Identity Theft

Identity theft sounds like something out of a spy novel but is in fact a serious problem faced by many people in the UK today.

Identity theft can have devestating consequences and can lead to a bad credit rating and even bankruptcy.

Using your Credit Report to stay ahead of Identity Theft

In most cases, the first you hear of your identity being stolen is when you receive letters, phone calls or statements asking for payment for loans or credit cards you are not aware of.

Keeping an eye on your credit report is a proven method to prevent Identity Theft as you have the chance of catching any offenders before they manage to do any damage. With many of the credit reporting facilities availble today you will be alerted to any changes on your report such as any applications for credit cards or loans etc. as well as any other changes made to your report.  If at any time, you see something on your report you feel shouldn’t be there, you can dispute it. More importantly, you can intervene and stop the activity.

Who you should contact in cases of irregularities

Firstly you should contact your credit agency and file a complaint with them regarding the nature of irregularities. . Another thing that you should do is contact other credit referencing agencies to check if they too have the same wrong information. If all the agencies have identical wrong information, it is a good sign someone is playing with your identity and you should file a report with the police.