In response to the serious increase in identity theft, financial services company Citigroup, the largest issuer of credit cards in the world, is launching Citi Identity Theft Solutions in the UK, a service designed to provide customers with help and advice to combat the detrimental effects of having their identities stolen.
The free service is available all year round to all existing and new Citi Cards customers through the Citiphone help and advice line, even if the identity theft takes place on another issuer’s card, bank account or loan.
In addition to advice, customers using the service will also receive the Citi Cards Identity Theft Tool Kit. This contains a 16 page advice leaflet, letter templates for writing to banks or card issuers to close down fraudulently opened accounts, guidance on how to dispute entries on credit reports and a template for logging conversations and other recovery actions.
Tom Jones, Head of Citi Cards UK, said: Citi leads the credit card industry in fraud detection and prevention in the US, having introduced Fraud Early Warning in 1989 and Citi Identity Theft Solutions in 2003. We have now brought this international expertise to the UK so our customers here can rely on us to help them navigate faster and easier through this confusing and trying experience if they become a victim of identity thieves.
According to figures from the UK government Home Office, identity fraud costs over GBP1.3 billion to the British economy annually.