ID fraud rife as 85% of Brits regularly receive someone else’s mail

Consumers are leaving a trail of information behind them when they move house and risk becoming victims of identity fraudsters. A survey by home move service Moveme.com has found that 85% of people regularly receive the mail of at least one person who no longer lives at their address.

In fact, 27% are receiving more than three previous residents’ mail. Based on current Government figures this could mean that approximately 21 million households regularly receive mail intended for a previous residents.

Jonathan Turpin, Chief Executive of Moveme.com, said: “It is very concerning that so much post is being delivered for people at previous addresses, especially with identity fraud on the increase. More than 100,000 people are affected by identity fraud every year, which costs the economy £1.2billion according to the Home Office. It is vital that consumers are aware of the importance of ensuring all their mail follows them when they move.

“With so much to do when you are moving house it is easy to forget to inform everyone you are moving. However, a few simple tasks could help keep identities safe and reduce the hassle of having to redirect mail for previous occupiers. It isn’t just financial information which is valuable, your date of birth, address, mother’s maiden name and passwords are all key information identity fraudsters are keen to get their hands on.”

By redirecting mail for a least a year after a move, movers will be able to ensure they inform all organisations who write to them, no matter how sporadically, of their new address. It is also important to notify all financial institutions, utility suppliers and anyone else who might send private financial information, of a move as soon as possible. This can all be done in advance of moving.

Junk Mail is likely to be the most common form of mail being sent to an old address, with 0.5 million tonnes being generated every year in the UK. While most of this is probably unwanted junk, it can include pre-completed credit card and loan applications, which can act as an open invitation to ID fraudsters.

To help combat the risk of ID fraud, Moveme.com’s Moveplanner allows users to create self generating change of address letters to all authorities, banks and utility companies helping to ensure no-one is forgotten. The planner also enables users to unregister both old and new addresses from junk mail lists through the mail preference servicer and provides useful reminders on key dates, such as setting up a redirect mail service and notifying various organisations of the move. Further information on how to prevent ID fraud is available at www.moveme.com/id-fraud.

Moveme.com’s top five tips for avoiding identity fraud:

Redirect all mail for a least a year after you move

Notify all banks, the DVLA and other organisations of your change of address immediately

Always check bank and credit card statements, and check receipts against your statements carefully. If you find any unfamiliar transactions, contact your credit card company or bank immediately. Also check your credit report regularly, which can cost as little as £2

Remove your old and new addresses from direct marketing lists, using the mail preference service. You can also remove any old residents from your address. Additionally you can request an ‘opt out’ form from the Royal Mail

Shred financial statements, card receipts and other personal documents before binning them

For a useful, free to use Move Planner calendar, visit moveme.com