How to Spot Identity Theft

A Free Identity Fraud Check Could Avoid Problems With ID Theft

Aug 19, 2009

Identity theft techniques change all the time. A free identity theft check can help people spot problems early before too much damage is done.

Identity theft is extremely lucrative for the fraudsters who look to make money this way. For the people who suffer, however, this can be a stressful and time-consuming problem and the longer it takes someone to realise that they have a problem, the worse the damage can be. Identity theft techniques can be very sophisticated nowadays and it can take some victims months to spot that there is a problem.

According to the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, CIFAS, a really serious case of identity theft can take 200 hours to put right and could cost around £8,000. Spotting a potential problem of this kind early can, however, make it a lot easier and quicker to fight identity theft. Solutions offered by the major credit reference agencies (such as Experian, Equifax and CallCredit) may be of some use.

What Will a Free Identity Theft Check do?

It isn't always easy to spot identity theft or identity fraud - this is why so many people take months to see that there is a problem. One of the easiest ways to check this out is to use an identity theft check with a credit reference agency. This kind of check can be done without charge and may give indications of potential problems such as:

Bear in mind that a lot of the activity that goes on with identity theft may not be immediately noticeable in everyday life. A lot of consumers only actually realise that there is a problem when they try to take out a financial product themselves such as a loan or a mortgage, are turned down after a credit check and then find that a fraudster has been opening accounts and borrowing money in their name.

They will then check out their credit record with a reference agency and will see the problem. Getting ahead of the game and using a free identity fraud check before a problem comes to light could make dealing with identity theft a lot less hassle.

What About Future Identity Theft Alerts?

A lot of people, once they have looked at their free identity theft check, will then sign up with one or more credit reference agencies. There is a fee involved to do this after the initial free trial but this could be a useful preventative measure to take. Once registered the agency will send out alerts if any significant change or activity takes place on a credit history which could be a useful warning.

The copyright of the article How to Spot Identity Theft in Consumer Education is owned by Carol Finch. Permission to republish How to Spot Identity Theft in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.