People in Britain may have recently heard on the national news that the goverments Inland Revenue & Customs has LOST ALL of the country benefit records. In this information details such as National Insurance numbers, bank details, addresses and date of births. People in Britain are worried, and possibly they should be. Below Is information on what to do, and how to check if you have been affected.

What has happened?

HM Revenue and Customs has lost computer discs containing the entire child benefit records, including the personal details of 25 million people - covering 7.25m families overall. The two discs contain the names, addresses, dates of birth and bank account details of people who received child benefit. They also include National Insurance numbers.

How were the discs lost?

They were sent in normal internal mail from HMRC to the National Audit Office on 18 October, by someone at a low level, and never arrived, Mr Darling said. That broke data protection laws and is the reason Revenue and Customs chairman Paul Gray has resigned.

How worried should people be?

The details on the lost discs would be sought-after by fraudsters. Mr Darling said the Metropolitan Police were investigating but it is not known what has happened to the discs. Searches continue. Mr Darling says the information was password protected, but that was not good enough. He said there was no suggestion that anything untoward had happened as a result of the discs to date. Experts say such data should normally be sent in encrypted form.

What are people advised to do?

Mr Darling said people should check their bank statements and accounts for any "irregular activity", monitor accounts if they bank online, change account passwords if it is a date of birth or name and contact their bank if they spot something suspicious.

Is my money safe?

Mr Darling said there was no evidence of fraud or that the details had fallen into the "wrong hands". He said that anyone who loses money as a result of fraud resulting from the lost discs would be reimbursed. But he said there was no need for anyone to close their bank accounts.

How can I find out more?

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has set up a Child Benefit Helpline on 0845 302 1444 for customers who want more details.

"BBC News"