Unfortunately, identity theft is on the rise and can be devastating to anyone affected. So, how can you protect yourself from it?
Read our guide to improve your online safety and help prevent identity theft.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft is a kind of crime that involves stealing enough of a person’s personal information to steal their identity.
With someone else’s identity, a criminal can:
- open new credit cards
- hack into your existing accounts
- take out loans
- apply for benefits
This can result in a lot of damaging consequences for the victim, including:
- loss of funds
- lowered credit score
- debt
Because internet security is so important today, it can be harder to mimic someone else’s identity than it used to be.
But as criminals adapt to use new methods and techniques to lure in victims, identity theft is unfortunately still an issue.
How do I know if my identity’s been stolen?
There are a few red flags to pay attention to if you’re trying to figure out whether your identity has been stolen:
- unusual bank transactions
- big changes in your credit score
- calls from debt collectors
- rejected tax returns
What do I do if my identity has been stolen?
If you think your identity has been stolen, consider freezing your payment cards.
You should also contact your bank to let them know about the suspected identity theft as soon as possible. To reclaim any money that may have been stolen, the police will need to be contacted. Your bank may offer to do this for you.
In the UK, CIFAS offers protective registration, which places a marker on your personal details in the National Fraud Database, making it harder for criminals to use your information. This service costs £20 and lasts for two years.
It’s important to report identity theft and fraud to the police. You can also report it to Action Fraud.
What are the signs of identity theft attempts?
Identity theft scams can be very hard to spot, so it’s important that you know what signs to look out for.
Requests for personal information
One of the most obvious signs of identity theft is a direct request for personal information, including your email, National Insurance number or payment card details.
This may be disguised as something urgent to pressure you to respond, like an unexpected login on one of your accounts or a problem with your payment card.
If you're worried that the email may be legitimate, don't click any links or respond. Instead, contact the customer services of the company claiming to have emailed you to see if there's an issue.
For example, contact your bank using the number on the back of your credit or debit card. If the message is from someone you know, for example a friend or family member, give them a call or send them a new message asking them for clarification of the message.
Odd email addresses
If you get an email from a new contact, it’s always best to check the email address for any red flags.
For example, if a sender claims to be Lloyd’s Bank, but their email address looks very unofficial (for instance, “ll0ydsB4nk@gmail.com”), then it’s unlikely you’re dealing with the real company.
Suspicious links and websites
One way that criminals steal people’s identity is by putting links in their emails and texts. These links often lead to a phishing website that’s designed to record anything you type in.
For example, a website can be designed to look like your bank’s login page. When you enter your username, password and other sensitive information to log in, the website records this.
Once they have this information, they can then log into your account.
Spelling errors
Some malicious emails and texts have spelling and grammatical errors, even though the sender claims to be an official, trusted person or company.
Remember that it’s very unlikely a well-established company will send out emails or texts filled with errors, so you should consider this a red flag.
How to prevent identity theft
Our Cyber team has some useful tips for preventing identity theft:
- Monitor your online presence: use Google's "Manage your reputation" tool to check what personal information is publicly available and remove any unwanted content.
- Be cautious of sharing sensitive data: your digital footprint is the trail of information you leave online. Use privacy settings across social media platforms to manage your digital footprint.
On top of these things, you should also use your email’s anti-spam filters and install antivirus software to protect you and your devices.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also a useful security measure. This requires you to verify a login or payment via another account, such as your email address, to make sure it's really you.
Using a secure password manager app can also help you keep your sensitive login information safe.
Admiral’s Personal Cyber and Identity Theft Helpline
If you have our Platinum home insurance or Family Legal Protection added to your policy, you have access to our Personal Cyber and Identity Theft Helpline.
This helpline can be used to get support and advice from experienced fraud and cyber specialists if you’ve fallen victim to things like identity theft or other online crimes.
The helpline can help you with a range of things, including:
- documenting evidence and filling reports
- letting authorities know and liaising with banks and financial service providers
- securing accounts and helping with password changes
- giving advice on protection
- working out if data backups are available
- Our cyber specialists will also give you advice on how to protect yourself from any future attacks.
To see if you have access to it, check your cover in MyAccount.
