What can I do to protect myself from application fraud and account take-over fraud?

• Always keep important personal documents, plastic cards and cheque books in a safe and secure place. Valuable documents include your passport, birth certificate, driving licence, plastic cards, card receipts, financial statements and even utility bills. Without access to this information a criminal will find it very difficult to pretend to be you.
• Don't share personal information unless you are entirely confident you know who you are dealing with. Be particularly cautious if you are cold-called by someone claiming to be from a bank or the police. Your bank will only ever ask for specific characters within your password, not the whole password. Ask the caller for their number, check it and call them back. Also, be wary of responding to e-mails requesting information about you. If in doubt, ask for proof of identity or undertake your own checks. Never disclose your card PIN to anyone.
• Dispose of financial statements, card receipts and other personal documents with care. Rip up or, preferably, shred any such documents before binning them.
• When you receive a renewal or replacement for a document that contains identity information e.g. driver's licence or vehicle registration, make sure you return or destroy the old one.
• Always check bank statements, and check receipts against your statements carefully. If you find an unfamiliar transaction contact your bank or building society immediately.
• Be aware that your post is valuable information in the wrong hands. If you fail to receive a bank statement, card statement, utility bill or other financial information contact the supplier. How easy would it be for somebody to intercept your post?
• If you receive a credit card application that you don't use, rip it up or shred it before binning it.
• Guard your cards. Don't let them out of your sight when making a transaction. Report lost and stolen cards, or suspected fraudulent use of your card account to your bank or building society immediately. Keep a note of your bank or building society's telephone numbers so that you can report lost or stolen cards.
• If you move house make sure you contact your bank and all other organisations to give them your change of address (the Post Office can redirect post on request, for a minimal fee).