ActionFraud - National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre - Call 0300 123 2040

Consumers consider ID fraud their biggest risk

Over a third of consumers (36%) believe that they are most at risk from identity fraud, compared to online or credit card fraud, recent research reveals.

Identity

During National Identity Fraud Prevention Month Equifax’s latest research reveals the majority of consumers (58%) believe that their risk of fraud has increased over the past 12 months, particularly as fraudsters appear to be getting more sophisticated.

There is also a much greater understanding of the risk of fraud through the use of smartphones and social media now than in 2010 according to the research. Surprisingly 31% of respondents said they post information on their social media sites when they are on holiday. This type of behaviour, particularly common amongst younger people, opens up so many chances for a fraudster said Neil Munroe, Director from Equifax.

He continued “There is no question that new technology has made so many parts of life easier and more convenient, but with those benefits needs to come more vigilance about what personal information is shared online, with whom, and how. We advise individuals to keep all their passwords to themselves and not even give them to their partners or other family members. We also recommend that individuals check their credit report on a regular basis to ensure that no unauthorised activity has taken place”.

“The sophistication of online frauds and scams increases by the day, so it is vital consumers understand the value of their own information and take precautions to keep ID fraud at bay.”

For further information on the research visit the Equifax website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

Related Links

Identity fraud and identity theft

The Devil’s In Your Details

Most shared articles

Related articles