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Fraud crimes 'up by 207%'

Published on 15 Jun 2009 under category: legal

There has been an increase in the number of people falling victim to takeover fraud crimes, it has been claimed.

Cifas, the fraud prevention service, has released figures which show cases of facility takeover rose by 207 per cent between 2007 and last year.

Richard Hurley, the body's communications manager, said: "Anyone who thinks that fraud is a victimless crime should think again. The financial costs can be bad enough, but the emotional and psychological effects are unquantifiable."
He added that those who partake in fraud crimes are "parasitic" individuals who do not think about the damage that their actions cause.

Selina Hall, who had her credit card account compromised, stated that the experience was "deeply upsetting" and left her "feeling trapped".

In other news, last week a study by CreditExpert indicated that young professionals who live in rented and shared accommodation are those most at risk from fraud crimes such as identity theft.