X-Ray investigates how criminals are exploiting a service which is designed to reduce the risk of identity fraud and stealing victims' mail to set up credit accounts.
For generations we've relied on the Royal Mail to deliver our post. And if we move home, we still want it to reach us safely. That's one of the reasons why the Royal Mail encourages us to use its redirection service to prevent identity fraud. For a fee, your post can be forwarded to a different address for a fixed period of time. The idea is that you can be sure your mail will get to you, because if your post falls into the wrong hands, the effects can be devastating.
Ken and Sandra Perritt were victims of identity fraud
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This week we are looking at one of the biggest household bills, energy.
As a nation, it's estimated that waste £300 a year on energy. In High Street, Heol y Cyw, the average energy bill is £145 a month, so we visited some of its residents to see if we could help them save money.
The Powsons live next door to the rugby club and for a family of three they have quite a few appliances - 32 in all. From games consoles and portable televisons, to dishwashers and three fridge freezers. And they're not exactly shy about using them!
Energy monitor
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This summer our holiday plans are in turmoil. Riots in Thailand, the financial crisis in Greece, oil spills in the USA, airline strikes and the threat of volcanic ash - the list is endless.
So if you haven't booked your break yet, what should you do for the best? We asked travel expert Simon Calder for his advice.
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Simon Calder gives us his travel advice for this summer
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How much did you spend on food this week? Going out with friends? Any ideas? Probably not.
In fact, almost 40% of us don't keep a regular check on our finances which can lead to problems down the line, as Rhodri's been finding out on Heol Y Cyw High Street.
We asked households here whether they set a weekly budget. Only a fifth said they did. And most said they'd never set one.
Natalie and Gareth Williams find that making ends meet is a battle every single month. Gareth works as a home insulator, but his hours are unpredictable and the wage isn't great.
At the moment though saving isn't an option. Earlier this year Gareth needed an operation and was off sick for three months, and the couple's income dropped from £1,000 to just £400 a month. As a result they gave in to temptation and began using credit cards. Natalie's now training as a driving instructor and hoping it'll help to clear the debt.
It's a tough situation, but we're determined to put the Williams family back in the driving seat when it comes to their money.
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Have you ever given blood? If you have, or even if you haven't, then you may have wondered what happens to it before it's put to good use.Ìý
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Sam Rainbird is Head of Processing at the Welsh Blood Service. She says they normally receive about 450 donations each day.Ìý That may seem like a lot, but patients who have had an aneurysm can take up to forty units at one time.
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As soon as the blood arrives, one percent of each donation is taken to microbiology for testing. Each sample is checked for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis and the Human T-Lymphocyte virus.
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While the testing is going on, the rest of the donation is 'processed', so that it can be turned around as quickly as possible.Ìý
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Llinos Lee goes behind the scenes at the Welsh Blood Service
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The growth of the internet means we've had to learn lots of new terms for things we never even knew existed, and now there's a new one for our dictionaries: Escrow.
Though it sounds high-tech, Escrow services have been used since the 16th century, where a trusted third party would be enlisted to hold the money while the exchange took place in the sales of goods or property - often when a scroll containing the deeds was handed over.
Now the world is a very different place and scammers are using technology to fake the legitimate service to con unsuspecting victims.
Scammers are using technology to fake the legitimate service to con unsuspecting victims.
Matthew Curtis, a steel worker from Barry, wanted to shop around for a good deal when the time came to upgrade his trusty Mercedes. He and his wife Dawn had saved hard for months and went online in search of some dream wheels suitable for the highways and byways of the Vale of Glamorgan.
Matthew and Dawn Curtis
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It's the latest arrival on the high street - the teeth whitening booths which promise an instantly white smile. But what exactly are they offering? And what are they putting on your teeth?
Until recently most teeth whitening was done by dentists. The 1984 Dentists Act says that the practice of dentistry can only be legally carried out by dentists, or trained dental professionals who are supervised by a dentist. And the General Dental Council insists that whitening teeth is a form of dentistry.
Stuart Johnston from the British Dental Association told X-Ray, "As dentists, our first duty is to do no harm to our patients. We have the training, the background scientific knowledge and the techniques available which others simply do not have, to do this in the safest possible manner."
Yet quick fix whitening companies are springing up all over Wales. One of the latest to visit Cardiff is a company called Sonic Whitening. Several weeks ago it set up a temporary stand in the busy St David's shopping centre where it offers to whiten your teeth for £145. We sent two of the X-Ray team to find out what kind of treatment was available for that price and who would be carrying it out. They secretly filmed the conversation.
ÌýThe Sonic Whitening stand at St David's shopping centre, Cardiff
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Heol Y Cyw is a small village just outside Bridgend. And the High Street is the heart of it - here you'll find the village shop, school, pub, and rugby club.
Over the next three months we'll be challenging this street to become masters of their money. Will they become savvy shoppers, hardened hagglers and consumer champions by the time we leave?
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| 17:01 UK time, Monday, 31 May 2010
