More than half of people living in Yorkshire say that they are more concerned about ID fraud than they were 12 months ago, according to Leeds-based credit report firm Call Credit.

It is not surprising when you consider that the crime is costing the economy £1.2bn a year - the equivalent of £25 per adult living in the UK, according to the Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC).

A big chunk of this money is being spent on anti-theft systems as well as on the prosecution of the criminal opportunists. It also covers the financial loss to organisations, which are often picking up the bill for us little people.

The telecoms industry handled £485m worth of fraudulently obtained mobile phones, premium rate services and long distance calls in 2007/8.

The financial sector lost £201m from account takeovers and fraudulent third party applications.

IFSC was set up in 2003 to identify effective measures to tackle identity fraud.

Public and private sector organisations sit on the committee, including HM Revenue and Customs, the Financial Services Authority and the British Bankers' Association.

The good news is that fraudsters are finding it more difficult to use fake identities to open accounts and take out loans because of bank belt-tightening, the All Party Group on ID cards reported last week. The bad news is that they are now increasingly having to target ordinary people.

Owen Roberts, ID fraud expert at the Leeds-based credit report provider Callcredit, said: "The unfortunate truth is that with the involvement of organised criminals and frequent revelations of personal data being lost, identity fraud has become a fact of life for UK consumers.

"We can, and must, all play our part in the fight against identity fraud which as individuals means ensuring we take steps to discourage, detect and deflect any attempt to steal our identity."

A few simple steps can be taken to prevent ID fraud, said Mr Roberts, such as checking your credit report regularly for suspicious accounts, shredding unwanted documents and making sure your anti-virus is up to date can often be enough to protect your identity.

"Falling victim to identity fraud can be a harrowing experience, but a small amount of time spent now can save you from months of trying to reclaim control of your own name," he added.

Use this check list to assess whether you are at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft:

You have lost or had stolen important documents such as your passport or driving licence;

Post expected from your bank has not arrived or you are receiving no post at all;

You identify entries on your personal credit file from organisations you do not normally deal with;

Items have appeared on your bank or credit-card statements that you do not recognise;

You applied for a state benefit but are told that you are already claiming,

You receive bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for goods or services you haven't asked for;

You have been refused a financial service, such as a credit card or a loan, despite having a good credit history;

A mobile-phone contract has been set up in your name without your knowledge;

You have received letters from solicitors or debt collectors for debts that aren't yours;

Financial institutions that you do not normally deal with contact you to chase an outstanding debt.

Fraud techniques

The most common form of ID fraud reported to credit reference agency Experian was "forwarding address fraud" - where a fraudster redirects the victim's post to a drop address that he/she then visits to collect mail.

According to Experian's Victims of Fraud team, people most likely to fall victim to identity fraud are those in rented accommodation – either private or social. They are more likely to share mailboxes and tend to move house more frequently than homeowners. This provides fraudsters with more of an opportunity to misuse credit histories that have not been updated.


TOP TIPS

TOP tips to protecting your identity from Call Credit

Do not throw your identity away - keep track of important personal documents and shred anything you no longer want that contains information about you

Always check statements and watch out for small unrecognised transactions as these can be a precursor to serious spending by a fraudster

Make certain you are watching for warning signs by regularly checking your credit report through services such as www.callcreditcheck.com

Keep passwords and PIN codes safe and do not disclose them to anyone

Do not broadcast your identity on the internet by failing to protect your PC


Key contacts for ID issues

APACS - for information and advice to stay safe online - call 020 7711 6200, or go to www.apacs.org.uk and/or www.banksafeonline.org.uk

British Bankers' Association - general consumer advice for banking-related products and services - call 020 7216 8800 or go to www.bba.org.uk

Financial Services Authority - information on finance-related scams and swindles - call 0845 606 1234 or go to www.fsa.gov.uk and/or www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk/scams.

CardWatch - information and tips on using your plastic cards safely - www.cardwatch.org.uk/

CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention Service - www.cifas.org.uk/

Identity fraud organisation - information about identity fraud and how to apply for protective registration - www.identityfraud.org.uk

Callcredit - a credit reference agency that can let you monitor rogue activity and stamp out ID fraud - call 0113 244 1555, visit One Park Lane, Leeds or go to www.callcredit.co.uk/home

Experian - a credit reference agency that can let you monitor rogue activity and stamp out ID fraud - call 0844 481 8000 or go to www.experian.co.uk

Equifax - a credit reference agency that can let you monitor rogue activity and stamp out ID fraud - call 0870 010 2091 or go to www.equifax.co.uk.