Consider this. The last time you went to open a bank account, all you had to provide was a few utility bills in your name to prove where you live. If you take time letting the relevant people know you have moved, the bills will be posted to your old house. You only need a dishonest person to move in and Bob's your uncle - your identity's been nicked.
You should tell your neighbours if you are going away on holiday, ask them to check that your mail is properly pushed through the letter box. It is a security risk if your gas bill, bank statements and that irritating junk mail with your name on it, is available for anyone to pick up.
Put all your documents and paperwork through the shredder. The last thing you want is for people to go through your rubbish and find documents relating to you and your finances. Old bills will have your name and address and account numbers on them. Destroy them before throwing away. Cancel your old credit cards or better still shred them. For only a few pounds, you can buy a basic model shredder - it's well worth it!
Keep a zealous watch on your credit cards. Thousands of people have had their cards skimmed. It is remarkably simple and extremely common. You may be in a restaurant, bar or petrol station, you need to pay the bill. You hand your card to the person serving you, without you knowing they quickly swipe it in a machine that copies the magnetic strip, then hand the card back to you. They then have all the information they need to make a coy of your bank card. Even without the pin number a clone of the card could still be used.
Your pin number is the most important part of your card so keep it to yourself. When someone knows your Pin number, they have complete access to your account. Don't write it down in your purse or wallet, keep your hand covered when keying in the number at the ATM or the till and never ever let anyone know what the number is.
Once you have told someone what your pin number is, you are liable for any losses. A Pin number must remain secret. If you tell anyone what it is you have given them legitimate access to your money and the fault is yours if they steal it.
Check whether anyone has applied for bank accounts, loans or cards in your name. You can do this by keeping track of your credit file, see which institutions have checked your credit file, they will only do this if you (or someone masquerading as you) has applied for finance or tried to open an account.
Be wary of the internet. If you do not have the correct firewalls set up on your Personal Computer and you are using a wireless broad band connection, then anyone in the vicinity can access your internet connection. And while it is unlikely that they could access your internet banking, it is possible they could view it. If you are going to do online banking from a wireless Personal Computer, be sure you have security measures set in place to prevent anyone from accessing your connection.
And lastly do not open phishing emails. Building societies and banks do not send out emails asking for personal details. If you receive an email from your bank it's unlikely to be legitimate, and if it is asking you to follow a link and enter your personal details, it's a "phishing" email from a thief trying to get your bank details. If you are unsure and think the email could be genuine, call your bank and deal with any questions over the phone. Do not click links or enter passwords, or you could become the latest victim of online banking fraud.
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