0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and the customer service that simply is not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16We're all just numbers, aren't we, at the end of the day?
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Profit comes before anything else, and that's all that matters.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:22 > 0:00:25and investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Why can't they all just give it you at the price it should be?
0:00:28 > 0:00:31They don't, they just try and charge as much as they can...
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And when you've lost out but nobody else is to blame,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40When it comes to actual customer service, it's dreadful.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake,
0:00:43 > 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 > 0:00:51Your stories, your money...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00where today we're going to be hearing about scams and crimes
0:01:00 > 0:01:03that are not just breathtakingly brazen,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05but also terrifyingly simple.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09And they're all to do with something that's fast becoming a threat that,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12really, every single one of us needs to be on our guard against -
0:01:12 > 0:01:14- ID fraud.- As we'll see,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18fraudsters sometimes need only the smallest of details about identity
0:01:18 > 0:01:20to commit their crimes.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And you may have no idea that they've got hold of your personal
0:01:24 > 0:01:26information until it's too late.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30That was what happened in what has to be one of the most jaw-dropping
0:01:30 > 0:01:33cases we've ever featured on this programme.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And just wait till you hear it. I guarantee that once you have,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40you'll be making checks to ensure the same can't happen to you,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42which, of course, is what today's programme is all about -
0:01:42 > 0:01:46making sure you have everything you need to know to avoid making life
0:01:46 > 0:01:50easier for the criminals, so that all of those valuable
0:01:50 > 0:01:54bits and pieces of your information can't end up in their hands.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55Coming up,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59how fraudsters set out to steal not just this man's identity,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01but also his home -
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and they very nearly got away with it.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05It does still shock me,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and I just hope that it doesn't happen to other people,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and other people don't have to go through this.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13And behind the scenes with the police team
0:02:13 > 0:02:17cracking down on the fraudsters who are making fake ID to order.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21You've got hologram features, you've got watermarks,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23you've got UV, you've got cards.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28So they would be mass-producing these upon request for individuals.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Most of us at some point have probably had an item of post
0:02:35 > 0:02:37go missing, and while it's frustrating,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39you would hope that something lost in the mail
0:02:39 > 0:02:42would have no more serious a consequence
0:02:42 > 0:02:44than perhaps just a bit of inconvenience.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49Sadly, however, that's not always the case, and there are items that,
0:02:49 > 0:02:50well, far from being simply lost,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54have somewhere along the line been deliberately stolen,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58so that someone else can get their hands on your personal details
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and then use them to their advantage.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Well, we've looked into examples of that on this
0:03:02 > 0:03:05programme before, of course, not least in our last series,
0:03:05 > 0:03:10when we revealed how fraudsters were even attaching fake postboxes
0:03:10 > 0:03:13to people's houses in order to snaffle the mail.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Well, the mess that those residents had to untangle was bad enough,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21but just wait till you hear about the first-class fraud
0:03:21 > 0:03:24that the man we're about to hear from was exposed to
0:03:24 > 0:03:25when his details were stolen.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30For fraudsters intent on stealing your identity,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34there can be few things quite as valuable as your post.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37And a scam we featured last year, targeting homeowners in Chorlton
0:03:37 > 0:03:40in Greater Manchester, exposed an ingenious way
0:03:40 > 0:03:43they might sometimes get hold of it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47I noticed stuck to the wall was this metal postbox
0:03:47 > 0:03:49that I'd never seen before,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and it had a crudely painted house number on it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55At that moment, we realised that the letterbox had been put up
0:03:55 > 0:03:57to intercept the mail.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00In that letterbox, we had a letter from the TSB,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03saying I'd opened a new account with them and I had negotiated
0:04:03 > 0:04:05an overdraft for £1,000.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09These temporary postboxes had been attached to homes
0:04:09 > 0:04:13purely so that the crooks responsible could collect letters
0:04:13 > 0:04:16relating to accounts or loans that they'd set up fraudulently
0:04:16 > 0:04:18after stealing the identities of the real residents.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22And though in these cases it was spotted before too much damage
0:04:22 > 0:04:26could be done, one way or another, our post and where it's delivered
0:04:26 > 0:04:30can be the gateway to our most valuable details,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33because if fraudsters can get their hands on our bills
0:04:33 > 0:04:36or bank statements, there's no end to the havoc they can cause.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And here, in the leafy suburbs of Stockport in Cheshire,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44that's something that Minh To has discovered
0:04:44 > 0:04:47after he ended up becoming the victim
0:04:47 > 0:04:49of a particularly audacious scam.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51And the scene of the crime?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The house where he's lived for nearly 30 years,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56bringing up his family, including daughter Fiona.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03My dad bought the house, I think, a few years before I was born,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06so late '80s, around '88.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09We lived there, growing up, throughout our whole childhood,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12pretty much, so it's always been the family home,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14my dad's always loved it.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15It comes with a lot of land,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18so he's had various animals on the farm there.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22The house is really important to me and my dad.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Minh's house is his pride and joy,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and though his children have now grown up and moved out,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32he's never had any intention or desire to go anywhere else himself.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35He's always planned to retire here with his animals.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41It's a bungalow, and I have 11 acres of land in here.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I have three bedrooms, very comfortable.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48It's warm and it's away from the road.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51But it's the secluded location of this house,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and more especially where his letterbox used to be located,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58which made Minh the target of criminals.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59Here is...
