Top 10 UK Identity Theft Hotspots...

Experian recently announced the results of their survey, revealing a list of the top 10 spots for identity theft in the UK; they are:

1. London
2. St Albans
3. Slough
4. Woking
5. Redhill
6. Windsor
7. Guildford
8. Brentwood
9. Camberley
10. Reading

Most worryingly, the same survey claims 92 per cent of victims fail to report it to the police...

Identity Fraud on the rise in UK...

Recent research from UK fraud prevention organisation, CIFAS, has revealed that, in the first quarter of 2007, the UK suffered a 12 per cent increase in identity fraud...

Comedian arrested over identity fraud...

Bennett Arron was arrested for stealing the identity of the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, while making a documentary about identity theft for Channel 4...

After himself being the victim of identity theft - and having someone run up ten thousand pounds worth of debt in his name Bennett agreed to make the programme for Channel 4; in it he easily steals the ID of several members of the general public – mostly in a shopping centre in Swansea.

However, deciding this wasn't dramatic enough, he decided that he should attempt to steal the identity of a politician to prove his point; Bennett explained. "I was a little bit dubious about it but Channel 4 said it was in the public interest so there should not be any repercussions.

“I applied for Charles Clarke’s birth certificate and then used it to apply for a driving licence, which you’re not supposed to be able to do. A week later I had a licence in his name with my photo on it."

“We then contacted the Home Office to say, ‘This is what we’ve done – I’ve got this, I don’t want it, we did it to prove a point’.”

He said the Home Office cancelled one meeting and then refused to reschedule it.

Six months later – just weeks before the programme was due to be broadcast – Mr Arron received a 6.50am visit from three CID officers. He eventually accepted a police caution for his actions but continues to harbour some injustice. “Ironically, when my identity was stolen and I tracked down the fraudster myself, nothing was done,”

How To Steal an Identity will be shown on May 15, on Channel 4, at 11pm