It is rapidly spreading throughout the UK, not only in urban areas but also in rural areas.

You should not to throw anything away such as bank statements, utility bills, credit cards and receipts, without first rendering them unreadable. These items can be used to steal your identity, commit fraud, and run up bills in your name.

A survey commissioned in the Nottingham area revealed that only 8% of households attempt to destroy their information, and only 1% are successful in rendering it unreadable.

The advice is:

• Never throw away whole receipts, bank statements, utility bills or any other document that could be used to assume your identity.
  
• Always ensure that discarded information is thoroughly destroyed (ideally shredded), alternatively tear personal information into small pieces and dispose of it in at least two separate locations.
  
• Always check that there are no unfamiliar transactions on your accounts. If you do find any you should report it immediately.
  
• Never give personal or financial information to 'cold callers'
  
• If you move house have your mail redirected, as the new occupier may not forward it on and throw it away with their rubbish.
  
• Additionally you should destroy any offers of credit addressed to you, as a fradster could apply using your name, giving another address. Statements would be sent to this new address and you would be unaware of the problem until suddenly faced with a large bill.