Identity theft levels breach record in the UK
Identity theft cases in the UK have soared to record levels, according to fraud prevention service Cifa. Nearly 173,000 cases of fraud were reported in 2016, marking a 2% rise on the previous year. Cifa's report also found that nine of 10 fraudulent applications for bank accounts and other finance products were made online. Cifa Deputy Chief Executive Mike Haley urged consumers to "make it more difficult for fraudsters to abuse their identity" by using strong passwords, not using public Wi-Fi for online shopping and banking, and making sure software is kept up to date.
The level of identity theft has soared across the country to record levels, with figures today showing that almost 173,000 frauds were recorded last year.

The report found that 9 out of 10 fraudulent applications for bank accounts and other financial products were made online.

The number of cases has more than doubled in the past eight years, and has increased by almost 2 per cent compared to 2015.

The vast majority of identity fraud happens when a fraudster pretends to be an innocent individual to buy a product or take out a loan in their name

The data was compiled from the fraud prevention service Cifas' database of 277 banks and businesses.

The vast majority of identity fraud happens when a fraudster pretends to be an innocent individual to buy a product or take out a loan in their name.

The report found that growing numbers of young people are falling victim in recent years and this upward trend continued in 2016 with almost 25,000 victims under 30. Around 30,000 victims were aged between 51 and 60.

Most incidents of identity theft happen when a fraudster pretends to be an 'innocent individual' and tries to buy or take out a loan in their victim's name, Cifas said.

Often victims do not even realise that they have been targeted until a bill arrives for something they did not buy or they experience problems with their credit rating.

To carry out this kind of fraud successfully, fraudsters need access to their victim's personal information such as name, date of birth, address, their bank and who they hold accounts with.

What can consumers do to protect themselves? Set your privacy settings across all the social media channels you use. And just think twice before you share details – in particular your full date of birth, your address, contacts details – all this information can be useful to fraudsters. Password protect your devices. Keep your passwords complex by picking three random words, such as roverducklemon and add or split them with symbols, numbers and capitals:R0v3rDuckLemon!. Install anti-virus software on your laptop and any other personal devices and then keep it up to date. Take care on public wi-fi – fraudsters hack them or mimic them. If you're using one, avoid accessing sensitive apps such as mobile banking. Download updates to your software when your device prompts you – they often add enhanced security features. Think about your offline information too: Like post. Always redirect your mail when you leave home and try to make sure your mailbox is secure. <!- - ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/ru/money/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 - ->

Fraudsters get hold of this in a variety of ways, from stealing mail through to hacking; obtaining data on the 'dark web'; exploiting personal information on social media, or though 'social engineering' where innocent parties are persuaded to give up personal information to someone pretending to be from their bank, the police or a trusted retailer.

Identity fraud now accounts for more than half of all fraud recorded by the organisation.

Scammers also exploit personal information on social media

Mike Haley, Cifas' deputy chief executive, urged people to 'make it more difficult for fraudsters to abuse their identity'.

He said: 'There are three simple steps that anyone can take to protect themselves: use strong passwords, download software updates when prompted on your devices; and avoid using public wi-fi for banking and online shopping.

'We all remember to protect our possessions through locking our house or flat or car but we don't take the same care to protect our most important asset - our identities.

'We all need to take responsibility to secure our mail boxes, shred our important documents like bank statements and utility bills, and take sensible precautions online - otherwise we are making ourselves a target for the identity fraudster.'

Commander Chris Greany, national co-ordinator for economic crime, said: 'With close to half of all crime now either fraud or cyber crime we all need to make sure we protect our identity.

'Identity fraud is the key to unlocking your valuables. Things like weak passwords or not updating your software are the same as leaving a window or door unlocked.'