Identity Theft & Identity Fraud
Identity theft is what happens when someone steals your personal details so they can use your identity. Identity fraud is very similar, but the person stealing your personal information uses it for their own financial gain.
Identity fraud comes in many forms, for example, credit card fraud, tax fraud, and benefits fraud.
According to Cifas, identity fraud in the UK has increased hugely in the past few years, with 223,163 being reported in 2019.
With the world we live in being so digital, fraudsters most commonly achieve identity fraud through data leaks. This is where an organisation that holds information about you, say your name, address, and card details is involved in a data breach. Fraudsters manage to get hold of your information through the organisation’s databases and then will use it to impersonate you online, most often to spend your money.
The best way to avoid identity fraud is to make sure your personal information is always protected. One of our goals at Digital Identity Net is to help people take control of their own personal data, making sure only they ever get to use it.
To learn more about identity theft and fraud, especially if you think you may be at risk, visit the Action Fraud website where you’ll find many helpful resources.
