There are many prudent measures that you can take at home, on the phone and online to safeguard against identity theft and fraud.

• Never give out your personal details over the phone to anyone claiming to be from a bank, store, or company even if you have had previous dealings with them
• Always check their identity by calling back to verify their legitimacy
• Never respond to emails asking for personal information
• Never respond to emails offering ‘make money’ schemes, free holidays, prizes etc
• Always use reputable and recognisable shopping websites for online purchases
• Arrange with your bank to have a security check alert appear before you make online payments
• Always shred mail with your financial details such as bank and credit card statements, till receipts, chequebook stubs etc
• Never carry important documents on your person such as utility bills, passport or birth certificate except when necessary
• Keep your wallet out of sight and on your person
• Study your bank accounts in detail
• Memorise your pin numbers, if you do have to write them down keep them amongst other random numbers
• Make sure no one observes you putting in your pin number
• Ensure you are not overheard when divulging details in a public place
• When you move always re-direct your mail
• Check your credit records are up-to-date
• Never use the same password for all online sites