Identity fraud to leave people financially hurt?

Rising levels of identity fraud could suggest an increasing number of people may require help to manage debt worries.

New research carried out by Cifas – the fraud prevention service – has revealed “an alarming and continuing surge” in the practice throughout the UK.

The organisation monitored its 265 member bodies and discovered a 14 per cent leap in the scam compared with the same time period in 2009.

Moreover, the investigation revealed there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of victims of impersonation.

The organisation also warned more problems relating to the matter are highly likely in the future.

More than 50,199 individuals suffered at the hands of an impersonation attempt in the first six months of the year and Cifas observed many reported feelings of vulnerability and helplessness, as well as the financial impact.

It means there are 275 instances of an individual’s personal details being abused every day.

The report found overall levels of officially recorded fraud to have dropped by three per cent from 2009 levels, but the organisation warned this only served to highlight the prevalence of the problem.

Richard Hurley, communications manager at Cifas, noted the term identity fraud is widely used in today’s society.

However, he warned: “In spite of our increased awareness and understanding of some of the steps we can take to help prevent falling victim to identity fraud … the numbers continue to rise.”

Get Safe Online recently advised holidaymakers to be wary of scams when booking their getaway online after it found 30 per cent do not check the validity of the travel provider they use before parting with their money.

By Joe Shervin