0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and the customer service that simply is not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16They should be looking after their customers and they don't.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Loyalty to the customers is a very low priority.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Big companies, big corporations are more into the money
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and the numbers than they are about the people.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33And when you've lost out but no-one else is to blame,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40It genuinely feels like I'm getting ripped off.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We're here to find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and what you can do about it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01where it's our job to make sure your money stays very firmly
0:01:01 > 0:01:03where it belongs - in your pocket -
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and that it doesn't become easy pickings for unscrupulous crooks.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10But it's not always just your cash that the fraudsters are after,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12so today, we're on the trail of the people
0:01:12 > 0:01:16determined to steal something just as valuable - your identity.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17And, as we'll see,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20they don't always have to go to great lengths to actually do it.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22But if all of that sounds a bit terrifying,
0:01:22 > 0:01:23don't worry too much,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26because we've been seeking out the best tips and advice
0:01:26 > 0:01:28to make sure that your personal details,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31not to mention your savings, can be kept safe.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Coming up, how safe are those contactless cards in your pocket?
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Could fraudsters somehow use them to help themselves to your cash?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43If these are unprotected,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47then the card information can be scanned without people realising.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51And how criminals piece together enough personal information
0:01:51 > 0:01:56to take complete control of one couple's bank accounts.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58How is it possible for somebody
0:01:58 > 0:02:01to get that much accurate information for both of us?
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Now, it seems that the days when cash was king
0:02:07 > 0:02:08are well and truly over.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13At the start of 2016, one in every ten card payments was made
0:02:13 > 0:02:17with one of these - a contactless payment card.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Just six months later, that had shot up
0:02:19 > 0:02:21to one in every six payments
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and they're getting more popular every day.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25But while for many people,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28going contactless is both simple and convenient,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30there are still those who remain rather sceptical
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and I'm one of them, and after what I found out making this next film,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I can't imagine changing my mind any time soon.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43They're quick, easy, and more people now shop with them than ever before.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47But quite a few people still have doubts about using them.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Can I ask you if you ever use a contactless credit card
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- when you're...?- No.- You don't?
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- Why don't you use them? - I don't trust them.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- Why don't you trust them? - Because I'm of a certain age.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- They're dangerous. - Why are they dangerous?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Because if you lose it, which I have on occasion,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08somebody else can pick it up and just tap, tap, tap, tap. £30 a time.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10They can just steal it and then they can use my card
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and I can't have that.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16A recent survey claimed that one in five people
0:03:16 > 0:03:18won't use a contactless card
0:03:18 > 0:03:22because of worries that they're not completely safe.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Press reports have been quick to add fuel to that particular fire,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29suggesting the simplicity of the cards can make it easy
0:03:29 > 0:03:31for crooks to take advantage of them.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And Alan Smith from Kings Langley wonders
0:03:35 > 0:03:37if that might be the explanation
0:03:37 > 0:03:40for a mysterious fraud on his account.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It was my youngest daughter's birthday
0:03:43 > 0:03:45and we decided to take her
0:03:45 > 0:03:48and a group of her friends to Madame Tussauds.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51When we got there, we found there were hundreds of people
0:03:51 > 0:03:55really milling around in various kinds of queues.
0:03:55 > 0:04:01And, funnily enough, I had my contactless card in my hip pocket.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I tend to do that because it's convenient
0:04:04 > 0:04:07just to reach in my pocket and get it out when I want to use it.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The birthday treat was a great success,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14but a couple of days later, when checking his bank account,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Alan noticed a payment which he didn't recognise,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20a charge for about £18, which appeared to have been made
0:04:20 > 0:04:25around the same time that the family visited Madame Tussauds.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29I was concerned and I did ring the bank straightaway
0:04:29 > 0:04:34and I was worried, obviously, that more transactions would follow
0:04:34 > 0:04:36from the one that I'd already seen,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38which is why I spoke to the bank immediately.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Accepting there'd been some sort of fraud,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44the bank immediately refunded Alan's money
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and told him to cut up his card.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But Alan couldn't work out what might have happened
0:04:50 > 0:04:53and how a fraud could possibly have occurred within the half hour
0:04:53 > 0:04:57that he and his family had spent queuing outside Madame Tussauds.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00He says it was someone at the bank who first raised the possibility
0:05:00 > 0:05:04that it could have something to do with his contactless card,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07making him wonder if somehow a scammer,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10armed with the right technology, had been able to steal his bank details
0:05:10 > 0:05:13without his card even leaving his pocket.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I was shocked.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I was aware that contactless cards could be scammed,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20your details could be compromised.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22I never expected it to happen to me
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and witness the fact that I used to put this card
0:05:25 > 0:05:29in my hip pocket quite foolishly, in a way.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31It is concerning, there's no doubt about it.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34Now, when we spoke to Alan's bank,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38it told us it didn't believe that this was a contactless fraud
0:05:38 > 0:05:42or that Alan's card had been compromised in any way.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46It described what happened as a "card not present" fraud,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50although it remains unclear exactly how it might have occurred.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53But whatever the truth of this particular case,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56don't assume that the idea of fraudsters taking advantage
0:05:56 > 0:05:58of your card in the way Alan feared
0:05:58 > 0:06:01is some sort of far-fetched conspiracy theory.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Because I'm about to discover exactly how such a scam could work
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and, indeed, how straightforward the process can be.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I've been asked to come to this cafe here in East London
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and my director has given me his contactless payment card.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do with it
0:06:20 > 0:06:21because I don't use these things
0:06:21 > 0:06:23but, I tell you what, now I've got it,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26this is going to buy me a very large slice of cake.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'Little did I know then that I was walking into a trap -
0:06:30 > 0:06:34'one that would see the details from that contactless card
0:06:34 > 0:06:38'in my pocket spirited away without the card so much as moving.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40'The team told me they were just getting ready
0:06:40 > 0:06:42'for us to start filming
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'and introduced me to a fraud expert called Gary Fenton,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'who I'd be interviewing later. But while I chatted to Gary,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'I was the target of a not entirely successful sting,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'as Gary brushed his phone against the pocket
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'where I was keeping the contactless card.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'Now, it takes more than a few hidden cameras
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'and an unusually prompt camera crew to fool me,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09'because straightaway, I guessed that something fishy was going on.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'But not yet entirely sure of what it all meant,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14'I didn't let on that I'd spotted anything.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'Instead, I went off to buy a drink with the director's card,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21'leaving Gary mysteriously fiddling with his laptop.'
