An MP turned sleuth to nail a criminal who stole her identity to carry out a series of lucrative swindles.
Labour MP Rosie Cooper told how she innocently wrote her bank details on a form in which she agreed to sign-up for a home TV contract.
Two years later the MP discovered that her phone line was to be terminated and a bogus phone contract had been mysteriously ordered in her name with Talk-Talk.
The West Lancashire MP claims when she contacted the local police they declined to investigate because it would be the phone company, not she, who suffered the financial loss.
During the process the MP received automated messages from a "Michael Cumming" on behalf of Talk Talk apologising for the delay in transferring her line.
The name rang a bell and not to be beaten the MP set a little detective work of her own, sifting through her own files for the name Cumming.
Eventually she turned-up the original TV contract order form, for 2005, countersigned by a "Michael Cumming".
She had handed over her personal details including bank account details and credit card to Michael Cumming who was acting a TV company supplier.
She complained to OFCOM, Talk Talk and the police but no one took any effective action since Cumming worked for an agency and had left their employment.
Then last year she was alerted by Littlewoods Direct Shopping that she was again the subject of ID theft.
Jewellery and other expensive items were ordered made in her name and delivered to a series of false addresses and 'dead letterboxes'.
During the investigation by the Littlewoods security team, the name Michael Cumming arose at two addresses, and was recognised by the MP.
After further investigation Littlewoods handed the case to Merseyside Police who established that a series of frauds all related to members of the public who had handed over their personal details when they ordered TV or phone contracts.
This painstaking work was rewarded when Cumming admitted nine counts of deception and was sentenced to an eight month suspended prison sentence, along with being ordered to do twelve months community service, attend a thinking skills course and was ordered to pay compensation of #1600 to Direct Home Shopping Group
But the former Lord Mayor of Liverpool fears her case is merely the tip of an iceberg and is demanding tighter regulations to cover the collection of sensitive information.
Miss Cooper said: "My experience has opened my eyes to just how vulnerable we are to unscrupulous representatives who handle forms containing sensitive information and the lack of accountability of the firms employing them either directly or indirectly..
"I have learned that there are armies of salespeople who are knocking door-to-door selling utility-switching services and the like.
"People are tempted to save some money and surrender their address and bank details believing it will be kept confidential and safe.
"In my case that personal data was stolen by a salesperson who used it for criminal gain.
"There should be a process for encryption so that sensitive information is collected separately from order forms, using the kind of double-blind processes that are adopted by banks.
"Ideally, sales staff who handle sensitive information should be subject to CRB checks.
"At the very least companies should be required to register the identity salespeople, so those records can be easily accessed if necessary by police."
Miss Cooper is calling on Ed Davey, Consumer Affairs Minister at the Department of Business innovation and Skills, to take action to protect customers from identity theft.
She added: "There are thousands of people working indirectly, though agencies, selling services, often on a short-term basis.
"We need regulation of companies who are handling sensitive information.
"When I approached one of the companies involved in my case they told me 'He doesn't work for us' and indicated there was no hope of getting to the bottom of it.
"I finally insisted on a police investigation, but when they traced the company who were paying his wages, he'd long since left.
"Only because he placed orders in my name but using a delivery address linked to him and his associates were we able to track-him down and bring him to justice.
"As it stands there is an invitation to thieves and a gaping loophole in consumer legislation that needs to be plugged.
"Consumers must be protected to ensure that when they hand-over sensitive information it does not fall into the wrong hands."
Detective Inspector Sue Coombs, of the Criminal Enterprise Team at Merseyside Police said: "An officer was assigned to investigate Ms Cooper's complaint in August 2009 and the offender was convicted and sentenced in July this year.
"Identity fraud is certainly not a victimless crime.
"While many members of the public will not incur financial losses as a result of the fraud, thec impact of becoming a victim can have long term effects, as well as the initial inconvenience of trying to sort things out."
Earlier this year the national fraud reporting centre 'Action Fraud' was set up to deal with complaints of suspicious activity from individuals and small businesses.
DI Coombs said that having a nationwide database is helping police combat fraudsters.
She said: "By looking at the national picture we will gain a better insight into what is
happening on our doorstep and ensure that criminals are not able to profit from the misery they cause to others."
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