- Credit report and scoring
- Chech your credit report
- Exploding the credit blacklist myth
- Refused credit

The chances of becoming a victim of ID thieves have never been higher than in the last few days.

Claims of data breach at a leading hotel chain may have affected up to eight million guests and resulted in their address, phone number, place of employment and card details being sold on through an underground network controlled by the Russian mafia.

If that sounds bizarre, then consider the laptop that once belonged to a company that keeps bank archives securely. It turned up on eBay, where it was sold for just £35.88 – along with the details of more than a million customers. These details included signatures, bank account numbers, sort codes and even mothers’ maiden names.

And just to make you feel even more unsafe, the government has admitted that more than 3,200 laptops and mobile phones containing sensitive personal information have been lost or stolen since 2001.

These events are part of a trend which has seen ID fraud become one of Britain’s fastest-growing crimes of the 21st century, as thieves take advantage of the increasing amount of personal information to be gleaned even from an average postbag to impersonate innocent people and use their names to borrow money, draw state benefits and even use as a cover for money laundering or drug dealing.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that will indicate what might make you vulnerable – and some ideas on how to protect yourself.

Ask yourself…

• Has your post gone missing? It could be a sign that your mail is being intercepted or forwarded to another address. Contact the Post Office as soon as you realise you’re not receiving the post you should get. You may want to use a PO box while things are sorted out.

• Are there unfamiliar transactions on your bank or card statements? These are often the first signs of an ID fraud. Tell your bank and card issuer the moment you spot anything suspicious and they’ll block any unauthorised use and investigate.

• Do you throw out personal documents with the rubbish? Anything from a passport application to a catalogue account statement could be used by bin raiders to set up accounts in your name, so shred or burn everything sensitive.

• Have you been burgled or pick-pocketed? Lock away your important documents safely – don’t leave them lying around or carry them with you unless you really need them.

• Have you checked your credit report lately? This is the personal history of your credit accounts, such as cards, loans, mortgages and even mobile phone agreements. It lists your repayment history and all the applications you’ve made recently. If you don’t recognise any entries, tell the organisation concerned immediately – and be prepared to prove that it wasn’t you. Check your Experian credit report now – it’s free.

• Have you shared your PINs or passwords? Always keep these private – never give them out to cold-callers or in response to e-mails. No reputable organisation will ever ask for this kind of information. Never write PINs or passwords down in case they are stolen or misused.

• Have you moved home recently? You’re at your most vulnerable if you fail to forward all your mail for at least a year via the Post Office and register with the Mailing Preference Service, who will tell marketing organisations that you no longer live at your old address. Even a piece of direct mail can be enough to hijack your ID.

• Are you registered to vote? Lenders use the electoral roll as a precaution against fraud, to check that you are who you claim to be and live where you say you do. If you’re not registered at your current address, a fraudster could impersonate you and set up accounts in your name elsewhere.

• Have you heard from debt collectors or received threatening letters about late payments? Unless you already know you’re in trouble, these could be the result of an ID fraud. Check your credit report to see if any strange new accounts have been created or new bills have been run up. If you believe you are a victim, get in touch with Experian’s Victims of Fraud service, who can help you to sort out the problem.

• Have you lost sight of your credit or debit card during a transaction? You should be able to keep your eye on your card at all times, otherwise a corrupt employee of a shop or restaurant could copy the data on the magnetic strip and withdraw cash abroad or go internet shopping.

• Could your details be among those lost or stolen in data breach incidents in the past year? Your best protection is to check your credit report regularly, as ID thieves may hold on to information for many months before they get round to using it. It’s such an effective precaution that regularly checking your credit report is recommended by the Home Office. With CreditExpert, the UK’s leading online credit monitoring and identity fraud protection service, you are also alerted by e-mail or text whenever there is a significant change to your credit report that could indicate attempted ID fraud. See your Experian credit report as often as you like with a free 30-day trial.