Protecting yourself from identity theft is a matter of treating all your personal and financial documents as top secret information. Identity theft, which is a bigger problem in the US than in Europe, involves acquiring another person's identification information without that person's knowledge for the purposes of impersonating him or her to commit fraud.

The best defence against identity theft is to prevent thieves from getting information about you in the first place.

Never leave your handbag or wallet unattended. Keep your personal data guarded at all times.

Don't carry your social welfare card, birth certificate or passport in your wallet or bag unless it's absolutely necessary. Cancel any inactive payment card accounts.

Never give any payment card details, bank details or personal public service (PPS) number to anyone by telephone, even if you made the call, unless you can positively verify that the call is legitimate and that there is a true need for the information.

Never throw away receipts in the household rubbish. When disposing of receipts or old statements, be sure to destroy the area where the account number is visible. This is to avoid the risk of bin-raiding - where personal information is gathered by criminals.

Make a note of when your financial statements arrive each month. If your statements stop arriving, contact your bank immediately. Call your card issuer if a new or reissued card does not arrive when expected.

The Garda have warned the public that identity theft is a legitimate concern and that individuals should be vigilant against it.