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It used to be, er, the postbox.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07Minh has now moved his postbox away from the location
0:06:07 > 0:06:10to a place where it's visible from the front door.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13His old one had been completely out of sight,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and though he believed it was secure,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19in fact criminals had found a way to fish out some of his post.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23And what they did with it is one of the single most shocking scams
0:06:23 > 0:06:25that we've ever come across.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Because, terrifyingly, a handful of stolen utility bills
0:06:28 > 0:06:31and bank statements was all it took for fraudsters
0:06:31 > 0:06:35to try and steal his entire home from under his nose.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And it was only by chance that his daughter Fiona,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42an estate agent in a nearby town, uncovered what was going on.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44She got the surprise of her life
0:06:44 > 0:06:49after seeing her father's much-loved home suddenly appear on the market.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I was in work, and it was a weekend,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and I was looking at properties that were for sale in the area,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57and I saw it had come up,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and I knew that he would never try and sell it without telling us,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03or for the price that it was on at.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05And yet, from what Fiona could tell,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Minh's house was being advertised as being up for sale at an auction,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10in just a few days' time.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Confused and extremely concerned, she immediately rang her dad.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I called my dad and I asked him what was going on,
0:07:17 > 0:07:18cos I was really shocked,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and he said he didn't know what I was talking about at all,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23he didn't understand what was going on.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26He was wondering how it had happened,
0:07:26 > 0:07:31so we had loads of questions, and then he got quite angry,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35cos he just didn't understand how something like this could happen to him.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Knowing he hadn't put his house up for sale,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Minh was, understandably, totally bewildered.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Shocking.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Terrible feeling.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48And, er... Panicked, really.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Something going terrible wrong here. Can't figure out... What is it?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Fiona did some more digging,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01but she couldn't work out how her dad's property had
0:08:01 > 0:08:03come up to be for sale at an auction
0:08:03 > 0:08:06without either his knowledge or permission.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11At first, I thought maybe the estate agent that had marketed it
0:08:11 > 0:08:13hadn't, like, done the correct checks
0:08:13 > 0:08:15in regards to ID and everything.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18But then I thought, if they have done that,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21then we need to make sure that the title deeds are all correct
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and everything's fine with the Land Registry.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28As Fiona investigated further and made checks with the Land Registry,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32things got even worse. She discovered, to her horror,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36that somehow her father was no longer the legal owner.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40The house had been transferred to a complete stranger's name,
0:08:40 > 0:08:41and it was this person,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44who, at least on paper, now appeared to own the property,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47who had given the permission for the house to be listed
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and put up for auction.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52The guide price was £300,000,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54rather less than the property's true value,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57but it's easy to see that a lower price would be likely to gather
0:08:57 > 0:09:00a lot of interest at the auction in just a few days' time.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Minh had to act fast -
0:09:03 > 0:09:05and called solicitor Paul Citron for help.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Hey!- Hello.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Hello, Paul.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14I received a telephone call from him, very upset and animated,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17to tell me that his house had been stolen.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20It took me a few seconds to grasp what he was getting at,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24although I have to say that I had never come across something quite
0:09:24 > 0:09:28so blatant and outrageous as the theft of identity,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30leading to the change of ownership of a house.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It was quite frightening to realise how relatively easy
0:09:34 > 0:09:35it was to commit this fraud.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Paul managed to put a stop to the sale
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and set about unpicking exactly how this could possibly have happened.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It quickly became clear that the personal information
0:09:46 > 0:09:49that had been stolen from Minh's postbox was enough
0:09:49 > 0:09:52for criminals to forge the proof of identity that they needed
0:09:52 > 0:09:55to carry out their audacious plan.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00The way in which this fraud started was with a forged passport,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03which showed all your details, your name,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05but instead of a photograph of you,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08there was a photograph of a completely different gentleman.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It was with a fake passport in Minh's name,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14but showing the face of one of the fraudsters instead,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17that the process of transferring ownership to the house
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to a second fraudster could begin.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24He was also able to introduce himself to a firm of solicitors,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27producing the forged passport,
0:10:27 > 0:10:32and the utility bills to evidence his identity as you.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37With no reason to suspect that anything was amiss,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40and believing, thanks to that fake ID,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42that the request was coming from Minh himself,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45the solicitors had agreed to transfer ownership of the property
0:10:45 > 0:10:47to the name requested.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And what made this part of the fraud even easier for the criminals
0:10:50 > 0:10:53was the fact that, as Minh had paid off his mortgage
0:10:53 > 0:10:55on the property some time ago,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58there were no banks or building societies involved
0:10:58 > 0:11:01to ask any more awkward questions of the fraudsters.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03So with what seemed like astonishing ease,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07the transfer of deeds from Minh's family home to the criminals
0:11:07 > 0:11:10was complete. To cover their tracks,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14the fraudsters diverted all mail relating to the transfer elsewhere,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18meaning all the time Minh was completely unaware
0:11:18 > 0:11:20that there was anything untoward going on.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25That person then went to the estate agent's and said,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28"I'm the owner of this property now, I've just recently acquired it,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- "and I want to sell it at auction." - Simple as that.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Simple as that, yeah. Frightening, really.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Had Fiona not spotted the house on the market, quite by fluke,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and if the property had been sold at auction,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44the whole mess could've got even more complicated still,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48with an unwitting new owner of this house entering the mix,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50by which time the fraudsters, of course,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52would've made off with the cash from the sale -
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and leaving Minh with a very difficult situation to resolve.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02It is quite conceivable that a successful bid
0:12:02 > 0:12:04would have been made for the property at auction,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and presumably a substantial amount of money paid over
0:12:07 > 0:12:09by way of deposit,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and indeed the purchase of the property
0:12:13 > 0:12:16by an innocent third party completed.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Fortunately, however, the fraud was stopped dead in its tracks,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and the men behind it were arrested.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Atif Mahmood, on the left,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and Saeed Ghani both admitted conspiracy to defraud.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Ghani was sentenced to seven and a half years
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and Mahmood sentenced to two years and nine months behind bars.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Do you want to come down?
