Stolen wallets 'used for identity theft'
Published On 20 July 2007
New research suggests that lost wallets in the UK could contain enough data for a criminal to carry out identity theft against the owner.Capital One found that 93 per cent of the UK population are risking identity fraud by carrying items like credit cards, driving licences, payslips and businesses cards together in their wallets.
The research found that 43.5 million people carry credit and debit cards in their wallet, 24.5 million also keep their driving licence there and 23.5 million carry old receipts.
A further one million consumers keep bank statements in their wallet and four million people leave medical records there.
"Identity theft is a serious issue, and one that can leave us exposed to a range of crimes," explained professor Martin Gill, a criminologist from the University of Leicester.
"By getting hold of personal information such as our address, bank details and date of birth a canny criminal can begin to create chaos within a matter of hours - applying for credit cards, securing loans, [or] buying a mobile phone."
Sanjiv Yajnik, principal managing director at Capital One, added: "We'd urge everyone to have a thorough clean-out of their wallets and handbags to ensure they are only carrying the essentials.
"By taking a few simple steps we can protect ourselves against the risk of identity theft."
Home Office advice on identity theft states: "Your identity and personal information are valuable assets. Keep them secure."
