Following recent revelations that personal details of all families in the UK with a child under 16 had gone missing, there are steps you can take to help guard against fraud. Valuable information to help protect you can be found on http://www.identity-theft.org.uk/protect-yourself.htm

• Monitor your bank account for unusual activity and check your bank statements carefully and if you notice any transactions which are not yours, contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the circumstances.
• Make a regular check of your credit report which lists all your credit commitments and recent applications for credit so you can instantly see if someone has been trying to use your ID and put a stop to problems before they can develop. It is recommended that you check your personal credit file 2 - 3 months after you have moved house.
• Be especially careful if you live in a property where other people could have access to 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 that your mail is being stolen, contact the Royal Mail Customer Enquiry Line on 08457 740 740. Check whether a mail redirection order has been made in your name without your knowledge.
• When 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.
• Consider using the Mailing Preference Service to limit the amount of unwanted mail you receive.
• If your plastic cards are lost or stolen, cancel them immediately. Keep a note of the emergency numbers you should call. 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. Never carry documents or plastic cards unnecessarily. When not in use keep them in a safe place.
• 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. Destroy unwanted documents, preferably by using a shredder.
• Never give personal or account details to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Be suspicious even if they claim to be from your bank or the police. Ask for their phone number, check it is genuine and, if so, call them back. Be aware that a bank will never ask for your PIN or for a whole security number or password. Keep them secure.
• Don't use the same password for more than one account and never use banking passwords for any other websites. Using different passwords increases security and makes it less likely that someone could access any other accounts.
• Keep your passwords safe and never record or store them in a manner which leaves them open to theft, such as in your purse or wallet. Criminals sometimes use the identities of deceased persons to commit fraud, which can be very distressing for those close to the deceased. One way of reducing the chances of this happening is to register with services that remove the deceased's details from mailing lists. The following websites offer deceased person mail preference services and provide further information on this issue:
  • The Bereavement Register - http://www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk/
  • Deceased Preference Service - http://www.deceasedpreferenceservice.co.uk/
  • Mailing Preference Service - http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/
• Be more aware of hoax calls, letters or emails as criminals may contact you pretending to be from an official organisation and requesting further information so they can protect you. Be vigilant and don't give information to people you do not know.
• Make sure your bank and credit account passwords don't relate to the date that could be compromised. Many people tend to use details such as children's names as passwords to protect our bank and credit card accounts as fraudsters are likely to make a good guess at such passwords. Make sure you update them on a regular basis and select unique words that do not relate to any personal information.
• Be careful when using social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace - edit out names of pets, mother's maiden name, where you went to school and anything else you might use as a password or pin.

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