Identity theft hits ratings

Thousands of people across Edinburgh have had their credit ratings damaged by identity thieves, life assistance firm CPP has claimed.

The firm said the results of a survey of 76 people in the Capital had suggested that 42 per cent had incurred financial costs from identity theft, including mortgage refusals and lost earnings.

It also found that identity theft victims in Edinburgh took more than 780 days on average to get a damaged credit file back to health, with more than half not knowing how to deal with the problem.