Identity fraud

Previous sections of this report have explained our work in spotlighting the consumer issue of identity fraud. We have taken steps to ensure the topic is widely discussed:

• by conducting research into dumpster diving, or bin raiding as it’s known in the UK
  
  
• by providing speakers for relevant conferences and by partnering with fellow businesses and with government, including the Home Office in the UK, and the Federal Trade Commission, the Government Accountability Office in the US, on consumer awareness raising initiatives and the provision of a dedicated service to help consumer victims of this fraud
  
  
• by working with the police and other organisations in initiatives aimed at raising consumer awareness of how to combat this type of fraud
  
  
• by providing material and statistics to the media so that articles and broadcasts can accurately help consumers protect themselves from identity fraud and know where to turn for help if targeted by a fraudster
  
  
• by launching a dedicated section on identity fraud in the Consumer Advice pages of our websites

It seems that this awareness raising work is having an impact.

• In the UK an October 2006 customer satisfaction survey revealed that 22% of respondents applied to see their credit reports because they had concerns about identity fraud, up from 11% in 2005. This is very positive, particularly because the longer identity fraud goes undetected, the more damage is caused and the more difficult the fraud is to resolve. Figures from Experian’s free Victims of Fraud service show that 40% of fraud victims who contacted us for help during the second half of 2006 discovered the crime when they looked at their credit report.
  
  
• In the US we’ve seen a large number of people take up services we’re now offering such as free fraud alerts on their credit reports or multiple additional reports to victims of fraud to help them monitor their recovery.

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