A recently-released report shows a rising trend of identity theft in Australia.

The study found that one in five Australians have been victims of identity theft, a rise of 23% in the past year. It’s estimated that at least 1.5 million credit cards were skimmed, and 1.2 million bank accounts were hacked or otherwise used without authorisation.

Millions more people were victims of mail theft or “dumpster diving,” which is stealing ordinary papers with sensitive information from rubbish bins, mail boxes, or other places. These papers, which include banking statements, unwanted offers of credit cards, receipts, and utility bills, are then used to access credit in the victim’s name.

Credit card fraud was the single biggest risk of identity theft, including skimming or outright theft.

The research was conducted by Galaxy Research at the request of Veda Advantage, a credit company. The shockingly high numbers emphasize how little the average Australian is aware of the problem and how easy it can be to become a victim.

A spokesman for Veda Advantage believes part of the rise in identity theft is due to the recession. People suddenly unemployed or working reduced hours sometimes turn to crime to fill the holes in their budget.

However, another cause is Australia’s hesitation in engaging fraud in an active way. Identity theft is considered a lower priority crime by police forces, and banks tend to prefer hushing it up to avoid embarrassing publicity.

Too often, victims of identity theft only learn of the crime when they attempt to apply for credit themselves, only to be turned down. An identity theft had already taken out a personal loan in the victim’s name and vanished with the money.

Steps that can be taken to reduce your chances of becoming a victim include shredding potentially sensitive documents, and registering your credit cards with a security service to monitor them for fraudulent activity. Several agencies handle such services, including many banks and Veda Advantage itself. Call your credit card provider or bank, or check their website, for more details.

Source: news.com.au