0:07:21 > 0:07:26OK, so I've been using this contactless payment card.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Tell me how they work.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32The card will talk to a scanner and it just reads the information
0:07:32 > 0:07:35off the card without necessarily physically touching the card.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38This is why I see people with these just floating them
0:07:38 > 0:07:41across the top of machines instead of actually putting them in
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- and putting in a PIN number, right? - Yes, it's extremely convenient.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46People don't have to remember a four-digit PIN number
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and you can literally just tap it on the card terminal
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- when you make a purchase. - But what are the drawbacks?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54You see, I won't have one of these
0:07:54 > 0:07:58because I think...I think they're open to all kinds of abuse.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Right, you're not wrong.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05The information can be read and it can actually be read freely
0:08:05 > 0:08:08by a mobile app that anyone could actually download.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13The same technology that's built into contactless bank cards
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and card terminals is also built into many mobile phones.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20It's called near-field communication or NFC for short.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It allows card details to be read over short distances
0:08:23 > 0:08:25which, when you're buying a coffee and a slice of cake,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27can make things relatively easy.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31But it also means that anyone with the right technology
0:08:31 > 0:08:34can make their phones act like a contactless card reader.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'I think it's about time I told Gary
0:08:36 > 0:08:39'that I've cottoned on to his attempted scam.'
0:08:39 > 0:08:42When I met you, you made a point of bumping into me
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- when you had your telephone in your hand.- I did.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46You're very observant.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50And I do have your card information on my mobile phone
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and I can check with you, are the last four digits 6008?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Yes, they are. Let me have a look at the rest of it though.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59I'm not going to read it out cos this is somebody else's card,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01but you're absolutely right.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06OK, you've got the app, I've got the card. Show me how you do it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08OK, if you put the card onto the table.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Phone just needs to hover itself above the card and that's it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- As quick as that?!- Even quicker. It took less than half a second.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Gary's phone has picked up the card number and expiry date
0:09:20 > 0:09:23from my director's card. It didn't take his name
0:09:23 > 0:09:26or the three-digit security code from the back of the card.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28And without that last figure, in particular,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32you'd be forgiven for thinking that no-one could do very much
0:09:32 > 0:09:34with stolen details, but you'd be wrong,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37because after he'd swiped them from the card in my pocket
0:09:37 > 0:09:4120 minutes earlier, Gary had gone shopping.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I actually went online and made a purchase using your card
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and I bought something from Amazon.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- For how much?- It was just under £30.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- And they accepted that?- They did.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57It went through straightaway and it said to wait for delivery now.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Gary had used a fake Amazon account,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04a fake name and the stolen details on the card to buy me a gift,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07which was due to be delivered to our offices the following day.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09And he'd done it without being asked
0:10:09 > 0:10:13for the three-digit security code on the back of the card.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16What's especially worrying about that is that he could have spent
0:10:16 > 0:10:19a whole lot more because using the card details this way
0:10:19 > 0:10:21would not have had the price limit
0:10:21 > 0:10:25that you get making a contactless purchase in store.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Why does a company like Amazon,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30which must do millions of transactions,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34not ask for that security number? That's why it's there.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36That's an important question
0:10:36 > 0:10:38and I'm afraid you'll just have to ask Amazon
0:10:38 > 0:10:41because I have no idea why they're not doing these security checks.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44So, we did just that and Amazon assured us
0:10:44 > 0:10:47that it has sophisticated and rigorous measures in place
0:10:47 > 0:10:49to prevent and detect fraud,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52which provide layers of protection
0:10:52 > 0:10:55beyond the use of those three-digit security codes.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58But for what it called "obvious reasons",
0:10:58 > 0:11:02it wouldn't comment on the specifics of what they are.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Now, it's impossible to know how widespread this type of scam may be
0:11:07 > 0:11:10or, indeed, if it's having an impact on consumers at all.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14But the very reassuring news is that if you're at all worried,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17there is a simple and totally reliable way
0:11:17 > 0:11:20to keep your contactless card completely safe
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and it couldn't be easier to get hold of.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26So, I suppose the 64,000 question is
0:11:26 > 0:11:29how safe are these things, then, for people to be using?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- And they're being used all over the place.- They are.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36They can be safe if they're used properly. If these are unprotected,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40then the card information can be scanned without people realising.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42So what sort of precautions can people take
0:11:42 > 0:11:44to make sure that their card stays safe?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48You could keep your card in a protective wallet or a shield
0:11:48 > 0:11:50to protect it from being scanned.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52So, for example...
