Under-30s in the high risk zone of 'identity fraud'

Living in rented properties, frequently changing places of residence are some of the common reasons as stated by Npower.

London (loans-bazaar) 14th Aug. 2006: People under the age of 30 are most at risk from identity fraud, a new study from Npower suggests.

An Identity fraud is when someone steals the personal details of an individual for his own personal financial gain; these details can allow fraudsters to open new bank accounts, take personal loans or at times, even use credit cards in that person's name.

According to Npower's Zoe Coombs, 'nomadic' nature of the target group, which means, "living in rented properties or moving out of university halls" and so on are some of the common factors responsible. All this make them susceptible as they fail to protect the confidential financial information frequently.

The report also indicates that many more Brits are leaving their money open to criminals; it suggests that almost six million people in the UK have already fallen victim to identity fraud.

Ms Coombs says: "Speed is of the essence if you think you may have fallen victim [to identity fraud] as identity fraud can cause such distress and take up so much time dealing with banks, credit card companies and other lenders.

Take steps in order to protect yourself against the crime. Prevention is definitely better than cure." Ensure the lender you deal with has proper data security measures in place to prevent misuse of your personal information.

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