Australians urged to check Christmas credit card statements for unauthorised transactions over holidaysChristmas bank and credit card statements can often be early indicators of financial fraud and ID related crime, Unisys security experts believe
SYDNEY, 16 February, 2010 – Australians are being urged to carefully check their holiday credit card bills and bank statements for signs of identity related fraud and crime.
More than half the adult Australian population, some 9 million people, fear falling victim to identity related crime in one form or another according to the Unisys Security Index™.
“The holidays are when people are using their credit cards more than usual and unfortunately it is a time when identity thieves are also more active,” said Allen Koehn, Vice President, Public Sector, Unisys Asia Pacific.
“That is why it is critical that people carefully check their credit and bank statements covering the Christmas period. It is one of the most important and proactive steps Australians can take to protect themselves against identity theft, financial fraud and related crime.
“Reviewing statements for any unfamiliar purchases may highlight unauthroised transactions made on your behalf. If you are unable to recognise or reconcile any transaction, then you should immediately contact your financial services provider,” Mr Koehn said.
Mr Koehn said that the Christmas and New Year sales periods have both seen enormous levels of activity by Australian consumers yet it is busy times like this when the volume of transactions is high that financial fraud is not only more likely to occur, but can be harder to spot.
“So our message to Australian consumers is clear – check all the transactions listed on your statement and make sure you can account for each and every one of them. If you are unsure about a transaction, no matter how small, check it out with your bank and/ or financial services provider,” said Mr Koehn.
He also said that January is a great time to start good habits to help reduce your exposure to identity theft and financial fraud.
“Unisys research shows that many Australians take unnecessary risks which place them in danger of falling victim to identity theft:
“Consumer vigilance is one of the most important weapons against identity related crime and financial fraud and there are many simple steps that people can take to give themselves added security, including:
“These are simple steps that we can all take to help combat identity and financial fraud,” said Mr Koehn.
Unisys on Security
Organisations and governments today confront potential security threats that didn’t exist a decade ago. A nation's sense of security is an important indicator of political, economic and consumer forces and their interdependence. Security threats are global and their effects impact individuals on a daily basis. Unisys approach to security goes beyond ‘bits and bytes’ recognising that the most effective solutions are going to be those formed through collaboration across interests. See also www.unisyssecurityindex.com.au
For more information on Unisys security offerings visit: http://www.unisys.com/unisys/theme/index.jsp?id=1036100020000010000
About Unisys Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions through subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Singapore and through distributors or resellers in other countries in the region. For more information, visit www.unisys.com. Follow us on www.twitter.com/UnisysAPAC. About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 26,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
Contacts
Julian Brophy, Perception Partners, 0408 276749
Claire Hosegood, Unisys, 0411 253 663
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