Experian’s credit report monitoring service CreditExpert found that six in ten holidaymakers fail to take precautions to protect their identity before leaving for vacation.

More than half of Britons leave their post unattended while 65 per cent admitted they do not lock key documents away before going on holiday.

Women are the worst offenders, with nearly two-thirds failing to take action in order to safeguard their identity, the report found.

CreditExpert managing director Jim Hodgkins said it is important people take adequate precautions in order to protect their identity when they go on holiday.

He noted that identity fraud is on the increase and empty homes are a prime target to perpetrators of this crime.

“As well as keeping important documents secure, regularly checking your credit report will help you spot any irregularities in your finances and ensure you won’t have any nasty surprises to add to your post-holiday blues,” he advised.

Earlier this week, online identity consultancy Garlik revealed that people’s profiles on social networking sites are increasing their risk of becoming victims of fraud.

The survey revealed more than a third of internet users reveal sensitive information such as their full birthday in their public profiles.

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