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  • Identity Theft
  • Protect Yourself
Identity Theft
What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is a serious crime where your personal information—anything from your name, your driver’s license, or identification number (ID number) —has been hijacked by an imposter who intends to commit fraud in your name. With your ID number, someone can easily open store accounts and agree to significant debt in your name.

  • Find out what to look for in determining if are a victim of identity theft
  • Tips to help keep your identity safe
  • Read about what you can do to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft
How can I safeguard myself against the risk of identity theft?
With the growing threat of identity fraud, it's important to make sure that your credit is closely watched. Monitoring your credit allows you to look for errors that may appear on your report and unauthorised changes that may indicate fraud. With TrueIdentity features such as ID Monitor, you can receive alerts when your personal information is detected on the dark web.
My identity has been stolen. How can I get help from TransUnion?
If you are a subscriber to our TrueIdentity services you may contact Identity Guard, our expert forensic investigation partner, to report your identity theft incident on 0861 434 8273.

Alternatively, the first step is to report the incident to the South African Fraud Prevention Service by calling their helpline on 0860 101 248 or by visiting https://www.safps.org.za. Once you have flagged it through them, alert your bank or credit provider and open a case with the South African Police Service (SAPS). You may also log a dispute with all credit bureaus. To log a dispute with TransUnion call 0861 482 482, follow the prompts and choose Option 2.
Protect Yourself
Tips to protect yourself

Safeguard your identity by always keeping your personal documents in a safe, secure place. Tear up or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank statements and expired credit offers before you throw them away.

Do not carry your Identity document, birth certificate or passport with you unless needed. Do not give your banking details, identity number or personal details over the phone as a fraudster may phone, posing as a bank employee or government agent.

How do you protect yourself?

The more you know about identity theft, the better prepared you will be to protect yourself. Impersonation fraud occurs when someone uses your name and ID to obtain credit that they never intend to repay. Monitor your credit report to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud.

  • Monitor your credit report to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud. Protect your identity with our My Credit Report with the Notification solution—a pro-active measure to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.
  • You receive an e-mail or SMS notification every time any change is made on your credit report.
What if someone has opened accounts using my Identity?

We encourage consumers to manage their credit reports by accessing their reports at least once a year to see what is on the report. If your credit report shows accounts that you did not open, you should contact the companies that have enquired on you and request that they provide you with the application form which you allegedly signed.

Should you receive no feedback, we encourage you to contact TransUnion to lodge a dispute.

How can your credit reputation be affected by identity theft?

One common way is that a fraudster obtains your identity document and opens accounts in your name, up to the maximum credit limit per account, and then disappears. In this instance, your credit report would then include adverse information due to the fraudster’s conduct. The effect on you is not just that you are unable to access more credit; it could also mean legal issues that you need to resolve.


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