Allegations that fraudsters used Karlie Pearce-Stevenson's personal information to access her bank account and claim social welfare payments come as a growing number of criminals gain profits from identity theft, cyber security experts say.

Ms Pearce-Stevenson's remains were found in the Belanglo Forest in NSW in 2010, while the remains of her daughter Khandalyce, believed to be aged about two, were found near a suitcase alongside the Karoonda Highway in South Australia's Murray Mallee earlier this year.

A 41-year-old man has been charged over the alleged murder of Ms Pearce-Stevenson, while inquiries into who is responsible for Khandalyce's death are continuing.

Ms Pearce-Stevenson's bank account is believed to have been accessed from four states over several years and her Centrelink benefits were also fraudulently claimed.

Centrelink's Department of Human Services general manager Hank Jongen said payments to Ms Pearce-Stevenson were cancelled in 2011 after detecting an issue.

"Due to this being an active investigation I am unable to go into the specific details," Mr Jongen said.

"However, the payments were stopped in early 2011 because the department's control system successfully identified a payment-affecting issue."

Senior research fellow at the University of Adelaide, Dr Malcolm Pattinson, said criminals could still easily exploit security holes in financial institutions.

"Organisational security and that includes the financial institutions isn't good enough," he said.

"There needs to be more security, more levels of identification I think in order to prevent these growing incidents of security breaches and identity theft."

Mr Jongen, said security within Centrelink was being tightened.

"The department investigates all allegations of serious fraud," he said.

"To address identity crime more generally, the department has a dedicated team of specialists who use sophisticated data-matching and detection technologies to combat identity-related fraud.

"Controls are also being further strengthened through implementation of the Document Verification Service, which enables us to verify a range of identity documents with the originating agency in real time."

Business, individuals can do more to protect themselves

Cyber security experts say both organisations and individuals could do more to protect themselves from identity theft crimes.

Information security business CQR's chief technology officer Phil Kernick said the crimes were increasingly prevalent in the community.

"We've noticed it's becoming an increasing problem, that more and more people are being subjected to it because criminals are looking for ways to steal," he said.

He said it was easy for many criminals to access the document and information they need to steal someone's identity.

"Most of it is reasonably easy because people throw out the identity that they want to protect, so they don't shred their bills they throw them in the trash, they don't lock their letterboxes so things like credit cards and bank statements can be stolen out of there," Mr Kernick said.

"That gets you about 60 points to your 100 point check.

"Then there are things like drivers licences which are harder to get, but not impossible."

Mr Kernick said it was also very easy for people to find personal information about others online.

"I encourage people to Google their own name and find out how much the internet knows about you. It will probably shock you."

Identity theft a more 'sophisticated illegal industry'

Dr Pattinson said identity theft was becoming a much more sophisticated illegal industry.

"I think that market is growing to the point where one fraudster will get information and sell it to other fraudsters who will pay them for it, so there's this sort of hierarchy of people trying to get other people's information and just selling it on and not using it for themselves," Dr Pattinson said.

Senior research fellow at the University of Adelaide and cyber security expert Dr Malcolm Pattinson. ( ABC News )

"The use of the internet, you know 65 year olds and over, didn't use to use computers and now they're starting to and that presents a problem for us.

"There are farms of people, that's all they do all day they sit in a huge room of computers and just attempt to access people's information."

He said security should be tightened across households and businesses.

"There are those people you've got to train better and give more information to because they're not aware of threats, risks, what do I stand to lose, what's at stake," he said.

"On the other hand I think organisations should be more secure, not just financial institutions, health organisations for example, hospitals and doctors surgeries they've just got to be far more careful and I suppose that means a higher percentage of their revenue should be spent on security."

Both experts said people should have anti-virus software and never click on links in unsolicited emails.

They also recommend people shred all personal and financial documents and put a lock on their letterbox.

Mr Kernick said people should also create legitimate profiles on social media to prevent others impersonating them.

"Whether you use social media or not, register your social media accounts if you don't want them don't use them, but it stops someone else pretending to be you," he said.