Press Release

SCALE OF CYBER CRIME UNDERESTIMATED

BBC undercover investigation reveals that online shoppers are more vulnerable to fraud

ID Fraud Expert Available to provide comment

Leading ID fraud expert, Neil Munroe, is available to offer comment on the risks and ways to protect against online fraud, following reports of a BBC undercover investigation on cyber crime that reveals the scale of the problem may be much greater than previously thought.

"As the BBC investigation has revealed, there are a plethora of websites selling stolen card details" confirmed Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax. "The first someone will know that they have become a victim of this fraud is when their credit card bill or bank statement arrives with transactions they didn't make. Whilst the industry will do everything it can to help a victim to repatriate their finances it's a time consuming process - so prevention is definitely better than cure."

EQUIFAX TIPS TO PROTECT AGAINST ID FRAUD ONLINE

Be wary of emails that begin "Dear customer", rather than using your name or phone calls 'phishing' for further personal information.
Your bank will never ask you to reveal your PIN or passwords in full. Don't reveal these to anyone
Check your bank statements for any unusual transactions
When using online banking, ensure people can't view your details and log out of the site, rather than just closing the window
Do not use the same PIN number for all of your cards and never write your PIN number down
If you are disposing of an old computer, make sure you destroy information on the hard drive
Make sure you have the latest virus protection that ideally updates hourly and you have a Firewall
Be careful of what you carry around in your handbag or wallet. Credit Card receipts, payslips, driving licence, bank statement, utility bill... these all reveal a lot of information about you and a combination of these can be a fraudsters dream
Apply for a copy of your credit file to look out for any unauthorised activity
If think you have been a victim, tell your bank or building society immediately.
You can also notify CIFAS, which runs a Protective Registration service, and a notice will be placed on your credit file informing lenders that you may be at risk of identity fraud. Tel: 0870 010 2091.
Sign up for a service like Equifax Identity Watch to alert you of any potentially fraudulent activity

Munroe concludes, "It's terrifying how little information fraudsters need to be able to open accounts in an individual's name, rack up huge debts and leave the victim, at best to spend hundreds of hours sorting out the problem and at worst, picking up the bill. Fraudsters are always looking for new ways to trick individuals out of their information and it's up to consumers to make sure it's as difficult for them as possible."

Neil Munroe is available to provide comment on identity fraud and data breaches. Neil Munroe has extensive experience and expertise on the subject of identity fraud. He can provide soundbites on the size of the problem, ways in which ID theft and fraud can take place including the latest trends and give advice on ways consumers can protect themselves from becoming a victim.

Neil Munroe can be contacted via the Equifax PR Team at HSL:

Elinor Puzey/Louise Fowler/Cecile Stearn/Wendy Harrison on 020 8977 9132 elinor@harrisonsadler.com