Nearly half of households throw away items which could be used by criminals in ID fraud, according to new figures published today.

Research carried out by police and consumer groups showed around 48 per cent of homes threw out information containing details such as card numbers, bank account numbers and signatures, Reuters reports.

The chairman of the parliamentary all-party group on ID fraud, Nigel Evans MP, told the BBC: "Throwing away your personal details is as good as advertising them in the local paper. We are making it far too easy for the identity thieves."

According to This is Money's expert, writing today, ID theft protection plans can provide a range of useful help, by providing alerts whenever a transation is made, so that the customer can flag up anything suspicious.

If you’re worried about id theft and the effect it could have on your credit rating, sign up today to a FREE trial of MyCallcredit’s early fraud detection service.




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