ProtectmyId.co.uk Reveals British Public Lending a Hand to Online Fraudsters

NOTTINGHAM, England, August 27, 2010 - New research by ProtectmyID.co.uk has revealed just how
relaxed the Great British public are when it comes to protecting themselves
in the digital world. In the face of one of the fastest growing crimes in the
world, the research has shown that millions of online users are readily
making the information required to steal their identities available to
digital fraudsters.

The online study commissioned to mark the launch of the new
ProtectmyID.co.uk fraud protection service by Experian, revealed that three
of the most regularly used passwords (town of birth (24%), date of birth
(18%) and name of past schools (18%)**) also feature in a top ten of personal
details which the public include on social networking and dating sites. By
making these personal details so accessible online, people are making
themselves easy targets for digital criminals who are ready to maximise this
information for fraudulent activities such as ID theft (
www.protectmyid.co.uk/whatyouget.aspx).

The new study looked at how willing the public are to display
personal details online compared with the information they are prepared to
give out to people/companies contacting them by phone. The figures are vastly
different, with minimal numbers of people admitting to give out such personal
information directly to strangers (Town of Birth (7%), Name of past schools
(1%), mother's maiden name (6%)**).

In addition, the research revealed that over half the
population (51%)** use the same online password for some or most of their
online accounts, with 52%** admitting to never changing their online
passwords, or only changing their passwords when they believe their online
account may have been compromised or have been prompted to do so.

Speaking about the research results, Pete Turner, Managing
Director of Experian Interactive, said: "The results of our research show
that the message of identity fraud (www.protectmyid.co.uk) is still
not being heard. The Internet is accessible to almost everyone and as the
number of users grow, so do those using it for criminal purposes. Users need
to be aware of what information they are giving out online and who might be
accessing it. People are clearly aware of the dangers of giving away personal
details to strangers calling them up on the phone, so why are they giving
this information away to a huge audience online?"

2009 research conducted by Experian revealed that people took longer to
discover that they had become a victim of fraud, indicating that fraudsters
are getting better at covering their tracks; the average time taken is now
416 days, up 17 days compared to 2008*. Year on year, reported fraud rose
most sharply in early summer, rising by 57% in May and by 74% in June* - the
highest number ever reported to Experian in any single month. The average
financial loss per victim was GBP1,100 in 2009 and the most extreme loss
reported to Experian was for almost GBP59,000*

Notes to Editors:

* Statistics from Experian

** YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2003 adults. Fieldwork was
undertaken in July 2010. The survey was carried out online. The figures have
been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

About ProtectMyID.co.uk:

ProtectMyID is provided by Experian Ltd. Registered No. England 653331.

About Experian:

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing
data and analytical tools to clients in more than 90 countries. The company
helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing
offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check
their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft by
providing identity fraud protection (
www.protectmyid.co.uk/howidentityprotectionworks.aspx), advice on ID
fraud risks (www.protectmyid.co.uk/areyouatrisk.aspx) and identity
fraud facts (www.protectmyid.co.uk/identityfraudfacts.aspx).

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a
constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March
2010 was $3.9 billion.

    PR Contact:
    Lucy Davies
    Experian Public Relations
    Landmark House
    Experian Way
    NG2 Business Park
    Nottingham
    NG80 1ZZ
    +44(0)203-042-4870
    www.protectmyid.com

PR Contact: Lucy Davies, Experian Public Relations, Landmark House, Experian Way, NG2 Business Park, Nottingham, NG80 1ZZ, +44(0)203-042-4870