Some crimes are often front pages news, and the most high profile cases are rarely out of the media spotlight. However, there is a tendency for many other crimes to receive less publicity, even though the impact on the victims can be substantial. Identity fraud is one crime that tends not to make the headlines, and even when you do read or hear reports in the press about individuals that have become victims at the hands of identity fraudsters, it is far too easy to think that this could never happen to you. However, trends over recent years have shown that the number of cases of identity fraud in the UK is continuing to rise.
CIFAS, which is the UK's Fraud Prevention service, produces regular bulletins detailing the numbers of people that have been caught out by identity fraud, and their statistics show that year after year this is a crime that continues to have an impact. With hundreds of thousands of people falling victim to identity fraud each year, the sums of money involved are measured in billions, both in terms of personal losses and wider losses to the economy as a whole. Even people who take sensible precautions to keep their personal information safe can sometimes end up being a victim through no fault of their own.
Identity fraud really is a serious crime, and many victims that have had to suffer the lasting consequences of identity fraud know all too well that there tends to be no quick fix to clear their name. This is because it appears that it is they themselves that have been responsible for the fraudulent transactions, as they had been made in their own name. Even once the fraud has been detected, it can often be a struggle just to ensure that the money is refunded. After that, victims can continue to experience difficulties applying for loans, credit cards or mortgages for several months or even years, as it is not a simple process to ensure that the fraudulent transactions are completely removed from their credit record. Companies use our credit history to make lending decisions, and if there are significant problems with an individual's credit history, even if they were caused by fraud, then this can be a reason why applications are declined.
There is a broad consensus among experts in this field, that access to credit information is something that can help to identify this type of fraud in the early stages, and by viewing your credit report on a regular basis you can usually see any unusual activity. Identity Alarm is able to provide you with unlimited access to your credit report, powered by extensive credit report information from the UK's leading credit reference agency, Experian. In addition, once you have signed up for the service and have viewed your report, you can also receive weekly updates via email or text of any significant changes that take place to your credit report.
So why not put your trust in Identity Alarm, and make a new year's resolution for 2011 that will make a real difference and provide you with peace of mind.