National Identity Fraud Prevention Week

Facts about Corporate Identity Fraud

Businesses can also become victims of corporate identity fraud. Shockingly 79% of businesses make no effort to destroy the sensitive material that they throw away or are preparing to recycle.

Incredibly, companies are not just risking their own identities but also those of their customers and their employees.

40% of businesses risk their client’s identities by throwing away sensitive customer information without due care which can include home addresses, phone numbers and photocopies of passports - all of which can be used by a criminal to steal a person’s identity (survey commissioned by Fellowes).

Corporations are being targeted by ruthless criminals, who can use their identity to trade off the real company’s good name to obtain goods and services on credit from suppliers. However this is not the only area of risk, fraudsters can obtain signatures from public records and attempt to attack company bank accounts by purporting to be the signatory on the account.

Companies can put measures in place to reduce the opportunities open to criminals to commit identity fraud and to use their organisation for criminal activity. Many of the rules that apply to individuals can be adapted to protect companies and a free guide to Protecting Your Identity and more details are available. You can also refer to the 'Protect Your Business' section of this site for a list of further actions you can take.

Most companies collect personal and confidential information from their customers and employees, including names, addresses, and phone numbers; bank and credit card account numbers; income and credit histories; and national insurance numbers.

As a business you should be doing everything possible to protect the personal data you collect. Please refer to the Protect Your Employees and Customers section for more information.

In support of this campaign, A1stores have created a one-stop-shop for businesses to purchase shredders for your company.