BACK

15 Jun 2022

It is one of the most common and devastating crimes to occur in the UK, which can impact your credit score and your life; identity fraud.

As criminal gangs are getting smarter, banks and credit card companies are responding in kind by allowing their customers to set up alerts and access a 24-hour fraud prevention hotline.

But what do you do if you suspect that you are the victim of fraud?

You contact our team at ABV Solicitors. Our fraud solicitor can help you to regain any money lost via fraud and will represent your case if it goes to court.

Here are some top tips from our fraud solicitor on how you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity fraud in the UK.

Buy a shredder

A simple way to prevent fraud according to our fraud solicitor is to purchase a paper shredder. Honestly! This will allow you to shred documents that have personal information about you, such as the old fashioned bank statements or credit card statements. Shredding such documents will prevent people from getting access to this information, which could otherwise be used fraudulently.

Don’t respond to phishing emails or phone calls

It sounds so obvious, but many people fall for phishing emails or phishing phone calls every year, thereby providing criminal gangs with their information. If you suspect that the email from your bank is suspicious, contact them straight away to check its legitimacy. Do the same for your credit card company; if you receive a phone call asking for personal information about your bank or credit card, do not provide any details but instead call your bank to report it.

Check statements

Most banks and credit card companies now offer online statements, which are usually emailed once a month. If you have concerns about fraud, you will need to check these carefully and make sure that you remember every purchase that has been made. If there is something that you do not recognise, report it immediately. If it is a case of fraud, your card and account will be monitored for further use.

Set up alerts

Mobile banking and mobile credit card apps allow you to receive alerts when an unusual purchase is made or if you go over your limit. This can help with identifying whether your card is being used illegally. Depending on the company that you have your bank account or credit card with, you may need to set this up via a telephone call. But most companies offer this service in their apps, which can save a lot of time and worry. So our team recommends doing this.

Be in contact with financial providers

If you were expecting a credit card statement or bank statement to arrive at your home and it doesn’t turn up, then you need to contact the financial provider and report the statement as missing. This may result in your account being monitored and any card you have with that provider being shut off for security reasons. Similarly, if you have a new credit card or bank card arriving at your home and it doesn’t arrive, this also needs to be reported promptly and your account needs to be monitored by your provider’s security team.