Credit card details of 17 shoppers were discovered in an alley among rubbish dumped by a major department store on Teesside. The till roll, containing full credit card numbers and expiry dates, was found in Middlesbrough town centre when environmental enforcement officers examined the discarded bag. Police and fraud experts said the details could have been used by crooks to buy goods over the Internet. Dr Anthony Luke, who heads Middlesbrough Council's Enforcement Team, declined to name the store but said: "This is a serious matter. Identity fraud is a growing problem and if personal financial information like credit card numbers fell into the wrong hands these people could have become victims." Cleveland Police fraud squad detectives expressed surprise that such a big store could be so careless and was still printing full customer details on receipts. Detective Inspector Bill Matthews said: "I'm amazed at this. With the full credit card details and expiry date, thieves could easily establish new identities for themselves and obtain services and other credit cards over the Internet. It is clearly a great concern." He said there have been only a handful of identity theft cases on Teesside but that it was on the increase. The incident has been reported to the store involved and a letter will be sent giving advice on how to improve security. Investigations are also ongoing to establish if the bag was dumped illegally. Dr Luke added: "The team were doing routine patrols in the back alleys of Middlesbrough for litter and waste when they found this rubbish bag. "When checking the bag the officer found a till receipt and highlighted 17 different credit card numbers and expiry dates." The receipt is to be destroyed by the enforcement team. He added: "This incident illustrates the need to be aware of identity theft and to ensure that all personal information is shredded before it gets thrown out." He said people should buy shredders and destroy financial documents before binning them. * HAVE you been the victim of identity fraud? Write to the Editor, Evening Gazette, Borough Road, Middlesbrough TS1 3AZ. Or send an e-mail to editor@eveninggazette.co.uk Identity fraud * Identity fraud is a rising problem in the UK with an estimated 100,000 people affected last year. * It costs the UK economy £1.3bn annually. * Small-time crooks slash bags to steal details then sell documents to organised crime gangs for as much as £20. * Crooks can steal identities from discarded household bills, receipts, card slips, bank statements and even junk mail. * Organised criminals then use the stolen identities to obtain benefits, services and even open bank accounts. * It can take months for a victim to realise what has happened. | 
