxed during the Festive period, you should still take the time to
check your bank statements, important documents and your credit
report to ensure you haven’t fallen victim to identity
thieves.
And finally, go easy on the sherry! – Increased alcohol
consumption and heavy parting through the Christmas season might
make you less vigilant about protecting your personal property.
Remember that not everybody in the bar, club or restaurant may be
totally honest, avoid leaving your belongings unattended and giving
away any personal information to stranger, or where you may be over
heard. You could lose more than your taxi fare home, if someone
swipes your bag, coat or wallet.

Tips to Beat the Fraudsters:

Let your bank, lenders and the police know if your wallet or bag
is stolen – They can stop anybody else using your
accounts, give you vital emergency access to the cash you’ll
need and help you to track down the criminals before they have a
chance to trash your credit rating or clear out your life saving
bank account.
Go through your bank and credit card statements thoroughly
–You may not know that your personal identity has been
compromised until you see strange transactions you don’t
recognise on your statements. Tell the relevant lender or bank
immediately and let them know that you are worried your identity has
been stolen.
Shred all your sensitive documents and receipts before consigning
them to the bin– It’s tempting to throw away piles
of papers as you tidy up – but should ensure you shred
anything that shows your personal information, even items with just
your name and address on, before they reach the bin - or better
still safely throw them on the fire.
Be vigilant about your mail – Intercepting post is a
favourite trick of fraudsters, who can easily take out a loan and or
accept card offers this way, make sure you don’t provide them
with all the personal details they need to make a successful
application. Catalogues, showing your account details, are another
favourite way to use your identity to steal from the company
concerned. Always inform the Post Office if you aren’t
receiving post you expect and redirect your mail for at least a year
when moving house.
Check your credit report on a regular basis – The
credit report is a vital part of your ‘financial CV’, it
lists your past and present credit commitments and repayment history
(including credit cards, mortgages and loans). Lenders look at your
credit report when you apply for credit. By checking your report
regularly, you can easily see if somebody is impersonating you and
trying to borrow money in your name.
Ask for assistance – CreditExpert can help you set the
record straight if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of
identity fraud. They will put you in touch with Experian’s
team of fraud specialists, who have already supported 1000’s
of people through the long and stressful process of sorting out the
muddle left by an identity fraudster.

Most of us spend and borrow more than normal so
it’s especially important to monitor our finances. With just a
few personal details, identity fraudsters can steal your identity and
wreak havoc on your credit rating, making your Merry Christmas more
of a nightmare.

“It’s vital for people to check their credit report to
ensure they have not fallen victim to identity fraud. A bad credit
rating can make the difference between being offered a loan or not.
An online monitoring service such as CreditExpert is a simple way to
keep on top of your credit history – and will alert you to any
major changes on your Experian credit report, which is good
protection against identity theft.”