Half of all fraud recorded by CIFAS during the first six months of this year relate to impersonation, identity fraud and the takeover of victims’ accounts – marking a 10% increase on last year.
The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service (CIFAS) also found that the fraudulent misuse of an account or facility have risen to their highest levels since 2009, accounting for 24% of all frauds reported to CIFAS in the first six months of the year.
Additionally, CIFAS found that bank and plastic card accounts remain a popular targets for fraudsters. Plastic card accounts (e.g. credit or store cards) made up 38% of all account takeover cases during the first half of 2011.
Protect yourself from fraud
- Don’t throw out anything with your name, address or financial details without shredding it first.
- If you receive an unsolicited email or phone call from what appears to be your bank or building society asking for your security details, never reveal your full password, login details or account numbers. Most banks will not approach their customers in this manner.
- Look after your cards and card details at all times. Try not to let your card out of your sight when making a transaction.
- Check your statements carefully and report anything suspicious to the financial institution concerned.
- An identity protection service such as ProtectMyID monitors your Experian credit report and alerts you to potential fraudulent activity via email or SMS. If you are a victim of identity fraud, a dedicated caseworker will work with you to help you resolve any problems. Visit ProtectMyID to learn more.
Read more about these new figures on the CIFAS website.
Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.
To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
See also:
Identity fraud and identity theft
Bank card and cheque fraud
Account takeover fraud
