Identity fraud in UK targets under 30s
New figures reveal a 52 percent rise in young identity fraud victims in the UK. In 2015, just under 24,000 people aged 30 and under were victims of identity fraud. This is up from 15,766 in 2014, and more than double the 11,000 victims in this age bracket in 2010.
The figures from fraud prevention service Cifas -- which is calling for better education about fraud and financial crime -- are released alongside a new short video designed to raise awareness of ID fraud among younger age groups.
"Fraudsters are opportunists", says Simon Dukes, Cifas chief executive. "As banks and lenders have become more adept at detecting false identities, fraudsters have focused on stealing and using genuine people’s details instead. Society, government and industry all have a role in preventing fraud, however our concern is that the lack of awareness about identity fraud is making it even easier for fraudsters to obtain the information they need".
The survey also finds that many young people are unaware they are at risk. Only 34 percent of 18-24 year olds say they learned about online security at school, and 50 percent believe they would never fall for an online scam (compared to the national average across all age groups of 37 percent).
Just 57 percent of 18-24 year olds report thinking about how secure their personal details are online (compared to 73 percent for the population as a whole). They are also less likely to install anti-virus software on their smartphone than the national average (27 percent compared to 37 percent).
Commander Chris Greany of the City of London Police, who is national coordinator for economic crime, says, "We have known for some time that identity fraud has become the engine that drives much of today’s criminality and so it is vitally important that people keep their personal information safe and secure. In the fight against fraud, education is key and it's great that Cifas and its members are taking identity fraud seriously and working together to raise awareness of how the issue is now increasingly affecting young people through the launch of this film".
Cifas has created an online quiz for people to check their fraud risk profile, and you can watch the video below.
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