The identity fraud capital of the UK

by John Fitzsimons on 09 May 2012  |  8 comments
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Guest blogger Darren Beach looks at the town that has overtaken London as the identity fraud capital of the UK

The UK’s ID fraud hotspot has shifted westwards as Slough has overtaken London to become the country’s top identity fraud capital.

The Experian Fraud Report found that residents of the Berkshire commuter town are more than three times as likely as the rest of the UK to be targeted by identity fraudsters, though the nation’s capital still features most of the ten boroughs with the highest level of fraudulent activity, with East Ham rating over ten times the national average.

Identity fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes of the 21st century, and anyone could be at risk from fraudsters getting hold of their personal information.

The remainder of the top ten nationwide ID fraud hotspots are made up of a mixture of commuter-belt towns and major regional cities.

Identity fraud hotspots

Sophisticated fraudsters

Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are now targeting groups that they know to be vulnerable, such as people in rented accommodation or on low incomes. We’re also seeing young professionals who are heavy internet users being targeted.

But some simple steps can protect you. Be cautious about what information you give out and what links you click on, and keep abreast of bank statements and your credit report.

Shifting targets

There has been a dramatic shift in ID fraud targeting current accounts and mortgages by fraudsters.

Identity theft via current accounts has more than doubled (from six to 14 in every 10,000 applications), while fraudulent mortgage applications quadrupled (from one to four in every 10,000) respectively.  In contrast, identity fraud attempts on credit cards have seen a decrease from 17 to four in every 10,000 applications.

And it’s not just the types of financial products that fraudsters are targeting that are changing. Whereas the number one target was formerly the country’s wealthiest living in London’s most fashionable areas, this has now shifted to younger, lower-income groups renting small flats from local councils or housing associations, or living in old, terraced housing in the centre of large towns.

They may not have the large credit lines of wealthier victims, but they are often easier to target.

To avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud, Experian has developed the following top tips:

• Be smart with your smartphone - Be careful what information is stored on your phone – including emails that can be accessed without a password. You should also be wary of security settings if you access public Wi-Fi hotspots, especially if you use your phone to bank online.

• Don’t reveal too much on social networking sites - Fraudsters use personal details like date of birth, age, maiden names or pets’ names to guess private passwords.

• Keep pins and passwords private - Memorise details rather than writing them down and never give account details to anyone else. Use different passwords for different accounts and try to avoid easily guessed names.

• Keep your firewalls and security settings up to date
• Read your bank statements for irregularities - And if you receive paper statements, be sure to shred them.

• Check your credit report regularly - It’s a history of all your credit accounts and will highlight any irregularities such as suspect applications for credit and rises in card balances. You can view your credit report free with a 30 day trial with Experian CreditExpert.

• If in doubt, don’t click - If an email seems suspicious, contact the relevant organisation and don’t give out personal details. Your bank, credit card provider and any reputable business will never ask for confirmation of details by email.

Darren Beach is editorial content co-ordinator at Experian.

Have you ever been the victim of identity theft? What steps do you take to keep your identity safe? Let us know via the comment box below.