Town among UK's ID theft hotspots

London is the country's hot-spot for ID fraud, Experian said

A small Hampshire town is among the hotspots for ID theft across the UK, according to a report from Experian.

The credit reference firm put Swanwick, near Fareham, as the 14th most likely place for people to become victims.

The figures were compiled using data of victims who came to the firm for help. The London area came out top.

Hampshire police said their figures showed reports in the area were low, but put this down to the fact victims are advised to contact their banks.

The most likely victims of ID theft were aged between 26 and 45, earned more than �50,000, rented their home and lived in London, Experian's analysis found.

On average, London residents were twice as likely to become victims of identity fraud as people in the rest of the UK, Experian's Victims of Fraud Dossier found.

Kensington is the fraud hotspot, followed by Richmond-upon-Thames, Putney, Wimbledon and the King's Road area of Chelsea.

Outside the capital, high-risk areas include Great Cambourne near Cambridge, Far Cotton in Northampton, and Ingleby Barwick in Stockton-on-Tees.

Helen Lord, director of fraud and compliance at Experian, said: "The rate of identity fraud growth is worrying. Although some people are statistically more likely than others to become a victim, we should all be concerned. We are all potential victims."

A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office said people should ensure they shred old documents and use different security numbers for each accounts.

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