People are taking unnecessary risks during the Christmas period, according to a data protection specialist.

Identity theft manager for CPP Danny Harrison noted that one in four people under the age of 35 were putting themselves at risk of identity fraud by not checking to see if a webpage was secure before spending their money.

Shopping accounts should also be logged out of before leaving the website in question, as the failure to do so could also result in scammers accessing details left on the computer after their departure.

When filling in questionnaires, Mr Harrison added, people "will quite happily give out their name, their address, their date of birth, maybe even where they are born" without giving it a second thought, leading to many being ensnared by traps laid out by those committing fraud.

He hammered the point home and said: "With your date of birth [they] can get your birth certificate or a copy of [it]."

According to Apacs in October, losses from internet, phone and mail order fraud totalled £161.9 million during the year, accounting for 54 per cent of card fraud losses.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).