Insurer points out ID fraud risk

Around 30 percent of Britons put themselves at high risk of fraud by writing down their passwords for credit card and bank accounts, insurer More Than has claimed.

The firm's new fraud report also revealed that one in five use the same PIN or password for most or all of their credit cards, and that 29 percent use secured websites - such as pages for online banking - while at work.

This apparently lax attitude towards ID security comes despite seven in ten of More Than's poll respondents saying that they felt at "greater risk" of ID fraud than they did five years ago.

"There are lots of simple steps people can take to minimise the risk of falling victim to identity theft," Simon Logan, head of More Than Law, commented. The firm has also released its own "top five tips" for people to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

Primarily, consumers are advised to know how any personal information they give another company will be used or shared. Shredding bank statements rather than throwing them away, checking through financial documents thoroughly and avoiding carrying too much personal ID around also comes recommended from More Than.