ID theft websites 'take advantage of fear'

Websites that charge for information that can otherwise be found free through other sources may be playing on peoples fears to get money the Trading Standards Institute has said.

The statement follows the launch of ID theft protect, a website that claims to help stop people becoming victims of identity theft. It also offers advice to those who have, for a one-off £4.99 subscription fee.

Richard Webb, leading officer of e-commerce at the Trading Standards Institute, said there was no need for consumers to pay to access this information.

“The fact that people are willing to pay for something that can otherwise be found free shows that these sites are probably taking advantage of peoples' fears, to make money,” he told Computeractive.

“We would prefer that these sites flag up that there is free advice available, for those who do not have the funds to pay for information, but so long as they don not claim to be the only site to have such advice, there are no rules to stop people charging for obtaining it," said Mr Webb.

Those who pay on the site are given step-by-step advice on software that can protect against identity fraud as well advice on how to protect credit card details, stop spam and protect children on the internet.

For those that have already fallen victim to ID theft, the site offers documents that advise on recovering identity and a proof of identity form, which the website claims is used by some banks when identity theft is reported.

However, although these are all pieces of information that can be obtained for free from a number of helplines and online services and by banks, the people behind ID theft protect insist it provides value.

Julian Evans, managing director of ID Theft Protect, said: “We have been asked a number of times what makes this service different than contacting free helplines or by finding the information free on Google. The answer is that ID Theft Protect is a one-stop site that gives people all the information they need when it comes to this topic.”

Mr Webb urged people to research free information. “If people want to pay for these services then that’s fine, but shopping around and committing to a bit of research will probably show that you can get most of this information for free elsewhere,” he said.

The Home Office provides a website that explains all the issues surrounding ID theft, which can be accessed free of charge.