Glasgow worst in UK for taking care of personal details

FOUR in five Britons are still careless with personal details, despite three-quarters having been affected by identity fraud.

More than 19 million households regularly place confidential items in rubbish bins and one in ten throws away whole credit or debit card numbers, according to a survey released at the start of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week.

Glasgow is the worst risk area in Britain, according to the poll, which found 82 per cent of households had disposed of material that could have been used by a fraudster. The most responsible behaviour patterns were seen in Birmingham (62 per cent) and Cardiff (69 per cent).

Kate Beddington Brown, of CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service, added: "It is easy to think, 'identity theft won't happen to me', but it is all too easy to become a victim. We all need to be particularly careful with our personal details.

"To give two examples, don't hand your personal details to anyone in the street just because they have a clipboard, and don't use your mobile phone to buy an item from a catalogue in a crowded railway carriage.

"Make no mistake about being a victim - even if you manage to rectify matters quickly, it can still be a very unnerving experience."

Meg Hillier MP, the Home Office Minister with responsibility for identity fraud, said: "Identity fraud is a serious problem and is often the 'tip of the iceberg', enabling other criminal activity such as benefit fraud, illegal immigration, illegal working, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

"It is vital that everyone takes appropriate steps to reduce the opportunities for criminals to use other people's identity to commit fraud. This is not just about individuals protecting their own identity.

"All organisations, including government and businesses, have a responsibility to protect the personal details of employees and customers."

Meanwhile, a survey by credit reference agency Callcredit, found 93 per cent of Britons were unsure if they were taking the right steps to protect themselves.

Owen Roberts, identity protection expert at Callcredit, said: "While there's a lot of advice out there on how to protect yourself from ID fraud, many consumers are still falling victim.

"It is impossible to be 100 percent safe from identity theft as everyday life leaves countless footprints that a criminal can use to steal your identity."