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Now, though their actions may sound unprecedented, in fact,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41the Land Registry has stopped
0:12:41 > 0:12:47254 similar fraudulent applications on properties since 2009.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50And while the stakes were especially high in Minh's case,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53plenty more of us will have had our personal details
0:12:53 > 0:12:55targeted in some way.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58In fact, in March it was reported that cases of identity fraud
0:12:58 > 0:13:02in the UK were at their highest level since records began
0:13:02 > 0:13:0813 years ago, with almost 173,000 cases in 2016 alone.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12That figure includes online frauds and, as happened here,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15cases of people targeted through their post,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19a scenario fraud specialist Tony Blake warned about
0:13:19 > 0:13:20on this programme last year.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23There's been student properties where people's identities
0:13:23 > 0:13:24have been stolen -
0:13:24 > 0:13:28and again, communal areas where mail is just left around.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Fraudsters are making applications for products,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33whether it be an account, or a loan, or something similar,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35in someone else's name,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39and they're having the mail sent to the genuine person's address.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Now, they need to intercept that mail
0:13:41 > 0:13:45before the genuine customer even sees it.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47With this type of fraud on the increase,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51many police forces across the country now have dedicated teams
0:13:51 > 0:13:52to investigate cases.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Porter
0:13:55 > 0:13:59leads the economic crime team for Greater Manchester Police.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04So, some of the basic ways will be about just using an implement
0:14:04 > 0:14:08to get inside the box and lift, or scoop the mail out.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Sometimes, if the box hasn't been emptied regularly,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15the mail will build up, and if it's busting out of the box,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18it's easier for fraudsters to just literally put their hand in
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and grab that mail. And then other means would be
0:14:21 > 0:14:26just by brute force and damaging the lid or the casing to the box.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29So what they're looking for is account numbers -
0:14:29 > 0:14:33particularly useful would be credit cards, PIN numbers,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37erm, people's name and address, dates of birth.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40These are all things that a fraudster can then,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43on a future date, use and exploit.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46So Nicky has this advice
0:14:46 > 0:14:48to make sure it's not your details that the fraudsters
0:14:48 > 0:14:50get their hands on next time.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I think, generally speaking,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56residents should be very vigilant around
0:14:56 > 0:14:58the presentation of the letterbox at their door.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01If you've got mail sticking out of the postbox,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04then somebody could just come along and grab what might appear
0:15:04 > 0:15:06to be bills or personal information.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08So it's a good thing to make sure
0:15:08 > 0:15:11that you clear that area on a regular basis.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13But many of the people who fall victims to a fraud
0:15:13 > 0:15:15do so without even realising it,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18so Nicky says keeping a close eye on your bank statements
0:15:18 > 0:15:21and checking that your personal information is safe
0:15:21 > 0:15:26- is always sound advice.- It is wise to just check your account,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and to go over your statements.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Sometimes it can be just be small amounts that are taken,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and people don't realise they've been defrauded,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38or their identity's being used till several months down the line.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41So it's always good to check out
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and keep on top of your statements and your bills.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It's also really wise to check out anything
0:15:47 > 0:15:49that's been sent through around financial agreements
0:15:49 > 0:15:51that you're unclear about,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54or if you're not sure whether you've actually taken something out,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57then you must challenge this, or contact your bank.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Back at home in Stockport,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Minh now keeps a much closer eye on all his personal information,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06but his family remain horrified that this fraud could ever
0:16:06 > 0:16:09have got so far, and indeed, very nearly succeeded.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12You know, it does still shock me,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and I just hope that it doesn't happen to other people
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and other people don't have to go through this.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It's still quite unbelievable, as well.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23So there's a big element of it where, you know,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25if I'll be speaking to my friends about it, I still think,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28"I can't believe this has actually happened."
