Identity thieves steal key pieces of personal information and use them to impersonate you and to commit crimes using your name and identity profile. In addition to names, addresses and phone numbers, thieves look for national insurance numbers, drivers license numbers, credit card and banking information, bank cards, birth certificates and passports.

This information can then be manipulated and your personal and financial life invaded. Stolen identities can be used to open new bank accounts, divert mail, apply for loans, credit cards and social benefits, to rent flats and even for use as identification by criminals who are arrested for more serious crimes.

Although identity theft currently accounts for seven per cent of overall card fraud, the UK banking industry is preparing for a possible rise once chip and PIN makes its impact, as criminals will look for different ways to perpetrate fraud.

At the request of the Home Office, APACS played the lead role in the development of a website to increase the awareness of identity theft. This website provides consumers with practical advice on to how to avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud and what you should do if it happens. This website can be viewed at www.identitytheft.org.uk

What is Identity Theft on a Card Account?

ID theft on cards occurs when a criminal uses fraudulently obtained personal information to open or access card accounts in someone elses name. There are two types:

• Application fraud

  Application fraud involves criminals using stolen or false documents to open an account in someone elses name. Criminals steal documents such as utility bills and bank statements to build up usable information. Alternatively, they may use counterfeit documents for identification purposes.

• Account take-over

  Criminals take over another persons account, first gathering personal information about the intended victim. The criminal then contacts the card issuer, masquerading as the genuine cardholder, to ask that mail be redirected to a new address. The criminal then reports the card lost and asks for a replacement to be sent.