Avoiding Online Scams Identity Theft

If you have a bank account, keep a close, regular eye on your statements to see where your money has been going. If something unusual pops up, like, for example, a large amount has been mysteriously spent on 300 miniature beaver statues, you should probably contact your bank and report it as soon as possible.

(No offence intended towards people who love miniature statues of beavers)

If someone dodgy gets hold of your passwords, they're probably gonna do a whoooole lot of fraud. It's tempting to save passwords as notes in your phone or in easily-accessible documents on your computer, but do this and you're asking for trouble. A good list of password managers can be found here.

Also, it's important to never email passwords and usernames together, as you never know who can access your email. It's a good idea to send both via separate platforms (e.g. - username via email, password via text).

Not to sound like we're being paranoid or anything, but you should definitely SHRED EVERYTHING. All important documents that you no longer need shouldn't simply be thrown away, as fraudsters have been known to rummage through bins to collect personal information. If you don't have a shredder, then rip up your documents and dispose of them in different bins. Not only will this mean your identity is safer, but you'll also feel like a cool spy.

Cold callers will contact anyone they can in an attempt to trap them into handing over personal details. Sometimes, it's not easy to identify a cold caller from a legitimate personal phone call. If you are unaware of who the person is and have had no prior contact with them or the company they claim to be calling from, simply hang up the phone and block the number. You don't need that kind of drama in your life.

The less of yourself the outside world has access to, the better, so we recommend that you adjust your social media settings to 'private' wherever possible.

Sure, you may not get to brag about that ridiculous yoga position you managed to snap your limbs into, to as many people as you'd like, but at least you'll get to keep your own identity.

As mentioned above, you should contact your bank straight away if you're concerned that you've been a victim of online fraud, but you can also get in touch with Action Fraud using their online reporting tool or by calling 03001232040.

Don't sit and hope for the best if it looks like you've been dragged into something criminal, as before you know it, you too could end up having 73 other versions of yourself roaming around...