Tuesday 26th February 2008
The magazine editor of consumer advice body Which? has expressed his shock over the amount of personal information regarding his home and family that could be obtained using publicly accessible websites.
In an assessment that aimed to measure the risk of identity theft in the UK, a researcher working for the organisation used only the editors name and basic occupational data to track down information on close family members, as well as a detailed floor plan of his home.
Commenting on the findings, Neil Fowler said: "It was a real shock to see how much personal information about me could be found online, which could potentially be used by crooks to commit fraud. We all need to take steps to protect our data - both online and offline."
The findings were released with a checklist designed to help people reduce the risks of identity fraud. Important areas for consideration were identified, such as regularly checking bank statements for unusual transactions, cancelling lost or stolen cards immediately and using different passwords for online services.
An online support service provided by the Home Office also advises people to make sure that all personal documents are kept safe and secure, as well as obtaining regular copies of their personal credit files to keep check of organisations that have accessed their financial details in order to establish whether any private information has been disclosed to unauthorised groups.
For those living in shared houses, the Home Office advises diligence in keeping track of personal mail items to reduce the risk of credit card fraud and identity theft.
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