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Identity Theft & Internet Fraud

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is when someone takes your personal information and pretends to be you for their personal (often financial) gain.

Criminals steal your identity so that they can do things like open bank accounts or get credit cards, passports, mobile phone contracts and other documents in your name.

As well as finding personal information in the real world (taking documents from your rubbish, intercepting your mail or stealing your wallet or purse, for example), criminals are increasingly using technology to facilitate identity theft.

They’re sending emails claiming to be from your bank and asking you to confirm your account details and password; they’re setting up fraudulent websites; and they’re targeting mobile users who have Bluetooth on their phones.

Research in 2010 by Get Safe Online revealed that the boom in smartphones is making people vulnerable, with 67% of those who access the internet from their mobiles not using a password or PIN number. Smartphones should be treated like a mini laptop – if your mobile is stolen, the thief might be able to access your emails, social networking profile or even your online bank account.

Did you know?

Identity theft is on the increase in the UK, with the government estimating in 2008 that identity fraud costs the UK economy £1.2 billion a year

What do I need to know about identity theft?

You might think that identity theft is more of an issue for adults than for children. But young people can be the victims of identity theft too and it might go undetected for several years, until they want to open their own bank account or take out a student loan, for example.

In fact, research carried out in early 2010 revealed that 16-24 year olds are more at risk of online fraud than any other age group in the UK, as they are more likely to shop and conduct their lives online.

Younger internet users are particularly vulnerable as they might be more trusting of strangers and not realise how someone could misuse their personal information. So, it’s important that your whole family understands how to minimise the risks of identity theft.

What can I do about identity theft?

  • Talk to your child about what ‘personal details’ are – it’s not just their (and your) name, address, phone number and date of birth but also things like bank account numbers, passport numbers and passwords for the computer and internet – and explain why it’s important that they keep their (and your) personal details to themselves
  • Encourage them to use different user names on public websites (ie not their real name or email address) and to ask you first before submitting personal information online (eg when they’re registering on a games website)
  • If you know their social networking profile ID, let them know you’ll keep an eye on the kind of personal information they post on the site
  • Teach them about email scams (called ‘phishing’) that ask for personal information and often claim to be from a bona fide organisation like a bank or the police
  • Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, spam filters and a firewall in place and, if you have a wireless network at home, make sure it’s encrypted
  • Keep your debit and credit cards safe – if your child wants to buy something online, enter the card details yourself rather than giving them your card
  • Set up a PIN lock on your child’s and your own mobile and use strong passwords (a combination of letters, symbols and digits) on your computer and any websites you visit. Don’t write them down, don’t share them with anyone and change them regularly – teach your child to do the same
  • Encourage your son or daughter to keep portable devices like mobiles and laptops safe and secure, just as they would their money or other valuables
  • Teach them to not open email attachments unless they know who has sent the email and to only download content from websites they trust
  • If your child’s mobile is Bluetooth-enabled, set Bluetooth to ‘off’ so that other Bluetooth users can’t access the information stored on their mobile (known as Bluesnarfing)
  • Obtain your credit file from a company like Experian or Equifax so you can check which financial institutions have accessed your details
  • If you or your child are the victim of identity theft, report it to the police and get a Crime Reference Number or contact Crimestoppers
  • Read our articles about Bluetooth, privacy, security and spam & scams

Where can I go for more information and support about identity theft?

  • Report online fraud to Action Fraud in the UK
  • Bank Safe Online explains online banking scams, such as phishing, and lets you report them in the UK
  • Crimestoppers has a useful Identity Theft Victim Checklist on its website and you can report an identity theft crime in the UK to them
  • The Identity Theft website, set up by the UK government and other relevant organisations, provides in-depth advice about identity theft in both the real world and virtual world
  • Get Safe Online, the UK’s national internet security awareness campaign, has a useful section called ‘Help me stop identity theft’
  • Get advice and talk to other parents on Mumsnet
  • Parentline’s free 24/7 helpline offers guidance on a wide range of parenting issues

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How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

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  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

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  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

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  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

    Read more

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