0:11:52 > 0:11:54here's a shield here
0:11:54 > 0:11:56and you would put your card into this
0:11:56 > 0:11:58and it would be protected.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00It would be impossible to scan the card
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- if it's in one of these little wallets.- Right.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Now, nobody can read that now with any kind of app?
0:12:06 > 0:12:07No, it's completely protected.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10If you wanted to make a genuine purchase, you would take it
0:12:10 > 0:12:14out of here and use it, put it back in here and it can't be scanned.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Prove to me that that really protects it. There we go.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Let's put it down.- OK. - Have another go.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25We just put the phone over it and as you can see...
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Nothing is happening. - Nothing at all.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Gary's organisation, Online Watch Link,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33sells one version of this protective cover for £1,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36either online or from your local Neighbourhood Watch group.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39There are plenty of similar products widely available
0:12:39 > 0:12:42but the trouble is not everyone who could benefit from them will know
0:12:42 > 0:12:46that they exist or even be aware of why they might need them.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50So, Gary and I hit the streets to start spreading the word.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Oxford Street, to be precise.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And when you're in amongst all these shoppers,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57you realise just how simple it might be
0:12:57 > 0:12:59for someone to deliberately brush against you
0:12:59 > 0:13:01in an attempt to get your details.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04They'd have to be very lucky to succeed
0:13:04 > 0:13:07but Gary thinks it's exactly the sort of environment
0:13:07 > 0:13:09where they might try.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11If somebody bumps into you... It's a matter of course here.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13People always get bumped into because it's so busy
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and they don't think anything of it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19'Luckily, we've got just the thing to keep their card safe.'
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Do you, by any chance, ever use a contactless credit card
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- to pay for things?- Yes.- Yes.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Are you aware of how vulnerable they are
0:13:28 > 0:13:30for the information to be stolen off them?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- I guess you're not!- Yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- Really?- That quick.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Literally just brushing against you like that and he's done it.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41So, how can you be safe?
0:13:41 > 0:13:42You can protect your cards
0:13:42 > 0:13:44by putting them in a little sleeve like this.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So, will you accept this, with the compliments of Rip-Off Britain,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and put your contactless card in there and protect it?
0:13:50 > 0:13:51Thank you very much!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Make sure you keep it in there,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- otherwise someone could steal that information.- Oh, thank you.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Do you want one as well?- I would love one, thank you.- I bet you do.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01We spoke to The UK Cards Association
0:14:01 > 0:14:04about the potential risks contactless card users face.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It stressed that...
0:14:08 > 0:14:10..adding that...
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It went on to say that there has never been an actual case
0:14:17 > 0:14:21of card details being obtained and used to make an online purchase
0:14:21 > 0:14:23in the way that we demonstrated in our test.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28And it was keen to reassure anyone with a contactless card
0:14:28 > 0:14:31that, even if someone did scan it in this way,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34only information from the front of the card could be obtained
0:14:34 > 0:14:38and not the more sensitive details, like the security code,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41on the back, which it pointed out is required
0:14:41 > 0:14:44to make a purchase from the vast majority of retailers.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And where it's not, as, of course, happened in our test,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51were a genuine fraud to take place, then the retailer would be liable.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And if none of that reassures you,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56remember you don't have to have a contactless card.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00You're perfectly entitled to ask your bank for an alternative
0:15:00 > 0:15:03that doesn't have that technology built in.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06If you remember, back in the cafe, Gary ordered something online
0:15:06 > 0:15:09with the details that he'd swiped from that card
0:15:09 > 0:15:12that was in my pocket. Well, here it is.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15He said it was a gift for me, so shall we see what it is?
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Christmas comes early here at Rip-Off. Right, let's have a look.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23What on earth?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29What is it? Oh!
0:15:29 > 0:15:32SHE LAUGHS
0:15:32 > 0:15:33Now, there's clever!
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Ooh, blimey, it weighs a ton! Ah, there you go.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's an electronic safe!
