Identity theft can be devastating to anyone involved – so, how can you protect yourself from it?
We’ve put together this handy guide to improve your online security and help prevent identity theft.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. The idea is that using your information, they can steal your identity.
With someone else’s identity, a criminal can:
- open new credit cards
- hack into their existing accounts
- take out loans
- apply for benefits
That means the victim could:
- lose money
- have their credit score lowered
- end up in debt
Because internet security is so important today, it can be harder to steal someone else’s identity than it used to be.
But criminals are always adapting to use new methods and techniques to lure in victims.
If you’re worried about having your identity stolen, read on for how to protect yourself and what to do next.
How do I know if my identity’s been stolen?
Identity theft scams can be very hard to spot, so it’s important that you know what signs to look out for.
Requests for personal information
One of the most obvious signs of identity theft is a direct request for personal information, including your:
- National Insurance number
- payment card details
They could make the request feel urgent to pressure you to respond. That might be an unexpected login on one of your accounts or a problem with your payment card.
If you're worried that the email might not be legitimate, don't click any links or respond. Contact the customer services of the company claiming to have emailed you to see if there's an issue.
The message might also seem to be from someone you know, like a friend or family member. If that’s the case, give them a call or message them asking to confirm if it was actually them.
Odd email addresses
If you get an email from a new contact, it’s always best to check the email address for any red flags.
For example, if a sender is claiming to be Lloyd’s Bank, but their email address looks very unofficial (like ll0ydsB4nk@gmail.com), then it’s likely not the real company.
Suspicious links and websites
One way that criminals steal people’s identity is by putting links in their emails and texts. These links often lead to a phishing website that’s designed to record anything you type in.
For example, a website might look like your bank’s login page. But when you enter your username, password and other sensitive information, the website records them.
Once they have this information, they can then log in to your account.
Spelling errors
Although it’s happening less now with the use of AI, some malicious emails and texts will have spelling and grammatical mistakes.
Remember that it’s very unlikely a well-established company will send out emails or texts filled with errors.
Unexpected charges
If you see any payments on your bank account you can’t remember or weren’t expecting, that could be a sign that someone’s stolen your identity.
Sudden drop in credit score
If you suddenly see a sharp drop-off in your credit score, this could be a sign that someone’s taken out credit in your name.
There are lots of things that will affect your credit score, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on it.
Missing or unexpected mail
Are you missing any letters or bills you were expecting? Or have you opened any unexpected bills or letters you weren’t expecting?
If you do, it’s best to get in contact with the company who’s sent them (or was supposed to have sent them) to check what’s going on.
Being locked out of accounts
If you suddenly can’t get into your accounts, like your email or bank account, it could be a red flag.
It might mean criminals have got into your accounts and locked you out.
Tampered bins
This is a bit more old-school, but it still happens! Criminals will dig through your bins to find any physical personal information they can use.
For example, that might be old letters or receipts you’ve thrown away.
What do I do if my identity has been stolen?
If someone’s stolen your identity, here’s what to do next.
Tell the bank
Contact your bank to let them know you think your identity has been stolen.
They’ll be able to help you freeze your accounts so no one can take any money out and talk you through the next steps.
Dispute any suspicious charges
Look back through your bank statement.
If you see any payments you’re certain weren’t you, you can dispute them with your bank.
Change your passwords
Make sure you change your passwords on any accounts you think might have been compromised.
If you were using the same passwords or similar versions on any other accounts, change those too.
Each password should be unique, at least 16 characters long, and a mix of characters. You can use a password manager to generate and store your passwords.
Set up a fraud alert
If you’ve been the victim of identity theft, you can choose to put a fraud alert on your credit reports.
It’s basically a notification that tells creditors to double check your identity before processing an application for loans or credit cards.
Keep records of any activity
It’s useful to keep track of everything that’s happened, including payments and any discussions with companies involved.
That means when you’re talking to the bank or police, you have clear evidence to show them.
CIFAS Protective Registration
In the UK, CIFAS offers protective registration, which puts a marker on your personal details in the National Fraud Database.
It makes it harder for criminals to use your information. The service costs £30 and lasts for two years.
File a report
To get back any stolen money, you’ll need to contact the police. Your bank might offer to do this for you.
You also need to report it to Report Fraud.
How to prevent identity theft
Our Cyber team has some handy tips for how to prevent identity theft:
- Monitor your online presence: use Google's "Manage your reputation" tool to check what personal information is publicly available and remove any unwanted content.
- Be cautious of sharing sensitive data: your digital footprint is the trail of information you leave online. Use privacy settings on social media platforms to manage your digital footprint.
- Shred sensitive documents: if you have any letters, bills or other sensitive documents you want to get rid of, shred them rather than binning them.
- Store your documents and ID in a safe place: keep your ID and any important documents in a secure place, like a safe.
- Be wary of any unexpected calls or messages: keep an eye out for any calls or messages that ask for personal information or put pressure on you.
- Review your bank statements: we know it’s not a super fun thing to do, but keeping an eye on your bank statements is a good way to catch any suspicious payments.
How to prevent online identity theft
These days, identify theft is mostly done online. That’s why it’s important to stay safe online. You should:
- Be cautious on public Wi-Fi: some public Wi-Fi networks don’t protect your information, so it's important to use trusted networks.
- Be aware of phishing emails: check out some more information on how phishing scams work and how to avoid them.
- Create strong passwords: it's also useful to use a secure password manager app to help keep your sensitive login information safe. And change your passwords regularly! You can also check if any of your passwords or data have been found in a data breach.
- Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA): this makes you verify a login or payment via another account, such as your email address, to make sure it's really you.
- Keep your software and apps up to date: make sure you do any software updates that come through, as they help fix bugs and vulnerabilities that criminals can exploit.
- Use credit cards rather than debit cards: it’s much easier to dispute credit card charges than debit card ones.
Admiral’s Personal Cyber and Identity Theft Helpline
If you have our Platinum Home Insurance or Family Legal Protection added to your policy, you have access to our Personal Cyber and Identity Theft Helpline.
This helpline can be used to get support and advice from experienced fraud and cyber specialists if you’ve had your identity stolen. And it can help with lots of other online crimes too!
The helpline can help you with lots of things, including:
- documenting evidence and filling reports
- letting authorities know and communicating with banks and financial service providers
- securing accounts and helping with password changes
- giving advice on protection
- working out if data backups are available
Our cyber specialists will also give you advice on how to protect yourself from any future attacks.
To see if you have access to it, check your cover in MyAccount.
Remember, policy limits and exclusions apply!
