Who is more at risk?
The fraud prevention organisation Cifas has said identity fraud cases reached record levels in 2016, many of those being targeted were young people and this number is growing.
Nearly 25,000 victims of fraud were under 30, the number of under-21s being affected by this has risen by a third.
Figures are at the highest level since they first started being compiled 13 years ago.
Cifas states that people need to be more vigilant when it comes to protecting themselves.
There were a total of 172,919 incidents of identity fraud last year, it also represents 53.3 per cent of all fraud recorded by Cifas. As well as this 88 per cent of this crime was done online.
The number of under-21s being defrauded rose to 1,803 n 2016, this is higher than 2015s figure which sat at 1,343.
Cifas deputy chief executive Mike Haley said: “With nine out of 10 identity frauds committed online and with all age groups at risk, we are urging everyone to make it more difficult for fraudsters to abuse their identity.”
“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.”
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