More Th>n, the direct financial services arm of UK insurer Royal & SunAlliance, has launched a new service that will provide help and advice to victims of identity theft.
ID theft occurs when a fraudster acquires proof of an identity, such as a bank statement, and uses this to create a cloned paper-based identity which is used to open bank accounts or obtain credit etc.
More Th>n's identity theft service will be available to its home insurance customers and will be part of the firm's online legal services. The service uses form-filling technology from Epoq Group to automate Q&A sessions with customers and prepare all the necessary documentation to recover a stolen identity.
Victims will be provided with legal advice on ways to repair credit status as well as help on erasing inaccurate statements stored on data files held by companies such as credit reference agencies. A legal document review and approval service is also available, along with a legal helpline.
John Hollis, home insurance manager, More Th>n, says: "Victims often don't know where to turn and this service can help reduce the stress that they face by providing all of the solutions in one easy place with the support of qualified legal advisors to help in restoring their legitimate identity."
According to stats from Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention service, there were 101,000 recorded cases of identity theft in 2003.