Teather Highlights Identity Fraud Danger

10.00.00am GMT Mon 15th Oct 2007

Sarah joined local police to raise awareness of identity fraud

Sarah Teather, local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, has welcomed National Identity Fraud Week and urged constituents to take precautions against identity fraud.

Sarah joined local police from the Brent Community Safety Partnership in Stonebridge to highlight the growing problem.

The week aims to raise awareness of the dangers of identity fraud and inform the public and businesses on the steps they can take to protect themselves from identity fraud.

Sarah has also raised concerns that the Government's plans to introduce ID Cards could lead to an increase in identity fraud. Experts have suggested that the value of the card as a single strong guarantee of someone's identity mean it will become a target for forgery by fraudsters, criminals and terrorists seeking to disguise their true identities.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"All too often people will hand their identity over on a plate to fraudsters, without even realising it. I was pleased to work with local police to raise awareness of this very real problem.

"Instead of getting a grip on the problem, the Government's ID Card scheme will become another target for forgery. The best way of protecting people would be to scrap this expensive and ineffective system and invest in local police instead.

"You wouldn't leave your car or house unlocked and, in the same way, we should all take care to protect our personal details. I would urge people in Brent to familiarise themselves with the simple steps we can take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim."