from Sgt. Annette Anderson :




CRIME ALERT


Monday 12th Jan 2004




Burglaries Lower Morden - There has been a spate of burglaries in
this area and several committed already in January. The property
stolen is often bulky such as alcoholic drinks and frozen foods and it is
possible the suspect maybe using a vehicle. The roads around
Seymour Avenue, Lynmouth Avenue and Salcombe Drive have
recently been targeted. The burglaries have been committed after 9.
30pm.




IDENTITY THEFT




What is it?


Identity theft is the unlawful taking of another person's details without
their permission. The information stolen can be used to obtain many
financial services goods and other forms of identification i.e. Passports
and Driving Licenses. The information stolen can range from a copy of
birth certificate to copies of discarded bank or credit card statements
and utility bills.


Once the criminals have copies of someone's identity they can
embark on criminal activity in your name with the knowledge that any
follow up investigations will not lead to them. With your details they
can obtain documents that are in essence real but contain false
information thus making it difficult for organisations to known who
they really are dealing with.


Protect yourself!


Be careful with your personal information. If you receive a telephone
call from a credit card company, bank or other retail company asking
to confirm certain details about yourself decline them and ask to call
them back preferably through a central switchboard.


When destroying personal correspondence such as bank and credit
card statements consider a shredder or even burning them on the
garden refuse. If you cannot do either then tear the papers up into
very small pieces or place in the refuse bin with other waste products.


If you move address remember to inform all of the companies that
send personal information to you in the post. Always consider
re-directing your post with Royal Mail.


If you fail to do this people moving in might have free access to your
personal details and misappropriate them.


How do you know if are victim to this type of fraud?


Are you missing your regular monthly statements?


Have you noticed charges to your accounts that are not yours?
Remember to check all statements especially bank and credit card.


Being contacted by a debt collection agency about outstanding
payments for items or services that you have not ordered.


Protect yourself act quickly


Firstly do not ignore the problem it might not be you that has ordered
some goods or opened an account but the debt falls to your name and
address.


Once blacklisted for credit it may take many years to fully recover the
problem you might have difficulties in obtaining a mortgage or other
bank credit.


Contact your local Police and report the crime and ask for a crime
reference number to quote to the companies that allege that you have
opened an account with them.





USEFUL CONTACTS


Credit Reference Agencies


EXPERIAN LTD


Consumer Help Services


PO Box 8000PO


Nottingham


NG1 5GX


Tel: 08702416212


www.experian.co.uk




CALLCREDIT PLC


One Park Lane,


Leeds.


West Yorkshire.


LS3 1EP.


Tel: 08700601414


www.callcredit.plc.uk


CIFAS


Compliance Officer


4th Floor


Tennyson House


159 Great Portland Street


London W1W 5PA


Email: cifas@...


www.cifas.org.uk


EQUIFAX PLC


Credit File Advice Center


PO BOX 1140


Bradford


BD1 5SU


Tel: 08705143700


www.equifax.com







REMEMBER YOUR DETAILS ARE YOURS! DON'T LET
CRIMINALS USE THEM





Remember: "If it sounds too good to be true, then it is!"