Ironically, while away filming a new drama on identity theft, Keeley Hawes credit cards were used by somebody working at her house, to run up bills of £7,000. Keeley Hawes plays the head of the identity unit in the television drama Identity.

Neil Munroe from credit agency Equifax has said, “Personal information is the new currency of the 21st century and definitely a more valuable asset than cash. It can only take three pieces of personal information for a fraudster to steal someone's identity, so it's vital that everyone takes care of the documents and online activity that could put this valuable asset in the hands of the fraudsters.”

To avoid all the fuss and bother of identity fraud, here are a few measures you can take:

• Be careful when filling out personal details online; if you suspect the website isn’t genuine, contact the company immediately.
• Make sure your virus protection is constantly updated and that you have a firewall in place.
• Don’t write down your PIN; or if you really have to, keep it in a secure place.
• Regularly check your bank statements and credit card statements against your receipts.
• Pay attention to unauthorised activity on your credit file; contact your bank for a copy.
• When paying for goods online, check the address bar; only if it starts with https://... (as opposed to http://...) does it mean that the payment is secure.
• Shred all your old/unused personal documents with personal or sensitive data with one of our great shredders!