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Now, we talk a lot on this programme about cyber crime
0:15:51 > 0:15:52and the networks of criminals
0:15:52 > 0:15:55trading our personal data all over the world.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57We share so much personal information
0:15:57 > 0:16:00on a whole host of websites and social networks
0:16:00 > 0:16:03that fraudsters don't even need to break the law
0:16:03 > 0:16:08to put together enough pieces of the jigsaw to steal our identity.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11The repercussions for our personal security are huge.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But we're here to help.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Here's everything you need to know
0:16:15 > 0:16:18to make sure it's not YOUR most personal information
0:16:18 > 0:16:20that's ripe for the picking.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24It's probably your most valuable asset -
0:16:24 > 0:16:29not your home or your car but your personal information.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32And while individual details like your name, address
0:16:32 > 0:16:36or date of birth may, on their own, seem harmless,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39put them all together and you've got a bigger picture
0:16:39 > 0:16:42that, to a fraudster, could be worth a fortune.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49One person who's only too aware of that is Salam Weld.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52She's always been cautious about who she gives her details to
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and, until November last year,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58she thought she'd done all she could to avoid any risk of identity fraud.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05I'm very careful when I get suspicious emails or calls.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07If they are a bank, for example,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11I get their direct number myself and speak to direct people.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16If it's email, I tend to not click on the link.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19So when, out of the blue,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Salam received an automated call, supposedly from her bank,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26asking for an authorisation code for a transaction on her account,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29alarm bells rang and she quickly hung up.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32But sensing the call wasn't quite all it seemed,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36she immediately phoned her real bank to raise her concerns.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42When the bank said, "Don't worry", it was a relief,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and that's why I thought, "OK, fine."
0:17:45 > 0:17:49The bank confirmed that no funds had been withdrawn
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and no suspicious activity had been noted.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55But the next day, when Salam was at a petrol pump,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57her bank card was refused.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03I put another card. It says declined with the same bank.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05At the time, I didn't understand what was happening
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and then straightaway, I contacted my husband to say,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12"Look, I couldn't make a payment. Can you check, please, why?"
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Her husband went into the local branch of their bank and was told
0:18:16 > 0:18:20that all three of the joint accounts the couple shared had been emptied.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Over £30,000 was gone.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25I was very upset.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27We had to cancel our holidays
0:18:27 > 0:18:29because we didn't have enough to pay it.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33We had to basically borrow money from friends and family.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35The bank said that all the money had been transferred
0:18:35 > 0:18:39into a new account which had been opened under two names.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41One was her husband's
0:18:41 > 0:18:44but the other was a name neither of them had ever heard before.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Somehow it seems this mysterious stranger had known enough
0:18:50 > 0:18:52of Salam's husband's details to enable him
0:18:52 > 0:18:56not only to open up a new, apparently shared, account,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59but to then transfer into it all the couple's savings.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04How is it possible for somebody
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to get that much accurate information for both of us?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11What's more, for the final stage of the scam,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13the fraudster was then able to move the cash
0:19:13 > 0:19:17to a totally different account - one that only HE had access to.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19At the time, I was just crying
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and getting upset, you know, all the time,
0:19:22 > 0:19:28and not having the money, not having the trust from the bank.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31When the bank investigated,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33it sent out new credit and debit cards
0:19:33 > 0:19:36but the fraudster wasn't done with the couple yet
0:19:36 > 0:19:38or with their personal details.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41He'd also found a way to change
0:19:41 > 0:19:44the address registered to their accounts,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47which meant those new cards went straight to him.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53I was so angry because the bank should protect my information.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57I just don't understand how they changed our address
0:19:57 > 0:20:02and managed to withdraw money again from the branch
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and I feel scared for them to know my address.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Every time I go out, I feel like, "Who is this person watching me?"
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Now, fortunately, as there was clear evidence of fraud,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18the bank did eventually refund all the couple's money,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21but Salam's been left baffled as to how the fraudsters were able
0:20:21 > 0:20:25to wreak so much havoc, presumably just by piecing together
0:20:25 > 0:20:28a few fragments of information about her and her husband.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32As if all that wasn't enough,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35the criminals almost got away with more money too.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40They also attempted to take out a £25,000 loan in the couple's name
0:20:40 > 0:20:45but, luckily, amidst all the personal details they DID know,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48they were missing one key part of the jigsaw.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52They got how long I've been in the address wrong
0:20:52 > 0:20:57because they put it for certain years which was wrong,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01so obviously they're guessing the information that wasn't right.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04That particular fraud may have been foiled,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07but Salam's worried these attacks could continue to happen.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12We plan to move address but that won't help
0:21:12 > 0:21:16because if they managed to get it the first time,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I doubt that will stop them to do it again.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Well, when we spoke to the bank
0:21:22 > 0:21:24to see what personal details had been required
0:21:24 > 0:21:28to allow all this to happen, it told us that, to protect customers,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32it can't discuss the details of specific instances of fraud
0:21:32 > 0:21:35or divulge details of its fraud protection systems.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But it assured us that it does have a...
0:21:41 > 0:21:45The bank's apologised that Salam and Joe were victims of identity fraud
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and said that it's provided a full reimbursement of the stolen money
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and resulting costs, as well as an additional payment
0:21:51 > 0:21:54for any distress and inconvenience caused.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01But however safe you think you've kept your details, you never know
0:22:01 > 0:22:04which pieces fraudsters will be able to put together
0:22:04 > 0:22:06to get their hands on your cash.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10And, as our tech expert, David McClelland, knows,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13thanks to the wealth of information about any of us
0:22:13 > 0:22:16that's so widely and often freely available,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19they don't have to look too hard to find them.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21There's lots of information that's available
0:22:21 > 0:22:23about each and every one of us online,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25so what fraudsters can do is take
0:22:25 > 0:22:27these different snippets of information
0:22:27 > 0:22:29and then use that to commit identity fraud,
0:22:29 > 0:22:34taking out bank loans, taking out mobile phone contracts.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39To prove how easy it is for some determined digging
0:22:39 > 0:22:42to come up trumps for crooks planning identity fraud,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45we've asked David to see how much information he can find out
0:22:45 > 0:22:50about these three volunteers - Margaret, Valerie and Janet.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54How do you feel about your details being publicly accessible?
