How many people have experienced fraud and identity theft in the past few years ?
Posted by Organic-Wash-5194@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 7 comments
Over the past 12 months I know of quite a few people who have experienced identity theft and subsequent accounts being set up fraudeulently in their names. Specifically bank loans and fake phone numbers being set up. The companies seem to be insured against these fraudulent actions and will refund monies to their clients. Whilst it appears the companies investigate matters to make sure their customers are not committing fraud, we hear nothing of what they are doing to track down the fraudsters and are just told it happens all of the time. I'd love to know just how many millions of pounds are being lost to these. It feels far to easy for people to commit this crime without repercussion. Q. Is there anything being done to tackle this and how many people do we think this happening to ??
Proud-Conversation11@reddit
I’ve been a victim of identity theft since 2022. It all started with a phishing phone call of my bank details - before I knew what I was talking about. Subsequently, this has led to three loans being taken out in my name, numerous false soft searches and my name even being used to get out of speeding charges. It’s so tiring.
I have monthly check ups of all three UK credit agencies, have the CIFAS marker, notices of correction and credit locks. Somehow I’m still a victim. I don’t know how this will ever be resolved
bebo117722@reddit
I’ve lost count of friends or family who’ve had accounts or loans opened in their name over the last couple of years. It seems banks and telcos refund the money but rarely catch the crooks. I’ve started freezing my credit and setting up fraud alerts so it’s harder for someone to slip through.
I checked the Orb site and saw they encrypt your iris scan on your own device before anything’s sent off. Feels like tighter ID checks like that could help stop this kind of theft in the first place.
Jlaw118@reddit
Back end of 2022 we ended up being victim to the Companies House scam, where somebody abroad sets up a UK business to a random address in the UK to take out fraudulent loans and credit cards from banks.
When we received the first letter, I thought it was just a genuine typo or mistake so I wasn’t overly worried and just returned to sender, but then I asked on this subreddit where people told me it was a scam and I needed to report it to action fraud, and that there’d recently been a Radio 4 discussion about it. I had a listen and somebody had set up a number of false businesses on an entire street in Sheffield or Chesterfield, where all residents had received letters.
Thankfully I reported it to Companies House, they had a backlog so it took a while but removed the business from our address and we never received anything else in regards to the false company.
SamVimesBootTheory@reddit
I've had a couple of cases
Had my bank details phished through a text posing as my phone provider
Then someone got into my account again a few months later and opened a Netflix account with my bank details
In 2020 someone posed as the fraud department of my bank and honestly I really feel the fact we were in lock-down was the reason I got caught out as I was not thinking straight
Also had someone fraudulently open a Klarna account in my name from hacking into my Ebay account
Also anyone going around like I'm too smart to get scammed, no your not scammers just rely on you letting your guard down just enough to get you in can happen to anyone and the scams are getting more elaborate as time goes on
cgknight1@reddit
https://www.cifas.org.uk/newsroom/cifas-rusi-growing-id-fraud-threat
Organic-Wash-5194@reddit (OP)
This is a useful read and website, thank you for sharing
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