There were more than 100,000 cases in the UK last year where identity thieves used somebody else’s personal details to obtain products or services with 80% of identity theft now happening online. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK and criminals now have the means to target the wealthy, leaving certain people particularly vulnerable.

Research by data and analytics firm Experian reveals that wealthy couples are the second most frequently targeted demographic for identity theft, being particularly vulnerable to credit card fraud or fraudulent loan applications.

However, these people are not just being targeted because they have more money, but because there are more ways they can be targeted. For example, they are likely to have multiple credit cards and bank accounts and make more purchases online.

How do identity thieves work?

To assume somebody else’s identity, criminals will seek to acquire multiple pieces of personal information, for example credit card details, home addresses and passwords. However, criminals don’t necessarily have to hack into an individual’s computer to obtain personal information. They may operate by:

- Tricking people into giving away personal information via email or website phishing scams

- Scouring an individual’s social media accounts to find useful personal information such as their date of birth or other personal identifiers

- Tricking people into divulging personal information over the phone, or in response to letter scams

- Stealing items of ID, such as passports and driving licences

- Searching through discarded rubbish in the hope of finding paperwork such as bank statements or credit card applications

How can you minimise your risk of ID theft?

- Never divulge private information in response to a request via an email or website, unless they are certain the request is from a legitimate source

- Use a password that is difficult to guess and change it regularly

- Avoid sharing too much personal information on social media

- Be wary of phishing scams

- Avoid using shared public PCs to access internet banking

- Only use reputable websites to purchase goods/services

- Securely file sensitive documents, and shred those they no longer need

- Arrange for paperless bills and statements where possible

- Redirect mail when they move home

- Be aware of people who may be looking over their shoulder when entering passwords or PINs into a computer or ATM

- When travelling, lock their passports, driving licences and other items of identification in a safe when they are not required

For more information about ID theft or to find out how we can help keep you safe get in touch!