Scam Types dot Com

Act Quickly!!

That’s the best piece of advice I can give you.

If you have lost personal information, or had it stolen, then don’t waste any time. Deal with it straight away to minimise the time in which an identity thief can make use of it. This will also ensure any losses are contained in the short term.

Contact your bank and credit card companies and tell them what has happened. They have dealt with identity theft victims before and can help you. Block or change your bank account and credit cards. If you have to associate a password with an account then choose a hard to guess password - date of birth, maiden name, first school, etc can all be found from public records if an identity thief is determined enough.

If your National Insurance number has been compromised then contact your local jobcentre or the Department for Work and Pensions, both of whom can help in such cases.

The DVLA in Swansea should be contacted immediately if you have lost your driver’s licence. The passport office in London can help with lost passports. Additionally, they can also flag your original documents so that an identity thief has their use limited. Unfortunately, there are still many places that will just want to see the documents without employing any further checks.

As the loss of personal information can potentially lead to identity theft and other forms of crime it is a wise precaution to inform the police. Acquiring a crime number may also prove useful should you need to deal with any organisations or insurance crimes if your identity truly is taken.