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One in eight Brits hit by identity fraud crimes

Published on 18 Sep 2009 under category: legal

One in eight Britons has been the victim of identity fraud crimes, a new study has shown.

According to research by YouGov, which was commissioned by VeriSign, those carrying out these acts stole £2.61 billion from people in the UK during the last year.

It revealed that the average loss for consumers has been £463 each, identity fraud solicitors may be interested to hear.

Richard Hurley, communications manager for fraud prevention service CIFAS, commented: "Cybercriminals are undoubtedly getting more devious, but consumers can easily lessen the likelihood of online fraud by stepping up their own awareness of how they can protect themselves online."

Consumers are advised to verify that websites they are using are safe, keep passwords to themselves and add anti-virus software to a computer, all of which could help them avoid the use of identity fraud lawyers.

Last month, Which? Computing stated that the online systems of some banks may leave consumers open to fraud crimes.

If you require advice on Corporate Fraud please call us on +44 (0)20 7831 0101 and ask for Dan Hyde.