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Doesn't worry me in the slightest.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59It depends what they are, what the details are.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- Not one's PIN number, surely.- Oh, no, no.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Now, although this is the first time David has met these ladies,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10he's already got to know some rather personal details about them.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13And that's because,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17armed with their names and a rough idea of their age and location,
0:23:17 > 0:23:18which we'd sent him a few days earlier,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20he's been trying to find out
0:23:20 > 0:23:23as much sensitive information about them as he can.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'Don't get me wrong, piecing together this information,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28'it does require effort.'
0:23:28 > 0:23:32But for those criminals who are willing to invest time and effort
0:23:32 > 0:23:35to recreate an identity,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38it then gives them the power to essentially be you.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Margaret...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Using only legal means,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46David has managed to unearth quite a lot about Margaret.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50My details, who I'm married to, where I live, my email.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54I'm a committee member of U3A. Interests - yes, that's right.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Studied at Bromley College of Higher and Further Education -
0:23:58 > 0:23:59many moons ago!
0:23:59 > 0:24:01And then you've got a long shot here -
0:24:01 > 0:24:04did I work in France as a financial advisor?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07No, I didn't work in France, but I was a financial advisor.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11All the info that IS right means that he'd be well on the way
0:24:11 > 0:24:15to gathering enough information to start impersonating her.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Next, it's Janet, and though she didn't consider
0:24:17 > 0:24:21the openly available information on her too bothersome...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Anything that you are surprised that's on there?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- No, no.- OK.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31David did manage to find out her address,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34husband's name and even a photo from their wedding day,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Valerie was a little harder as, of the three,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41she spends the least time online.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46There is my full name or my middle initial, my address...
0:24:47 > 0:24:51- Length of occupancy at my address, which is incorrect.- Yeah.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55And a good thing too. As we saw in Salam's case,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57if fraudsters get wrong how long you've lived at your address,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01that one missing piece of information can be enough
0:25:01 > 0:25:03to stop them from taking out a loan in your name.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Before meeting our volunteers, David had spent just one hour
0:25:10 > 0:25:13searching the internet for each of their personal details.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16But that short time was enough for him to find
0:25:16 > 0:25:19all of their home addresses, phone numbers for two of them,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23images of their front doors, names of family members,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25what their jobs were before retirement
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and even the date of one of their wedding anniversaries.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33So, even though we didn't get the full picture of any of you, really,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36what we did get, particularly for you, Margaret, and Janet, I think,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40was enough information that would allow a would-be fraudster
0:25:40 > 0:25:43to start targeting you with phone calls or with emails,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46giving you little snippets of information that would,
0:25:46 > 0:25:47hopefully, from their point of view,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50convince you that they are people
0:25:50 > 0:25:52who should be getting your information,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55that would let them conduct a fraudulent activity,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57get more information from you,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- maybe even empty your bank account. - It's a worry.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03If it's that easy to find details for people who aren't online much,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05imagine what you could turn up for someone
0:26:05 > 0:26:08who regularly posts information on social media.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09And, of course,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13it's not just the details WE share online that can put us at risk.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Security breaches at banks, phone companies and other institutions
0:26:18 > 0:26:21can also, inadvertently, give away personal information.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Which is why David thinks banks, in particular,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26should beef up their security measures.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32The security questions are often made up of pieces of information
0:26:32 > 0:26:34that are freely available -
0:26:34 > 0:26:36things like my mother's maiden name or where I was born.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Very often, it's these pieces of information that are used
0:26:39 > 0:26:42to gain access to our most important online accounts.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46But David says there are things you can do to protect yourself
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and your identity.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51First, see how many pieces of your own jigsaw puzzle
0:26:51 > 0:26:53you can find online.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's really important to be aware of what information is available
0:26:57 > 0:27:01about you online, so do an internet search for yourself.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Look at family history websites, look at social networking profiles
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and see what other information is available
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and just get an idea as to how easy it would be,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13if a criminal were wanting to create a picture of you,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14to impersonate you online.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19But there's no need to start trying to delete every piece of information
0:27:19 > 0:27:21you find out about yourself online.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Just make sure none of it matches the details
0:27:24 > 0:27:26used for any vital passwords.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32We are not in control of all the information that's about us online.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Unfortunately, fraud happens.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Sometimes it's impossible to stop it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40The best thing that we can do, as consumers, is to be vigilant,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42be careful about the information that we share.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46And don't use user names and passwords and PINs
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and security questions across multiple sites.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51It's like using the same key for your front door,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53your back door, your safe, your car.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56It's not something you would ever do in real life, so don't do it online.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, a pair of supershredders help us
0:28:08 > 0:28:12to test out the latest ways to keep our identity safe.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13But will they be enough?
