Fast Facts Don’t lose your identity You’ve read the stories: a woman being married to a man she has never met; bank accounts being opened in other people’s names without them knowing. It is like someone taking over your life. What’s scary is that so-called identity theft and the fraud associated with it is becoming more and more common in South Africa. Identity fraud happens when an individual’s personal information is used by someone else without their knowledge to obtain credit, goods or other services fraudulently. It has become one of the world’s fastest growing crimes, and the number of victims ever- increasing. A quick look at the facts and figures around identity fraud clearly shows that we all need to be more careful with our personal information such as your date of birth, address, and bank details. This could be enough information for a fraudster to open bank accounts, apply for credit cards and loans in your name resulting in you facing numerous debts and a damaged credit record. A bin raiding survey (yes, they went looking into people’s trash bins) commissioned by Fellowes in the UK for National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, showed that an alarming 79% of household waste contained at least one or more items which could assist fraudsters in stealing an identity. Even more worryingly, the survey also revealed that almost half of all households threw away everything a potential fraudster would need to steal a person’s identity. A victim is often unaware that his personal details are being compromised, and may only find out months later that they are being impersonated. Research from credit reference agency Experian reveals that it takes an average of 467 days for people to realize they have become a victims of identity fraud. Here is how you may protect your identity: Shred personal accounts. Don’t throw personal documents such as bank statements, copies of identity documents and retail accounts into the rubbish bin … rather shred them. Keep your details to yourself: Do not divulge such details as your identity number, account numbers, PINs and addresses to any person or organisation with who you are not familiar. Be suspicious. Don’t be taken in by telephonic solicitations of your personal details and never provide sensitive financial information over the Internet or phone unless you initiated the interaction with a trusted entity. Monitor your accounts. Do this by using monitoring services that are available. Make sure alerts are sent to both your email and your cellphone, and read your credit reports regularly. Report any lost identity document to the police immediately and also contact the following organisations for further assistance: South African Fraud Prevention Services offers a protective registration service that gives some measure of protection if your identity document is stolen or if you have been a victim of identity theft. Go to www.safps.org.za or call 011 869 6460. The TransUnion ITC credit bureau offers an SMS service that will immediately alert you if your credit profile changes. Go to www.transunionitc.co.za or call 086 148 2482. Experian is a credit bureau that offers an SMS service that will immediately alert you if your credit profile changes Go to www.experian.co.za or call 086 110 5665. Tips to help guard you against identity fraud on a Standard Bank credit card Sign your card as soon as you receive it Never let your card out of sight when making payments Ensure that you get your own card back after every purchase Report lost and stolen cards immediately to your bank Don’t ask anyone to help you with your ATM transaction Don’t let anyone stand too close to you at an ATM Report suspicious items or people around ATMs (even faults) Never force your card into the ATM slot Avoid using ATMs that are clearly damaged or tampered with Never write down your PIN or disclose it to anyone (memorize it) Shield the keypad when entering your PIN to ensure that no one can see it Don’t choose an easily guessable PIN or password (e.g., birth date) Don’t give away your internet banking passwords to anyone (either by phone or email) Change your PIN and internet banking password often.