IDENTITY theft

Identity theft is a term used to refer to a fraud that involves stealing money or getting other benefits by pretending to be someone else. İf you are that someone else it can be a real pain. The most obvious form of ID theft is when your credit card is skimmed and a copy of it is then used to buy goods that are easily converted into cash. Store cards are another favourite of ID thieves who use an identity to set up an account and then run up debts. It really gets tricky when someone uses an identity to take out a car loan or even a mortgage. There can be problems when it comes to persuading fıfinancial institutions that an imposter has taken out the loan. If you feel that you could be a target of İD theft for any reason then contact your bank, credit card company or credit union and tell them. You can also request a credit check on yourself from credit checking agencies such as Experian or the Irish Credit Bureau. If you are a single person sharing a house or flat then make sure no-one else is getting your mail, especially if you are going off backpacking for two months. Things like your date of birth, mother's maiden name, your social insurance number, bank account details are all useful to a fraudster - so don't put them on Facebook. To be really effective an ID thief needs to change your address to somewhere they can get your mail, so follow up if the usual monthly statement stops arriving. If it does happen, don't panic. Keep careful records of everything connected with the fraud and report it to the police as well as getting the financial institution involved. The National Consumer Agency and the Financial Regulator have good advice as well.