Identity theft: sharp rise in attacks - how to stay safe

The number of identity fraud victims across all age groups has shot up in the space of a year, new research claims.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of people falling victim to identity fraud attacks in the last year, with London and Manchester seeing the biggest increases.

New figures from fraud prevention agency Cifas show a 57% average increase across all age groups.

The figures make for unpleasant reading, but what is truly worrying is how easy many of us – especially younger people – make it for ID thieves to gather our personal data.

How we share information

To coincide with its findings, Cifas conducted a practical study: for a free coffee and a croissant, participants were invited to ‘like’ a London café’s Facebook page. Many were only too happy to do so.

Meanwhile a team of background researchers, with a maximum of three minutes, searched across public websites to find as much personal information and data as possible on them.

This info was then radioed to the barista, who wrote it on the cup and handed it to the shocked customer. 

Speaking about the startling results of the study, Simon Dukes, Cifas chief executive, said:

“As banks and lenders have become more adept at detecting false identities, fraudsters have focused on stealing and using genuine people’s details instead. 

"The likes of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other online platforms are much more than just social media sites - they are now a hunting ground for identity thieves.”

Dukes urged social media users to double-check their privacy settings as soon as possible and to think carefully about what they share online.

You can learn more about the Cifas study in the video below.

These people ‘liked’ a Facebook page for a free coffee – what happened next? https://t.co/kyjEfN02z9 #datatogo pic.twitter.com/YwMncLAUbt

— Cifas (@Cifas_UK) July 5, 2016

What is identity fraud?

If a criminal tries to buy a product or take out a loan in another person’s name, they’re committing identity fraud. The scammer will need access to their victim’s personal details like their name, date of birth, address, their bank and who they hold accounts with. These can be accessed through hacking and data loss as well as social media.

Unfortunately, victims often won’t know that they’ve been targeted until they receive a bill for something they didn’t order or they experience problems with their credit rating.

What if it happens to me or someone I know?

Victims should act fast if they’ve been duped by a fraudster.

If you receive any mail that seems suspicious or implies that you have an account with the sender when you know you don’t, take action.

Get a copy of your credit report and check every entry on it. You can get a 30-day free trial with Experian through loveMONEY today. If you see an account or even a credit search that shouldn’t be there, notify your credit reference agency immediately. After that, report it to Action Fraud and if you need extra help, you can contact Victim Support for free.

Find out more at Identity theft: what to do if you’re a victim of ID fraud.

Below is a full breakdown of how each age group is affected by identity theft, followed by a breakdown by city.

 Manchester has seen a hefty 83% jump in young identity fraud victims:

Get free access to your Experian credit report for 30 days with loveMONEY 

 Manchester has seen a hefty 83% jump in young identity fraud victims:

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