0:28:13 > 0:28:16How do you keep yourself secure?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Because it doesn't matter what happens,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21somebody will find a way round it.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Every year, we take Rip-Off Britain out on the road
0:28:28 > 0:28:30to a busy shopping centre
0:28:30 > 0:28:33and this year, it was one of the country's biggest -
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Manchester's Trafford Centre.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37- Hello.- So lovely to see you in the flesh.- Thank you.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Amongst those calling in for help were Gemma and Daniel Pugh.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44It's almost their second wedding anniversary
0:28:44 > 0:28:47but, as they explained to Trading Standards officer Sylvia Rook,
0:28:47 > 0:28:52a key memento of their big day still hasn't arrived.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56We hired a wedding photographer in 2014 for our wedding.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59And on the day, everything was fine, everything was perfect.
0:28:59 > 0:29:05They took the pictures and we had to chase them up for the photographs
0:29:05 > 0:29:08to come on an album and still, two years later,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- we've not got our wedding album. - That's dreadful!
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Daniel chased up the photographer by email, telephone and text.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20After five months, a CD of some of the photographs arrived
0:29:20 > 0:29:22but it was by no means complete.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25There's photographs of family members and the bridesmaids
0:29:25 > 0:29:30that we remember him taking and we've not got any evidence of that.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34As for why they've yet to receive that all-important wedding album,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37despite plenty more emails, calls and texts,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40well, they've just received a catalogue of excuses.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43We were told that it had been ordered from France
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and he was waiting for it to arrive and it never came
0:29:46 > 0:29:49and then we got told they'd ordered another one later that year
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and, again, that never came.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54And every time we've been in touch, it's always been,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57"The suppliers are not very good" or "I'm waiting on it."
0:29:57 > 0:30:00The photographer's website has now disappeared
0:30:00 > 0:30:03and he's stopped responding to the couple altogether,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05so Sylvia thinks there's only one thing for it.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09- So, you had a formal contract.- Yes. - So you've got his name, his address.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12- Yes.- Do you know if he's still at the same address? Have you any idea?
0:30:12 > 0:30:13- Yes.- He is.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Right, what I think you're going to have to do now,
0:30:15 > 0:30:16you're going to have to sue him.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18It's a simple process online
0:30:18 > 0:30:21and although they have to pay out an initial fee of £70,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24if the couple win, they'll get that cost back.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27I'm sorry it's been such a miserable experience
0:30:27 > 0:30:29- and it's dragged on for such a long time.- Yeah.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- I think the problem is you can never get back what you've lost.- Yes.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- That's the hardest thing. Good luck with this.- Thank you.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37- All right, thank you.- Thank you.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41I think it's given us a bit more confidence
0:30:41 > 0:30:45to know what the next step is and how we can move onto it.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Gemma and Daniel have followed Sylvia's advice
0:30:48 > 0:30:50and are suing the photographer.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53They're reconciled to never seeing their wedding album
0:30:53 > 0:30:55but they're very hopeful that they will get back
0:30:55 > 0:30:57at least some of the cash they paid out.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Who doesn't like a really good moan now and again?
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Well, this is what we call our Gripe Corner here at the pop-up shop,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and all you have to do is just turn up with your gripe or your moan,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14we switch on the camera and off you go. Simple.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17And not only was it a simple complaint that these shoppers had,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20it's one that comes around time and time again.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- Potholes.- Potholes.- Potholes.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25What really drives me nuts is how I'm driving to work
0:31:25 > 0:31:27and there's potholes everywhere.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29I was driving along the other week
0:31:29 > 0:31:31and I hit a big pothole which damaged my wheel.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34I'm quite a keen cyclist, so really, from that point of view,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36they're deadly as well.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38It's annoying cos I'm swerving
0:31:38 > 0:31:39and it's dangerous to me and other drivers.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41We pay our council tax
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and the potholes in the road are absolutely terrible.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46I've written to the council, nothing's happened.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48It's a really big rip-off.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51All our experts spend time chatting to passers-by,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54including Martyn James, who was testing shoppers' knowledge
0:31:54 > 0:31:57on the sort of issues he hears in his day-to-day job
0:31:57 > 0:32:00at the Financial Ombudsman Service.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02He's come up with a true or false quiz,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05based on some very common consumer questions.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10So, these are money urban myths. OK, guys, true or false.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- Is there such a thing as a debt blacklist?- Yeah.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20- Yeah, there probably is. - False, I think.- True maybe?
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- True?- True, yeah.- True? - Sounds like it could be true.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26No, definitely not. Definitely not.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32- There we go.- He's right. It's false. Good news. There isn't a blacklist.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35If you miss payments or you get into trouble with your finances,
0:32:35 > 0:32:38they'll sometimes log things with a credit reference agency.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40They don't have a list with your name on it
0:32:40 > 0:32:41that they share with other banks.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45But perhaps it's no wonder that they weren't all right.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47In a recent survey by Which?,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50three-quarters of people thought that a backlist like this
0:32:50 > 0:32:53does exist and Martyn knows better than most
0:32:53 > 0:32:56how much confusion there can be around pensions.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59So, let's see how the shoppers got on with his next question.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- True, I think. - I'd have thought, yeah.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07I thought you did have to retire to get it cos it's your work, isn't it?
