7 August 2008
Mobile phone users should make sure they do not store any personal information on their handsets, protection insurance provider CPP has advised.
The company's head of mobile phone insurance, Danny Harrison, said fraudsters can steal someone's identity using such information if the phone is lost or stolen.
He said that having someone's name and address is enough for a fraudster to apply for a driving licence in their name or get access to their payslips and mortgage statements.
And he also warned consumers who use their mobile phones to access the internet to delete their browsing history after they have finished surfing.
"If somebody's got that information and knows what you're interested in, it's another tool. They can see what sort of person you are and where you might visit on the internet," he explained.
Recent research conducted for CPP reveals that over a fifth of UK adults have lost their mobile phone or had it stolen.