Brits living in fear of identity fraud

Identity fraud, and information theft from mobile phones top the list of security concerns in the UK.

More than three-quarters, 86 per cent, of almost 1,000 Brits polled in the Unisys Security Index are worried about the unauthorised access or misuse of their personal information.

Computer security is less of a priority in the UK, the index found only a third are very concerned about viruses and spam, with 38 per cent not concerned at all.

Confidence is also growing in the security of online shopping, particularly among the over-54s, with only 33 per cent of residents very concerned about the security of transactions.

However, the UK remains unconvinced about using mobiles to pay bills or shop online, with 80 per cent not willing to use a mobile or personal organiser to conduct financial transactions.

The index polled 13,296 people across 14 countries.

It comes on the back of a similar survey of 4,500 adults in the UK by telecoms regulator Ofcom, which revealed approximately half the respondents were worried about disclosing personal details online, and concerns about identity fraud had risen by 15 per cent in two years.

Neil Fisher, vice president for identity theft and fraud at Unisys, said in a statement: "Identity theft and fraud is clearly an important and growing problem that is costing banks and the public a huge sum of money and distress.

"Consumers, governments and businesses need to address this growing problem, not least by being vigilant and taking measures to protect themselves."

He added: "The digital age is bundled up with a whole new set of threats."

Fisher said the index showed that telecoms providers, banks and retailers would face an uphill struggle to convince the public to accept mobile phone payments.