0:33:07 > 0:33:08You're working, aren't you?
0:33:08 > 0:33:11False. You can get drawdown pensions, I believe.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13And the answer is...
0:33:13 > 0:33:17False. So, for the state pension, which is 67 at the moment,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19you have to wait for that one.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- But for your work pension, you can take it at 55.- Oh, right.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24And you can get 25% of it tax-free
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and you can still carry on working and take your pension.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31And finally, a myth that Martyn often comes across
0:33:31 > 0:33:33and, indeed, catches consumers out.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36If you get burgled, can you make a claim
0:33:36 > 0:33:39if you don't have receipts for the things that you bought?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41False, because sometimes you can have
0:33:41 > 0:33:44a bank statement that's like a receipt anyway.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46- Yeah, you can make a claim. - You can make a claim, yes.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48You can't have receipts for everything.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51So, do you need receipts to make a claim if you get burgled?
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- Course you do, definitely. - Definitely?- 100%.- 100% sure?
0:33:54 > 0:33:55100% sure.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57- False.- Oh.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Have a look for photos and stuff that might have copies
0:34:00 > 0:34:02of you wearing jewellery or things like that.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Put those into the insurance company
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- and they should work in a similar way to receipts.- Right.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- So always take photos of everything, basically.- Yeah.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- Less selfies, more photos of your living room.- Oh, yeah.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Now, today's episode is, of course, all about how our identities
0:34:19 > 0:34:23and our bank details are prime targets for thieves and fraudsters.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27It's not that they necessarily target any one person specifically,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31just that some of us, I'm afraid, make ourselves easy targets
0:34:31 > 0:34:33by not keeping our details as safe as we could.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36But the couple in our next film pride themselves
0:34:36 > 0:34:38on being quite the reverse of that,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41doing all that they can to make sure that the crooks
0:34:41 > 0:34:44don't have even the slightest chance of stealing their identities.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47And if, like them, you're a supershredder,
0:34:47 > 0:34:48you might be pleased to discover
0:34:48 > 0:34:51that the battle to protect your identity
0:34:51 > 0:34:53isn't one that you need to fight on your own.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Do you want to help me with this shredding?
0:34:55 > 0:34:56- There's quite a bit.- Mmm-hmm.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02John and, especially, Liz Cooper, are self-confessed shredaholics.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05That's got your name and address on the inside of it.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Their shredder is permanently plugged
0:35:07 > 0:35:09in the corner of the living room.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Every day, they shred anything and everything
0:35:11 > 0:35:13that has their names and address on it,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17from junk mail to official letters and much more besides.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19That's the lot.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23You have to shred everything that's got your address on
0:35:23 > 0:35:24if you want to be safe.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27So much junk mail that comes through the post
0:35:27 > 0:35:29has got personal details on it,
0:35:29 > 0:35:34so you have to shred those, particularly name and address.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37We get a lot of mail from the hospital and the surgery
0:35:37 > 0:35:40and that's not just got your name and address on,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44it's got your NHS number and sometimes your hospital number.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47We get things from the pension people
0:35:47 > 0:35:50which has got your national insurance number on.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54It all has to be shredded because it can all be used.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58But we've heard from an ex-police officer
0:35:58 > 0:36:03that crooks are actually able to piece together
0:36:03 > 0:36:06the minute cross...cross-bits of paper
0:36:06 > 0:36:08that come out of cross shredders now.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13So, where do you stop? How do you keep yourself secure?
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Because it doesn't matter what happens...
0:36:18 > 0:36:20..somebody will find a way round it.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22There's criminals just as clever
0:36:22 > 0:36:23as some of these people inventing stuff.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28And if Liz and John are careful with the contents of their postbox,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31they're even more vigilant when they venture online.
0:36:32 > 0:36:38I think the internet has become a springboard for identity theft,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40fraudulent selling.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46You hear such scare stories on the TV and in the newspapers
0:36:46 > 0:36:50about what has happened with cards and internet banking
0:36:50 > 0:36:52and all this, that and the other.
