New Addington, Croydon, unveiled as ID fraud hot spot

6th February 2008

No longer a 'model' town

Londoners are most at risk of ID fraud in the UK, according to a new national ranking published by the credit reference agency, Callcredit. With New Addington in the London Borough of Croydon revealed as the area most "at risk" of identity theft, the hometown of Kate Moss can no longer seen as a model location.

Analysis by Callcredit found that almost 50% of the top 20 postal areas most at risk of ID fraud fell within Greater London and the surrounding areas, suggesting that those living in the capital need to be on high alert for identity theft.

While London tops the ID fraud list, the North West is the second most 'at risk' region, followed by the North East and the West Midlands. Bootle on the North West, home of many notable Liverpool footballers, is ranked the location second most prone to identity theft. Residents in Northern Ireland are however the least at risk of ID theft in UK.

Owen Roberts, Identity Protection Expert at Callcredit said:

"Due to transient populations, the UK's largest cities are most at risk of ID fraud. Whether you live in city or a village no one is 100% safe from identity theft. Taking simple steps such as shredding documents, protecting your PC and regularly checking your credit report can however help you to stay safe and make life harder for the criminals."

"Data loss and ID fraud has become an all too familiar concept. Becoming a victim of ID fraud can be a devastating experience, so doing all you can to protect yourself is essential. Although there's plenty of information available on how to stay protected from identity theft, many people are still getting caught out."