LV= warns homeowners to hide personal documents

by Richard Kilner

Story link: LV= warns homeowners to hide personal documents

LV= has commissioned a report by criminologists which reveals that a quarter of burglary victims subsequently were subject to ID fraud as a direct result of their home being burgled.

So-called ID burglary is thought to cost the country an estimated £150m per year.

Seventy-four percent of burglaries now involve the theft of credit cards, driving licences and bank statements and other personal/financial documents, with 15% of break-ins occurring primarily or solely to acquire such documentation.

The report forecasts an annual rise of 33% in the theft of personal documents during burglary, and ID fraud is predicted to increase by 100% over the next five years.

LV= advises homeowners to keep their important documents in a safe place, separately if possible, and to make sure their homes are secure.

The advice comes a month after Legal & General released The Digital Criminal, a report revealing that many burglars make extensive use of social networking websites and sites such as Google Street View to effectively case homes with ease.