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Your identity is perhaps the most precious possession,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and it seems that with just the scantest of details,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42criminals can open bank accounts, get loans,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45mortgages or credit cards, all in your name,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48then, of course, leaving you to sort out the mess.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Well, identity theft
0:16:49 > 0:16:52is now the fastest-growing fraud in the country,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and since my own identity was forged last year,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57and I feel very vulnerable about that,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59I'm afraid I'm not totally convinced
0:16:59 > 0:17:01that enough is being done to stop it.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05So when I was invited by the ID fraud unit at the UK's
0:17:05 > 0:17:08biggest police force, well, to see if they could convince me
0:17:08 > 0:17:11that they are beating the fraudsters, as you can guess,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13it was an offer I couldn't refuse.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18This footage, which we've shown you before, still chills me to the bone.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23These fraudsters are walking into my bank, intent on stealing my money.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27They have a fake driving licence that has my name and details on it,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31but this woman's photograph and that fake ID was all it took
0:17:31 > 0:17:34to convince bank staff to give them access to my account,
0:17:34 > 0:17:39and subsequently they stole £120,000 of my money.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Well, after this disturbing and, quite frankly,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45frustrating incident in my case with the bank,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I have to admit that I'm very, very sceptical
0:17:48 > 0:17:51about what security measures are in place generally
0:17:51 > 0:17:53to stop these criminals getting away with it.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Because when you're the victim of a crime
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and the criminals, as in my case, are still at large,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01you can't help wonder what the authorities
0:18:01 > 0:18:03are doing to stop all this.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05But here at the Metropolitan Police in London,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09there's a specialist police department called Amberhill,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13and it's this team's job to crack down on criminals producing
0:18:13 > 0:18:15not just fake driving licences,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19but fake passports, security passes, you name it -
0:18:19 > 0:18:23whatever ID is required, criminals will have found a way to forge it.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26In charge here is DCI Gary Miles,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30surrounded by just a fraction of the fake IDs he's collected
0:18:30 > 0:18:31over the last few years.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36It scares the hell out of me, to be blunt about it,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39the fact that it's so easy just to copy anything, so, I mean,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42how big is the industry of people who are making these?
0:18:42 > 0:18:46It's huge. As I say, since we've been running in 2009,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I think we've disrupted somewhere in the region of about 40 or 50
0:18:50 > 0:18:52factories, as we call them.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54And they are factories that they run.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57They will get loads of different specialist equipment together
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and be generating these documents on a daily basis.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03You've got hologram features, you've got watermarks,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05you've got UV, you've got cards,
0:19:05 > 0:19:11so they would be mass-producing these upon request for individuals.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14Scary stuff. Now, according to Gary,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18almost every major town in the UK has such a factory,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22churning out hundreds of fake documents every single day.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24And the fraudsters go to huge lengths to make sure
0:19:24 > 0:19:26that the fake documents they're making
0:19:26 > 0:19:28look exactly like the real deal.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Intelligence researcher Gary McManus is showing me the contents
0:19:32 > 0:19:35of this cupboard, just some of the many tools of the trade
0:19:35 > 0:19:38that police have seized from counterfeiters on previous raids.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Typically, we've got an ID card printer here.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44When you say ID, like for a driving licence or something like that?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Yes, criminals use a machine like that to print driving licences,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49identity cards,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52bank cards, construction seals cards,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54SIA security industry cards...
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Everything.- Near everything. - And what's this one for?
0:19:57 > 0:19:59This is, erm...
0:19:59 > 0:20:01a piece of machinery which people will use
0:20:01 > 0:20:04if they're in the crafting industry
0:20:04 > 0:20:07for putting corners on to birthday cards and things like that.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- This is a counterfeit passport. - Mm-hm.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It's got very straight edges that... There.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- All passports should have round edges.- Oh, right...
0:20:14 > 0:20:18So what they will do is put that in there. That's a corner cutter.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21That will just cut the corner into the passport.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25That's an embossing machine. Blank cards go in one end,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28come through here, they get embossed as they go, turn round here,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31so the numbers will be printed on to those cards.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32So that could be for...?
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Driving licences, National Insurance cards, bank cards.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Any sort of counterfeit document normally needs some sort of stamp on it,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41so we've got some home-made stamps there from...
0:20:41 > 0:20:44That's an immigration officer's stamp.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46That's a consular stamp.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I suppose, actually, with foreign passports,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50a lot of foreign documents,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52they would have to have a lot of these?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56- Yes.- Wouldn't they? - In order to verify the document.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58And where would you have got all of these?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Well...- From an establishment? - Yes, we've seized these
0:21:01 > 0:21:03- from what we call document factories.- Right.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05But in fairness, "factory" is a bit of a misnomer.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09It's usually someone's bedroom, in a flat somewhere.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12With all this kit to help the fraudsters make their fake IDs
0:21:12 > 0:21:16so utterly convincing, it's perhaps no wonder that, on their own,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19bank staff might have difficulty spotting what's genuine
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and what isn't - and I think that's a real concern.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26So, you've been in this department for about six or seven years?
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- Yes, I have.- Have you seen it just grow enormously during that time?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Yes, I personally wouldn't trust anybody's identity document
0:21:33 > 0:21:34when I saw it now.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Gary believes that a lot more needs to be done
0:21:37 > 0:21:39to train people to spot a fraudulent document.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42He says that all too often the emphasis is on verifying
0:21:42 > 0:21:44signatures and photographs,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47which may mean less importance is placed on checking
0:21:47 > 0:21:50whether the actual document itself is genuine.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56What people tend to do with an identity document is verify it,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58not authenticate it, which they should be doing.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- The people really have to be trained...- Yes.- ..to identify it,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03whether it's authentic not?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Yes, across banks, HR departments, councils. Everywhere, really.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Do you think that's a really lax area?
