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UK 'complacency' over fraud encourages high crime rates?

Published on 14 Apr 2010 under category: legal

People in the UK are encouraging fraudsters by being complacent and not taking measures to protect their valuable private information, according to one industry body.

CIFAS, the UK fraud prevention service, found that there has been a significant increase in identity crime, using address details, bank accounts and personal communications.

The crime increased by 32 per cent in 2009, with address crime constituting 55 per cent of the fraud – which is a rise of almost a quarter (24 per cent) on 2008.

James Jones, the consumer education manager for credit check experts Experian, said that homeowners need to check their credit records regularly as well as making sure that they inspect all their bank and credit card statements.

He also noted that the nature of fraud crime had changed, with the "mass-market" being targeted for smaller frauds on a wider scale.

Traditionally less well-off segments of the population such as students were likely to find themselves targeted, as their details might be more readily available to fraudsters since they tend to move more often between residences.

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