One of five in Australia victims of identity theft

A report has found that one in five Australians are victims of identity theft.  According to the report, criminals use low tech means such as stealing mail to steal their victims' identities.

The Veda Advantage Identity Crimes Report came to the conclusion that 1.2 million Australians had their bank accounts illegally accessed while 1.5 million had their credit cards illegally copied.  Another 1.2 million had also had their mail stolen.

Stealing a person's mail is an easy way to get the information needed to steal that person's identity.  You can help protect yourself from this means of identity theft by utilizing a locked mailbox that allows your mailman to deliver your mail but requires a key to retrieve the mail.

Another means of identity theft popular in Australia is the use of software that allegedly scans your computer for viruses but instead installs software to steal your personal information, including financial information.