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Yes, there's only so much... It's a difficult area, really.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15How much training you give to people,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17if that then becomes open knowledge,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20then the fraudsters get to know about it, as well.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24One of this team's document examiners is DC Jane Wright.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Sometimes you get fraudulent. Sometimes you get counterfeit.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30There's a difference between the two.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Counterfeit is completely and absolutely created and made up.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And a fraudulent document is a genuine document,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40but it's been... It's been tampered with,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45they've changed the details or changed an image, or something.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48But Jane can spot a fake a mile off,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51as she demonstrates with this passport.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55First thing is check the quality of the cover.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59The gold blocking... They can't always
0:22:59 > 0:23:02get the quality, if it's a counterfeit.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Make sure that all the corners are rounded, instead of square.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Make sure all the paper is aligned
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and it's not falling over the edge or not reaching the edge.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14The end papers, you have a feel and make sure,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17because generally you have a tactile feel to that.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20This are all things that you can do with the naked eye
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and with just feeling.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Well, I have to say,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I certainly wish the staff at my bank had put those kinds of tips
0:23:27 > 0:23:30into practice when presented with a fake driving licence.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Perhaps then they would've been able to stop the fraudsters
0:23:33 > 0:23:36in their tracks, as I'm very pleased to say Gary and his team
0:23:36 > 0:23:39have managed to do a number of times.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41We've stopped hundreds of people
0:23:41 > 0:23:43by arresting them and prosecuting them
0:23:43 > 0:23:45and putting them in front of the courts.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49We've saved £50 or £60 million, erm...
0:23:49 > 0:23:52to various different organisations
0:23:52 > 0:23:56by them being able to identify people using counterfeit documents
0:23:56 > 0:23:59when applying for financial services.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Are you amazed yourself about the scale and the sophistication,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04the fact when one scam is closed down, another one,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07even more sophisticated, pops its head up?
0:24:07 > 0:24:11I'm not amazed, because it's the professionalism.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I think generally the public don't actually understand
0:24:15 > 0:24:18the professionalism of these people that are committing these offences.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22On occasions, people can think the victim to be stupid,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24or the victim to be greedy.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I can categorically say, from what I see from it,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30it's neither the victim being stupid nor the victim being greedy,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32it is the professionalism of the people
0:24:32 > 0:24:34that are committing these offences.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36What's your final word of advice, then,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38on trying to protect your identity,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41or pitfalls maybe that you've witnessed?
0:24:41 > 0:24:46Always have a look at, erm, at the accounts that you have,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and try and identify where there's strange behaviour going on.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And as soon as you identify strange behaviour,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57make contact with whatever institution that is,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and they then should then be able to assist you through it.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02- So act fast, in other words?- Yes.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Well, I must say, it's very reassuring to see what Gary
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and his team are doing to try and combat this ever-growing crime.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14But the one thing I've learned from my own very frustrating banking
0:25:14 > 0:25:18experience is that you can never be sure that your details,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and your account numbers and your amounts of money
0:25:21 > 0:25:24are being kept safe, even within the bank.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27So the advice here is be ever-vigilant,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30do many checks about your own affairs -
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and if you see anything that is even vaguely suspicious, act fast.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48are we making it all too easy for the criminals to get hold of
0:25:48 > 0:25:52the information they need to steal our identities?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Were I an identity thief,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57then this would all be ammunition that I would use to try
0:25:57 > 0:25:59and take some credit out in your name.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01It's quite eye-opening, actually.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07Manchester's Trafford Centre
0:26:07 > 0:26:10was this year's venue for our annual pop-up shop.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11It was a wonderful opportunity
0:26:11 > 0:26:14for us all to be out and about, meeting viewers.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17But alongside the fun was the serious business of helping
0:26:17 > 0:26:19as many of you as we could.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22We have a fairly good track record.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25What am I saying? We have a very good track record.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28As well as tackling your individual problems,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32our experts were out and about in the shopping centre giving advice -
0:26:32 > 0:26:35and Andy Webb from the Money Advice Service was keen to find out
0:26:35 > 0:26:39how much shoppers knew about staying safe when shopping online.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Do you do online shopping?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Yeah, quite often...- You do. And you?- Yeah, I do it quite often.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- What are you looking for online? - Price, to be honest.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49But are you looking about whether the site is safe?
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Is that something that even enters your mind?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53That's true, it's never really entered my mind.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55The danger is when you buy,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58you might be kind of releasing all your credit card
0:26:58 > 0:27:00or debit card information,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04potentially to scammers, who could then use it to steal your identity,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05or take more money from you.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- I've kind of got a few websites here I can show you.- Yeah?
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Have a look at this.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12'Most of us know by now that a padlock symbol
0:27:12 > 0:27:14'should mean that a site is secure.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17'But Andy says there's another important symbol
0:27:17 > 0:27:18'to look out for.'
0:27:20 > 0:27:24The start of the web address, there, most web addresses are "http".
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Yeah, OK.- If you're buying online,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28look for the S,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31cos the S stands for "secure". If it's not there,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34for something you're buying, be careful.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Cos it might not be a legitimate site. It could be dodgy.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39- So, we can be ripped off? - Yeah, absolutely, you could be.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42So look for things like that. That sounds, erm,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46quite simple, doesn't it? Look for the S. Sometimes though,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49that S doesn't appear until you're at the checkout.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51So just because the S isn't there straightaway,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53it doesn't mean avoid it completely,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57but when you do go through to click, make sure the S is there.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- Appreciated that. - Good luck with the shopping.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Thank you very much...
