Watchdog makes identity theft warning

An official watchdog has issued a fresh warning to the public about the risks of identity theft.

Monday's survey published by the Information Commissioner's Office revealed that many people are still throwing away intact information which could be used to defraud them.

A third of respondents binned their bank statements, receipts and other personal documents without shredding or destroying them.

And a quarter failed to routinely check bank statements for unfamiliar transactions, while nearly half used the same PIN and passwords across different accounts.

The study also found that 20 per cent of respondents had been victims of identity crime.

ICO deputy commissioner David Smith said: "We are living in an age where protecting your personal information has never been so important.

"Almost every day we give out our personal details which can leave us open to identity theft, unwanted marketing and a loss of privacy."