Even though there have been some major advances in the detection of identification theft, you would be wrong to assume that all is well and you can let down your guard.  The crooks are becoming ever more ingenious in their approach and the methods used to obtain your details. As they say on the National Lottery advert – “It could be you!”

While there are many experts and observers out there who will claim that ID theft is under control and manageable, the truth is that it will always be with us.  The internet has opened up a whole new medium, a way in which they can steal your details without being traced, a medium by which they can obtain access to millions of people by SPAM emails.

There are many people out there who consider these crooks to be sophisticated and highly intelligent, when in reality they do not need to be.  It is very easy to fake a site to look like the original, set-up a fake email address and milk as many visitors as they can of their private details.  This is the main problem, it is not rocket science and as soon as one culprit is closed down, there are ten more ready to take their place.

The only way you can minimise the impact is not to answer unsolictored or strange emails, keep your details secret and check your bank account statements on a regular basis.  If you see anything which seems even remotely strange or incorrect, contact your service provider asap – it could literally save you thousands in the long term.