0:28:04 > 0:28:07A new face on our experts team this year was Aaron Chohan,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10a cyber-crime and fraud solicitor
0:28:10 > 0:28:13who also wanted to help shoppers avoid being scammed.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Are you concerned about internet fraud?
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- Yes.- What are your concerns?
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Well, recently I had an issue where money had been taken out of
0:28:23 > 0:28:25my bank account. I have been refunded,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28- but it's made me very wary. - Well, I'm glad I stopped you,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30because Aaron is an expert on this.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34- Oh, right!- So he ought to be able to tell you what you might be able
0:28:34 > 0:28:35to do to protect yourselves in future.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- Oh...- Yeah, the thing you've got to realise, your online behaviour
0:28:38 > 0:28:41is really a gateway for all of these criminals to try and get your data,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43maybe mimic your identity.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46For example, if you get an e-mail and there's a name that comes up
0:28:46 > 0:28:48saying it's from a local authority or a council,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50you hover over the e-mail name
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and it actually reveals a different sender's name behind it.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57That's interesting, actually, because I received an e-mail
0:28:57 > 0:28:59which I thought was from the Inland Revenue.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01They said I had a tax refund online
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- and I had to put all my information in.- That is...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06I actually phoned the Inland Revenue, cos I thought,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08I don't actually believe this is true.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- They did say...- It is a scam.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12- Yes. Common scam. - It's an absolute common scam,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15playing people, there's this opportunity to get some money,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- you think, that's a bit of a bonus, I'll go and get that. - Well done, you!- Absolutely.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20But again, it's looking out for the peculiar,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22something which doesn't quite make sense.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25They're brilliant at copying what an e-mail would look like.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28It did look very official, though. I can imagine some people would be
0:29:28 > 0:29:31easily fooled into thinking it was a genuine site,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34because they do look so original, like the original sites.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37All of these things have made you a bit more wary?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39- Yes, very much so. - You did the right thing,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41phoning them up and checking it out.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Do you use social media?- I do, yes.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Do you put lots of personal information on it?
0:29:45 > 0:29:47No, I keep it very, to the bare minimum.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50It's true, there's so much of the basic information that's used
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- for bank security we put on our social media accounts.- Yeah.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- You know, mother's maiden name... - Exactly.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58..date of birth, favourite pet or so on.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01It's all very accessible, unless your settings are secure.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03It sounds like you're ahead of the game compared to many,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05which is a great thing to hear.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- JULIA:- Well, we're going to be hearing more
0:30:09 > 0:30:11about the dangers of that in our next report.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13But before we leave our pop-up shop,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16let's catch up with some of the things you were sounding off about
0:30:16 > 0:30:18in our Gripe Corner.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20What really annoys me is estate agents charging
0:30:20 > 0:30:23really expensive administration costs.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27What gets my blood boiling is aggressive sales.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29They're calling me at half past eight at night,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31they stop me in the street, they don't take no for an answer,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35I'm getting junk mail through the post. It makes me furious.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Car insurance. Like, the price of me paying each month
0:30:38 > 0:30:42costs more than the car itself. That needs to be sorted, man - Asap.
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Yeah.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Now, earlier in the programme we heard about the fraudsters who very
0:30:49 > 0:30:52nearly pulled off an audacious con trick, just by stealing a couple
0:30:52 > 0:30:55of items of post from their victim.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Perhaps the most shocking aspect of that case was just how little
0:30:59 > 0:31:00information the crooks needed
0:31:00 > 0:31:03for them to get so far with their crimes.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Well, that got us thinking about how many titbits of information
0:31:06 > 0:31:09we may all be giving away on a daily basis,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11perhaps when we're using social media accounts,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14or when we're on our phones.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Simply a name and address here,
0:31:16 > 0:31:18a date of birth or maiden name there,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22can lead to all sorts of information being used for any manner of frauds.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27There's no doubt that the internet and social media
0:31:27 > 0:31:29have made the world a smaller place.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Family on the other side of the globe can see photos of loved ones
0:31:33 > 0:31:36in seconds and staying up-to-date with employers and friends,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40wherever you are, can all happen at the click of a button.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44But there's a more sinister side to this information being on display
0:31:44 > 0:31:46for millions of people to see,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50because the minutiae of your life floating around in cyberspace
0:31:50 > 0:31:53can all too easily be pieced together by criminals
0:31:53 > 0:31:56out to devastate your life.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Catherine Fotheringham found this out when she had her identity stolen
0:32:00 > 0:32:04by fraudsters using information they found online.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08And it all started with the delivery of an unexpected package.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15I opened the parcel and looked in it, and it was size eight trainers.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Well, no-one in the family has size eight trainers.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21It was from a company that I didn't know about, that I don't order from.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25So, I rang up the company
0:32:25 > 0:32:27to question the delivery -
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and they said an account had been opened up in my name.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33And I said I hadn't opened up an account,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and I think this is somebody fraudulently using my name.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40This set off alarm bells for Catherine,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44so she contacted a credit agency to see if her details had been used
0:32:44 > 0:32:47in any other recent financial activities.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54I found out that at least ten other applications for, erm...
