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Who's got your number?
(The Birmingham Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)The significance of February 14 was not lost on many again this year.
In their tens of millions they will have betrothed their undying love through a bewildering array of cards, flowers, trinkets, extravagant gestures and - in a few cases -wholly misplaced ardour.
But Valentine's Day 2006 was much more important than a chance for born-again romantics to show the passionate side of their character.
It was also, officially, "Chip and Pin Day" and the usual fanfare that accompanies such nationwide awareness campaigns was very much in evidence in newspapers and on radio and television.
But did the significance of the day really sink in? February 14 heralded in a major change in the way we all now shop and manage our own money whether we like it or not.
It begs the question: are we in danger of losing our identities?
Chip and Pin Day followed hot on the heels of a new retail survey showing the long-anticipated boom in internet and phone shopping may finally be gathering pace.
It has been a slow-burner, but there is now mounting evidence to suggest that those trips to the High Street may be getting fewer as more of us use new technology to do even our most basic of food shopping.
A startling array of stuff is now available online and we are all slowly cottoning on to the opportunities.
But, at the same time, an ever-expanding section of society is discovering the dark side of this retailing phenomenon.
Among the items now ready for you to buy over the internet are new identities.
Identity fraud was cited by the family of Derek Bond as the reason for his appearance on a list of the FBI's most wanted criminals.
Mr Bond, a pensioner from Bristol, was famously arrested and imprisoned for two weeks while on a wine tasting holiday to South Africa after his identity was stolen by a fugitive conman.
A case of mistaken identity, perhaps, but with very sinister overtones for us all.
More than two years after his wrongful arrest Mr Bond is still unclear how his identity was stolen.
But what is worrying for every one of us is that there are an ever-expanding number of ways in which it could be done.
No one is safe.
In 2003, it was revealed that a reporter had successfully hijacked the identity of the then Home Secretary David Blunkett by using the politician's birth certificate to obtain a provisional driving licence.
As a result, the Government moved quickly to tighten regulations. It is also drawing up new laws to curb identity fraud. But only recently, comedian Harry Hill reportedly became the latest hapless victim after an estimated pounds 280,000 was plundered from his personal bank accounts.
Hill, whose real name is Dr Matthew Hall, was allegedly targeted by two identity fraudsters who transferred a small fortune into a bogus internet account after a bank clerk leaked the 41-year-old's confidential financial details.
However, it's not only high-profile identity fraud cases like this which are a major cause for concern.
In the last two years, banks, building societies and financial institutions have reported a tripling of cases.
It isn't just new technology that has brought about the increase.
Traditional "snail mail" deliveries can often be where the scam begins. Conmen often create new identities by trawling through bins, collecting bills and bank statements that can be used to build up the false identity. A birth certificate can be obtained with no requirement to prove identity. The name on the certificate can be entered on the electoral roll with no checks. Utility bills and a driving licence can then be obtained.
Reasons for the use of stolen identities vary. The majority involve financial fraud, however there are also other more sinister motivations. The September 11 hijackers used multiple names and stolen identities. Four innocent men in Saudi Arabia came forward shortly after the atrocities to say that their identities had been stolen by the hijackers.
Bin raiding - the process of searching through bins to obtain personal financial information to commit fraud - is growing at a phenomenal rate in the UK but consumers remain unaware and, as yet, uninformed of its dangers.
On average, one in every five bins contains a whole credit or debit card number linked to an individual name and 80 per cent of these have an associated expiry date. Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of bins contain the full name and full address of at least one household member.
Bank account details are regularly found in bins and, on average, one in every five bins contains a bank account number and sort code that could be related to the full name and address of a household member.
Just eight per cent of households throwing away full card numbers had made attempts to destroy the documents, and only one per cent of households had been successful.
More than 100,000 Britons are now affected by identity theft every year. CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service, identified about 178,000 cases of identity fraud for the last six months of 2005, including more than 28,000 records of impersonation and 12,000 applications to set up a fraudulent bank account.
And the latest Home Office figures reveal that identity theft is actually costing Britain an estimated pounds 1.7 billion every year.
"Crucial to preventing identity fraud is an understanding among consumers of the precautions they should be taking to ensure they don't become a victim," says Neil Munroe, external affairs director at Equifax.
"From shredding documents that have their personal details, to keeping a close eye on their credit report, consumers can beat the criminals.
"More needs to be done to educate individuals in order to clamp down on ID fraud, and we believe self-help is a key part of the process."
However, the recent introduction of chip and pin may also act as a factor contributing to the rise in ID fraud, according to Mr Munroe.
"If the fraudsters can't use a stolen credit card then they may turn to impersonating innocent victims," he warns.
