Online ID OD: Illegal Web Trade in Personal Information Soars

Online ID OD: Illegal Web Trade in Personal Information Soars PR Newswire LONDON, July 17, 2012 LONDON, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian CreditExpert's identity web monitoring service reveals more than 12 million pieces of personal information traded online globally between January and April 2012 More than 12 million pieces of personal information were illegally traded online by identity fraudsters in the first four months of 2012, new figures from Experian CreditExpert reveal. Bespoke research* from Experian CreditExpert's web monitoring service - which helps people to quickly detect ID theft - shows that the first four months of 2012 have already outstripped the entire of 2010 when 9.5million pieces of personal information were illegally traded. Approximately 90% of the illegally traded data during January - April this year consisted of password and login combinations. This dramatic surge is thought to be in part due to consumers having a spiralling number of online accounts. Experian CreditExpert's new web monitoring service continuously monitors the web on behalf of its customers - to immediately detect the theft, loss or disclosure of vital personal and financial information. Additional consumer research commissioned by Experian CreditExpert reveals that the average Briton now has 26 different online accounts with 25-34-year [1] olds being the most prolific, with no fewer than 40.