0:32:54 > 0:32:58payday loans, store cards, bank accounts,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00had all been opened up in my name.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03When I rang the bank to find out how they'd set up a bank account
0:33:03 > 0:33:06in my name, they said it was set up online
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and there's nothing they could do about it.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10On the account itself,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14it had a £1,000 overdraft facility on it -
0:33:14 > 0:33:18and they could've taken that money.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Catherine set about cancelling all of these accounts,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24but as she spoke to the various companies' fraud departments,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26they kept coming back with the same question -
0:33:26 > 0:33:30one that gave her a clue to a place where some of her personal details
0:33:30 > 0:33:32could've been found.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37A lot of them asked me, was I a company director?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39I said yes, I was a company director,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42or had I been? I said, "Yes, I am a company director."
0:33:42 > 0:33:45All company directors by law
0:33:45 > 0:33:47have to be registered with Companies House -
0:33:47 > 0:33:51and up until 2015, the Companies House website
0:33:51 > 0:33:54published full names, addresses and dates of birth -
0:33:54 > 0:33:56personal details that could be accessed
0:33:56 > 0:33:59just through a quick internet search.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Exactly the sort of information Catherine believes
0:34:02 > 0:34:05that could be used by criminals to apply for loans,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08credit and go shopping, all in her name.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10It is worrying, it is concerning.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I can't change my name, I can't change my date of birth.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Unless I'm going to move, I can't change my address.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21So, it's really like holding back the tide, ensuring that
0:34:21 > 0:34:24everything's in place and double-checking everything.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Well, from October 2015, Companies House stopped displaying
0:34:29 > 0:34:32the full date of birth on its website, for precisely the reason
0:34:32 > 0:34:36that it could potentially be used in identity fraud.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38But that was too late for Catherine,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42whose personal details had already been used and abused by criminals -
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and there was nothing she could do about it.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50I changed my company registered premises to a different address,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53but the problem is, historically, it's out there.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Anything that gets onto the internet,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57there's not much you can do about it.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00So, there's historic information on everybody.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05But of course, it's not just one website that might display personal
0:35:05 > 0:35:07information about us online.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11And sometimes we can make it far too easy for the criminals.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15There were almost four million cases of online fraud last year,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18and experts are warning people to take extra care with all the bits
0:35:18 > 0:35:22and pieces of information they may inadvertently give away -
0:35:22 > 0:35:25and nowhere is that more true than on social media,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27where many of us post personal information
0:35:27 > 0:35:29without thinking where it might end up.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Indeed, the fraud prevention service Cifas recently produced
0:35:33 > 0:35:36a film to demonstrate the dangers of that.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39It set up a test in a cafe which, for the purposes of the experiment,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42was offering customers a free coffee
0:35:42 > 0:35:45in return for "liking" their shop on Facebook.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49It seems harmless enough, but there's a catch.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53OK, Carly, are you ready for the information on Damien?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- Yep, I am. - Mother's maiden name is... BLEEP
0:35:55 > 0:35:57He banks with... BLEEP
0:35:57 > 0:35:59By liking the cafe's page,
0:35:59 > 0:36:04its staff and anyone else who may be looking can glean all sorts
0:36:04 > 0:36:07of information about their customer, pulling together other details
0:36:07 > 0:36:10that had previously been posted on Facebook.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Yeah, got it.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Damien, aged 26 and a fitness instructor.
0:36:14 > 0:36:15How do you know all that?
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Ronan goes to UCL? Martin, that went to South Thames College.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Assistant psychologist at Great Ormond Street? - How did you know that?!
0:36:21 > 0:36:26It's a stunt that very effectively illustrates how easy it is
0:36:26 > 0:36:28to get hold of facts that, in the wrong hands,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31could be used to help steal someone's identity.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34Sandra Peaston from Cifas
0:36:34 > 0:36:38believes we're all too relaxed about handing out our information.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43We're not suggesting that people are scared to go online,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45that they're scared to use social media,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48we're just suggesting that they're aware of what they're sharing
0:36:48 > 0:36:50and how they're interacting with that environment.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52It's like, for example, if you've got a bike,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54you shouldn't be scared to use your bike and leave it somewhere.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58We just suggest that you'd use a big lock when you do that.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01That's something technology expert David McClelland
0:37:01 > 0:37:03wholeheartedly agrees with.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06He's long believed that many of us risk sleepwalking into having
0:37:06 > 0:37:10our identities stolen because of our relaxed approach
0:37:10 > 0:37:13to the use of social media accounts.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Social networking is amazing.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16It connects people all over the world,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19it's great for social life and professional life, as well.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22But the amount of information that we share on these social networks
0:37:22 > 0:37:24can be putting us at risk,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28so it's important we understand the dangers of sharing too much
0:37:28 > 0:37:30of ourselves online.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34To demonstrate, David is going to see just how much
0:37:34 > 0:37:37personal information he can glean from passers-by
0:37:37 > 0:37:39in Sevenoaks, in Kent,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42with just their first and second names to go on.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48How safe do you feel about your online presence?
0:37:48 > 0:37:50I think fairly safe.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52I've sort of done all the safety precautions.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I'm a teacher, so...
