WIREDGOV

New report shows that ID Fraud accounts for over half of all fraud cases.

Cifas, the UK's not-for-profit financial crime and fraud prevention service, published their Fraudscape 2017 report. This report brings together frauds recorded by Cifas members to the National Fraud Database and the Internal Fraud Database into a single document, resulting in a comprehensive analysis of internal and external fraud trends in the UK.

With online fraud and cyber crime now accounting for almost half of all crimes recorded in the UK, reports like this are increasingly important. One of the most interesting findings in the paper is that identity fraud represents over half of all now, and cases of ID fraud, at 173,000, are at the highest levels ever recorded.

The more we live our lives online, the more digital platforms become a target for criminals. Identity fraud is a growing problem, and 90% of ID fraud incidents are committed online. In our paper Digital Policing: The Future of Modern Crime Prevention, techUK highlighted several technologies that could be adopted to help prevent identity fraud, both on- and offline.

To combat identity fraud, people who do not have passports should be able to use a digital version of their driving licence to prove who they are, both in person and online. Such an initiative would provide more individuals and businesses with a trusted anchor document, making life significantly harder for fraudsters. Proof of age on smartphones would remove the need for people to take valuable paper IDs around with them. This should significantly reduce chances to steal these documents and may deter the creation of fake IDs.

techUK's Programme Manager for Justice & Emergency Services, Henry Rex, said

"Identity fraud is a growing threat. To combat it, people must ensure they follow Government guidance and best practice to keep their identities safe online. Soon there will be a number of digital identity technologies to improve fraud prevention on offer, and the Government and police must work with businesses and the public to encourage uptake of these technologies to reduce the impact of online fraud."