The latest Identity Fraud figures were released today by CIFAS, The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, at the launch of this year’s National Identity Fraud Prevention Week. They show that, at the end of the third quarter of 2006, the number of identity fraud victims recorded by CIFAS Members had reached a record level.

The table below shows that:

• since the year 2000, almost 282,300 victims of identity fraud have been registered by CIFAS Members to protect them from further impersonation attempts.
• comparing the first three quarters of 2006 with the first three quarters of 2005, there has been a 21% rise in the number of victims of identity fraud.
• by the end of the year the number of victims for 2006 is likely to be over 68,000.
  

   
There is some good news, however.

CIFAS Members are detecting far more cases of identity fraud at application stage than they were a year ago. Although identity frauds have continued their relentless rise during the first 9 months of 2006, CIFAS Members’ success in detecting and preventing these frauds has increased more steeply. During the corresponding period in 2005, identity fraudsters went undetected at application stage in almost half of cases. So far this year, this is down to one third.

CIFAS Chief Executive, Peter Hurst, said "Where institutions are able to detect and prevent these frauds at application stage, this is good news both for the victims and for the organisations themselves. Financial and other institutions would otherwise bear any loss incurred as a result of the identity fraud. The victims - although they are indeed victims of identity fraud, and must continue to be alert to the possibility of further attempts on their identities - do not experience quite as much inconvenience or heartache as when the fraudster is successful."

"Obviously, CIFAS Members do all they can to identify frauds at application stage, and are continuously improving their levels of detection. It is, of course, just as important that individuals do everything possible to protect themselves by taking the various preventative measures outlined on the National Identity Fraud Prevention Week website, www.stop-idfraud.co.uk"

"It is human nature to think 'It could never happen to me'. The fact is that it can. And as some victims have learned, the situation is not always easy to resolve. Even when it is, the emotional after-effects should not be underestimated."

Comments by recent victims of identity fraud show the impact all too clearly:

"I am at my wits' end"

"It made me feel sick and afraid, as though I had been stripped of my identity"

"I worry all the time about what else could happen, that I might not pick up on"

"I felt complete shock - I couldn't believe this could happen to me. I had to get my daughter to help me deal with it - completing phone calls, etc. And I am an active 65-year old. I hate to think of older people having to deal with it"

"I feel very anxious at home, and I feel now that I am restricted to my house in case any other documents go missing"

"I was absolutely devastated because the person who did this to me was someone I know"

"I am constantly stressed. I can't sleep. I've been conned by a professional. I want to see this person behind bars. She has ruined my life".

Peter Hurst concluded "One way of helping to lessen the stress on victims is the CIFAS Protective Registration Service. This is designed to protect those who experience identity fraud, or are at risk because they have had personal documents stolen. This is administered for CIFAS by a third party (Telephone 0330 100 0180 or email: protective.registration@cifas.org.uk). The service ensures that any further application (for credit or an insurance claim) made to a CIFAS Member in the victim's name will be subjected to particularly careful scrutiny to ensure that it has been made by the genuine individual and not by a fraudster."

Notes to Editors:

1. CIFAS is the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service with 250 Member organisations spread across banking, credit cards, asset finance, retail credit, mail order, insurance, investment management, telecommunications, factoring, and share dealing. Members share information about identified frauds in the fight to prevent further fraud. CIFAS is unique and was the first data sharing scheme of its type in the world. Other schemes modelled on CIFAS have been set up in South Africa, Ireland and Germany.

2. Identity fraud cases include cases of false identity, identity theft, account takeover and other impersonation situations.

3. National Identity Fraud Prevention Week is the UK’s only nationwide awareness campaign designed to help protect individuals and businesses from identity fraud, one of the UK’s fastest growing crimes. It is an initiative launched by leading UK organisations including: Metropolitan Police, CIFAS, Federation of Small Businesses, Callcredit, Experian, Equifax, Crimestoppers, Identity and Passport Service and Fellowes.

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