0:36:52 > 0:36:58And yet people still blindly buy things over the internet.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02But actually, Liz might have less to fear in the future.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Some experts reckon that the internet may yet end up safer
0:37:06 > 0:37:09than the traditional paper-based ways of doing business,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11whether or not you shred the evidence.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Mike Haley from Cifas,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17a not-for-profit organisation that helps businesses fight fraud,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20believes that new technology could be the key
0:37:20 > 0:37:23to finally defeating identity theft once and for all.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Currently, the ways that we protect our identity
0:37:27 > 0:37:30are through things like passwords, PIN numbers
0:37:30 > 0:37:32and what's called knowledge-based verification.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36That is secret questions or words or information that only you know.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40But I think these are now being cracked by criminals and fraudsters,
0:37:40 > 0:37:45so new technology is coming in play to protect us even more.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48And one particularly exciting way it's doing that
0:37:48 > 0:37:50is through biometrics,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52which basically means we can be identified,
0:37:52 > 0:37:57not by passwords, but by our own unique natural features.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01The new technologies that are being adopted and implemented
0:38:01 > 0:38:04at this very moment include things like facial recognition,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07your thumbprint or fingerprint or iris scanning,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11and that's protecting people from those who pretend to be you.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15It's all very clever stuff and the next step will be technology
0:38:15 > 0:38:18that can sense when somebody else is using your phone
0:38:18 > 0:38:22or trying to access your account, just by the way they behave.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25So, with behavioural analytics,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28there is a record on, say, your mobile phone,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31of how you normally hold it, how you actually use it.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34If somebody else gets hold of your device,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37even if they can access through the password, for example,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39then that fingerprint that you've left,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42in terms of your behaviour, can be picked up.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44But to beat the identity thieves,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Mike thinks that in the future, online security will rely on
0:38:48 > 0:38:51a whole range of different solutions and technologies.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54There's going to be a mixture of different levels
0:38:54 > 0:38:58of authentication - maybe some behavioural analytics,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00some biometrics - and together,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04that will be a better protection for the individual.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07So, it's time now to put this brave new world to the test
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and see if some of this latest technology can win over
0:39:10 > 0:39:14one of Britain's most security-conscious pensioners.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- Hi, Liz. Welcome to ievo.- Thank you. - Hi, John. Come on in.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Shaun Oakes is the boss of ievo, a security solutions company,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23and is going to give Liz a test drive
0:39:23 > 0:39:26of their cutting-edge biometrics.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30- OK, shall we have a look around? - That would be lovely, thank you.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33What do you think you need to do now to be able to gain access?
0:39:33 > 0:39:35- Put my fingerprint on it. - OK, fire away.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39But Liz still has her concerns.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42That's OK, but what happens to my fingerprint now?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45It's a good question. We don't actually store your fingerprint.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47You cannot reengineer an exact fingerprint
0:39:47 > 0:39:51from the data we store, plus it's encrypted data as well.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55It's the same technology built into many smartphones and computers
0:39:55 > 0:39:57and with banks now adopting it as well,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01fingerprint recognition could well prove the most effective weapon
0:40:01 > 0:40:04in the battle to keep our data safe.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Every fingerprint in the world is completely unique.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Even identical twins don't have the same fingerprint.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12We also have something that you can turn on called spoof detection.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15What spoof detection does is checks that it's a real finger.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18So, where you see in some Hollywood movies,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20where somebody's trying to copy a fingerprint or dust for it,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23this would actually detect if it's a fake finger.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27So, it's no good anybody cutting my finger off and using it to get in?
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- No.- Good old Liz.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31And the more basic type of fingerprint technology
0:40:31 > 0:40:35is already on sale for connection to home computers.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36For yourself, for identity fraud,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38there are already available on the market,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40systems where you actually use your fingerprint
0:40:40 > 0:40:44on your own PC at home to replace all of your passwords.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46So it completely locks it down, it gives you added security.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48You don't ever have to remember your passwords
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- once you've added this system. - Well, that's perfect for me
0:40:51 > 0:40:54because I'm always forgetting passwords and PIN numbers.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57I mean, that's an answer to a prayer, really.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01So, it's a qualified thumbs up from Liz.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05But Mike Haley of Cifas says that, however good the security in place,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07we'll always need to stay on our guard
0:41:07 > 0:41:09to be sure that our details are safe.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13I think, regardless of the new technologies,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17and introduction of new techniques, such as biometrics,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20we still need to keep responsibility and protect ourselves.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22As for Liz and John,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26they won't be getting rid of their trusty shredder just yet.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30We've definitely learned a lot and we'll put a lot into action
0:41:30 > 0:41:35that we've learned today, but until we can, we'll continue to shred.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49then you can get in touch with us via our Facebook page,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51BBC Rip off Britain,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55our website, bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58or email...
0:42:01 > 0:42:04And, of course, you can always send us a letter to our postal address.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Now, I have to say I was astonished by that story on contactless cards.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25After all those years of being told that they're perfectly secure,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27it was quite a shock to see how easily those details
0:42:27 > 0:42:29could be used by somebody else.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Well, I don't use one at all but my husband does
0:42:32 > 0:42:34and I was really reassured to see
0:42:34 > 0:42:36that there is a very simple solution.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38So while it's clear this isn't something
0:42:38 > 0:42:39that any of us need to panic about,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42it probably is worth paying a couple of quid
0:42:42 > 0:42:44to keep your card in one of those protective holders.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47And, equally, it was very heartening
0:42:47 > 0:42:49to see how hard organisations are working
0:42:49 > 0:42:52to make sure that all our personal details are kept nice and safe.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54But, of course, we have to remember
0:42:54 > 0:42:57that it is down to each one of us to take personal responsibility,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59whether that's by shredding our bills
0:42:59 > 0:43:01or being just that extra bit scrupulous
0:43:01 > 0:43:03about the people and organisations
0:43:03 > 0:43:05to whom we give our personal information.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08But don't forget, you'll find plenty more information
0:43:08 > 0:43:10on how to keep your identity safe on our website.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16But for now, that's all we've got time for today.
0:43:16 > 0:43:17It has been great having you with us
0:43:17 > 0:43:19and I hope we'll see you again very soon.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- Until then, from all of us, bye-bye. - Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.