Four million of us have fallen victim to identity fraud and it's one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK. Identity theft is on the rise because it's easy for petty criminals to do and the chances of them being caught are slim. Due to the increasing risks and low detection rates, prevention is better than cure. But what can you do to stop it from happening?

Written by identity prevention expert, Barry Stamp, this Kit tells you how to:

• »  Spot the warning signs
• »  Take preventative measures, online and offline
• »  Check the details on your credit file
• »  Apply for protection from the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, CIFAS
• »  Deal with the situation if your identity has been stolen

The Kit also includes a free CD with trial anti-virus, firewall and anti-malware software from AVG, as well as template letters.

Valid throughout the UK.

About the Author

Barry is co-founder of the Credit Reporting Agency which, in 1999 through checkmyfile.com, became the first company in the world to make credit scoring available to consumers and to provide online credit reports in the UK. In 2006 the company launched annualcreditreport.co.uk - the first company to provide a free annual subscription service to UK consumers. Barry is a high-profile figure in the credit industry, acting as an Executive Member of the Association of Mortgage Lenders, Chairman of the Brewery Lending Group and previously serving as co-opted observer on the CIFAS board - the UK's fraud prevention service. He is currently a member of the Institute of Credit Management's (ICM) Technical Advisory Committee, which provides feedback to government on credit issues. Barry is also a trustee of the registered charity Country Holidays for Inner City Kids ('Chicks') - www.chicks.org.uk.

• Examples of how identity theft can affect you
• Card-not-present fraud ('CNP')
• Having your credit card 'skimmed'
• Theft of your credit cards
• Theft of your personal details by people at your last address
• Stealing your bank details
• Airport theft
• Checking in at hotels
• Advance fee scams ('419' scams)
• Abuse of social network websites
• Theft of your personal details from within a company
• Buying expensive items on eBay
• Theft of your personal details from someone close to you
• Bin bag theft
• Giving away your personal details inadvertently
• Mortgage refinancing schemes
• Fraudulent address change of your existing credit card
• Targetting your old hard disk information
• Fraudulent mail redirection
• A job offer you cannot refuse
• Car buying nightmare
• Putting your personal details on a school or work reunion site
• Goods ordered for your company, but not by you
• You are a retailer and suffer unjustified chargebacks
• Initiatives to reduce the threat
• The law
• Identity cards
• Lost and stolen documents register
• Electoral roll opt-out
• Credit file monitoring
• Password disciplines
• Identity theft insurance
• Increased card security
• Warning signs
• You are unexpectedly declined credit
• Your credit card is refused unexpectedly
• Your credit card company calls to query a foreign or unusual transaction
• You find accounts you do not recognise on your credit file
• The police arrive with a warrant for your arrest
• Your cheques bounce unexpectedly
• Mail appears to be late, or bunched, or fails to arrive
• You are burgled, but nothing much seems to have been taken
• A County Court summons arrives for a debt you know nothing about
• A debt collector, bailiff or Sheriff's Officer arrives at your door
• You receive a debt collection call at work for an unknown debt
• You receive an overseas health claim on a Form E111 in your name
• You receive notice from your local post office that a redirection notice requires renewal
• You are stopped unexpectedly when you try to leave or enter an airport
• Financial fraud prevention
• Web disciplines
• Travelling
• If you are a director of a company
• If you have purchased UK domain names in your personal name
• If you move house
• Specimen letters
• Victim assistance checklist
• Useful contacts checklist