"And when it can take up to 300 hours to clear a victim's name, including frustrating phone calls to deal with banks, credit card companies and other lenders, we should be concentrating on prevention rather than cure."
Identity theft occurs when personal information is obtained by someone else without the owner's knowledge, and it may be used to support criminal activity including fraud, deception, or obtaining benefits and services in the victim's name, according to CIFAS.
Most identity theft is carried out through gaining bogus access to personal bank accounts, internet scams including spam emails containing viruses, bin raiding, spoof letters, cloning cards, and even impersonating the dead, with an estimated 70,000 families unhappily discovering that their loved one has been impersonated after their death.
Look out for the following signs that you may have had your identity stolen:
You receive bills, invoices, or receipts addressed to you for goods or services you've not ordered, or letters to you from solicitors or debt collection agencies relating to debts that aren't yours.
You receive confirmation letters or statements for accounts in your name which you have never opened.
There are transactions (normally debits) on your account statements that you don't recognise.
Important identity documents have gone missing or been stolen -such as your passport, driving licence, utility bills or bank statements.
New accounts appearing on your credit file/report that you or others who live at your address do not recognise.
Searches on your credit file/report that do not relate to an application made by you or others who live at your address.
Such is the concern, last week a leading consumer group called on companies to set up dedicated help-desks for identity fraud victims.
Customers need a point of contact to give them practical support while their cases are dealt with, the National Consumer Council said. It wants the banking, insurance, credit, mobile phone and utilities industries to set up a sector-wide support service.
"ID theft has devastating, extremely stressful and often long-term consequences for its victims," explained Claire Whyley, spokeswoman for the group. "They are left struggling on their own to unravel a complex web of knock-on effects across a plethora of companies and organisations."
The NCC is also calling on the Government to encourage companies to adopt minimum standards for dealing with ID fraud.
"I am not a number, I am a free man" was the often repeated mantra of Patrick McGoohan's character in the cult TV series The Prisoner, as he battled to keep hold of his identity.
Endless analysis of the series has seen it elevated from a fairly run-of-the-mill story of an ex-secret agent held against his will while former employers attempt to determine the reason for his resignation, to a rich, absorbing allegory investigating the nature of government, media and the individual.
There are many now who maintain The Prisoner's central theme carried a prophetic warning for 21st century society.
But with the era of chip and pin now firmly with us, have we finally been reduced to a four-digit number?
For further information about identity fraud log onto cifas.org.uk or identityfraud.org.uk.
Bin raiding - the process of searching through bins to obtain personal financial information to commit fraud - is growing at a phenomenal rate in the UK but consumers remain unaware and, as yet, uninformed of its dangers
The September 11 hijackers used multiple names and stolen identities. Four innocent men in Saudi Arabia came forward shortly after the atrocities to say that their identities had been stolen by the hijackers
Your identity and personal information are valuable assets - keep them secure.
Regularly obtain a copy of your personal credit file to see which financial organisations have accessed your details. It is particularly helpful to check your personal credit file two to three months after you have moved house.
Be extra careful if you live in a property where other people could access your mail. In some cases a bank or credit card company could arrange for you to collect valuable items such as new plastic cards or cheque books from a local branch.
If you suspect your mail is being stolen, contact the Royal Mail customer enquiry line on 08457 740 740.
If you move house, tell your bank, card issuer and all other organisations that you deal with immediately. Ask the Royal Mail to redirect any mail from your old address to your new one for at least a year.
Keep all your plastic cards and PINs safe - if they are lost or stolen, cancel them immediately.
Keep a note of the emergency numbers you should call. Further details can be found at the Card Watch website at cardwatch.org.uk
When giving your card details or personal information over the phone, internet or in a shop, make sure other people cannot hear or see your personal information.
Keep your personal documents in a safe place, preferably in a lockable drawer or cabinet at home. Consider storing valuable financial documents such as share certificates with your bank.
If your passport or driving licence has been lost or stolen contact the issuing organisation immediately.
Don't throw away entire bills, receipts, credit or debit card slips, bank statements or even unwanted post in your name. Shred unwanted documents.
Check statements as soon as they arrive - if any unfamiliar transactions are listed, contact the company concerned immediately.
Useful contacts:
OBTAINING YOUR CREDIT FILE
Call Credit - callcredit.co.uk.
Equifax - equifax.co.uk.
Experian - experian.co.uk.
CONSUMER FINANCE IDENTITY THEFT INFORMATION
APACS - apacs.org.uk. Online safety -banksafeonline.org.uk. British Bankers' Association -bba.org.uk.
GENERAL CONSUMER ADVICE
Financial Services Authority - fsa.gov.uk.
Card Watch - cardwatch.org.uk.
UK Passport Service - passport.gov.uk.
DVLA - dvla.gov.uk/faq/faq-lost-documents.htm.
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