0:37:54 > 0:37:57it's quite important that I hide quite a lot of my stuff.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Generally, I feel as if I have the ability
0:37:59 > 0:38:02within all of my settings to tighten it up as best I can.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06I try to keep it as impersonal as possible.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08They all reckon they know what they're doing,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11but their confidence rapidly diminishes
0:38:11 > 0:38:13once David does a bit of online digging.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Some pictures.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Mm.- I'm guessing that might be friends or family just there.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Let's see what else we've got.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So, I can see here where you live.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Oh, yeah. Yeah.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- Yeah.- That would've been me aged...
0:38:27 > 0:38:2815, probably?
0:38:28 > 0:38:32By going to this social network, I can find out more about you.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Yeah, if it's clear that that's my name, yes.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Oh.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- Oh, my gosh.- Is that the university you went to, by any chance?- Yes.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41How are you feeling about this, by the way?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Slightly concerned that it's quite THAT obvious.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Hang on a minute,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49so what you've posted here are some links to another social network
0:38:49 > 0:38:53where I can...watch a video,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55which I presume is of you.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56In a few minutes,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59David has managed to find out information about each of our
0:38:59 > 0:39:02unwitting volunteers that he says would be enough
0:39:02 > 0:39:05to start creating fake identities.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Were I an identity thief,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10then this would all be ammunition that I would use,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12with some other bits of information,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15to try and take some credit out in your name.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18So, David has these tips that you can do right now
0:39:18 > 0:39:21to make sure you're not inadvertently leaving yourself
0:39:21 > 0:39:23exposed to the fraudsters.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24Social networks
0:39:24 > 0:39:27are making it easier and easier for you to check
0:39:27 > 0:39:30your privacy, to go through a little health check.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32There's a few little screens to see if you're sharing
0:39:32 > 0:39:35your e-mail addresses and phone numbers, dates of birth.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37You can make it so you can change it so no-one else can see that.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40You can test, you can make a change to a setting...
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- Yeah?- ..and test straightaway
0:39:42 > 0:39:44to see if that's giving you the control that you want.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Fascinating. That's really helpful.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49No, I'll go and wrap that up a bit better.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50HE LAUGHS
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- Pleased to hear it.- Yeah. - Thank you very much.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Thank you very much.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Speaking to people today, if I'm honest,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58I'm not at all surprised at what we found.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00They thought that they were quite locked down,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03they had control over their online presence on their social networks.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06But having a look, it turns out they weren't.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Everyone we spoke to was leaking a little bit of information
0:40:08 > 0:40:12that would be fantastic for an identity thief
0:40:12 > 0:40:15to take away and use to piece together that jigsaw,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17to build up that jigsaw that would enable them to do
0:40:17 > 0:40:21anything, take out credit, take out a phone contract, whatever.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Well, our volunteers will be more cautious from now on.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27But Catherine's already being extra careful online.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31As she can never be fully sure where the fraudsters got her details from
0:40:31 > 0:40:33in the first place,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36she's taking extra steps to monitor whether her ID
0:40:36 > 0:40:39is still being misused by criminals.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41I think it's staying alert,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44watching what's going on with all my accounts,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48watching where information is stored on my Facebook.
0:40:48 > 0:40:55Before, we didn't have the web, so people had kept things close.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Now it goes out there.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01I think the main thing is not to put too much information
0:41:01 > 0:41:04about yourself out there.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Cos it doesn't go away, it stays.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15- GLORIA:- If you have a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18then we now have even more ways you can get in touch.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21You can join in with the conversation on our Facebook page -
0:41:21 > 0:41:24just look for BBC Rip Off Britain.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27As well as the most up-to-date news,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30you'll also find exclusive behind-the-scenes clips and pictures
0:41:30 > 0:41:31from the show.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Or you can log onto our website,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40where there's tonnes of advice and fact sheets full of tips
0:41:40 > 0:41:43on how you can avoid being ripped off.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Or if you'd like to send us an e-mail,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48then our address is...
0:41:50 > 0:41:54And of course, you can always send a letter to our new address...
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Well, I'm pretty sure that, just like us,
0:42:09 > 0:42:13you will have been utterly horrified at the story
0:42:13 > 0:42:17of how Minh's house was almost stolen away from him,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19right underneath his nose,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and all because they got hold of just a few pieces of his mail.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25You know, I think we're all going to be making an extra special effort
0:42:25 > 0:42:28to protect our post from now on, and I have to say,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31the shredder is an essential piece of kit in my house.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34- For me, I burn everything. - Equally staggering, I thought,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38was how easy it is to inadvertently leave yourself at risk
0:42:38 > 0:42:41from ID theft, through even the simplest activity online.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It really doesn't take much for fraudsters to piece together
0:42:44 > 0:42:48bits of your information and then exploit it for their own advantage.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51So, please do bear in mind all the tips that we've heard today
0:42:51 > 0:42:52on how to stay safe.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56I must say, some of the stories today have just been horrifying.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57And after my own situation,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01although it was terrible to see how much fake ID had been seized
0:43:01 > 0:43:04by the police, it was also reassuring at the same time
0:43:04 > 0:43:08to see just how much is being done to try and tackle the problem.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Which I hope means that what I experienced
0:43:10 > 0:43:13is a lot less likely to happen to somebody else.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15And at that point is where we've got to leave it for today.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Thank you so much for your company and from the entire team, bye-bye.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20- Goodbye.- Goodbye.