UK businesses are putting themselves and their customers at risk from identity theft
The cost of ID theft and fraud isn’t just financial; a company stands to lose its hard-earned reputation and the confidence of customers – two things most businesses simply can’t afford to lose. Common sense and due diligence are key to preventing businesses from becoming one of these victims.
New research shows that businesses need to get serious about identity theft
New research has been published showing that businesses are failing to protect themselves and their customers from corporate identity theft. New polling research by Populus*, commissioned by Fellowes, shows that:
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93% of businesses said they take the issue of identity theft seriously.
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91% of businesses said they shred documents containing sensitive or personal information such as home addresses, bank account details or credit card numbers, before disposing of them.
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89% of businesses claim to have clear guidelines on how to treat sensitive or personal information – such as home addresses, bank account details or credit card numbers – about other employees or customers.
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88% of businesses said they have issued clear guidelines to staff explaining how different types of waste – including sensitive or personal information – should be disposed of.
However despite what they say, new ‘bin raiding’ research on small and medium sized businesses has revealed that:
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79% of businesses sampled had not made any effort to destroy sensitive material that was thrown away or prepared for recycling.
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30% of businesses threw away information that would be useful to competitors.
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40% of businesses threw away sensitive client information including home addresses, phone numbers and photocopies of passports.
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30% of businesses threw away personal information relating to employees including home contact details.
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Only 4% had successfully destroyed all sensitive information.
It clear from this survey that sensitive Company information can be obtained by fraudsters. Using this information fraudsters can make vital changes to your Company which can result in financial losses, damaged reputation and loss of customers. For assistance in protecting your Company please see here for our Company ID Theft Protection Services, contact us on 0844 561 6852, or email us and we will be happy to assist you.
