Londoners at Highest Fraud Risk
Posted on 30 May, 2008 at 17:09 by Peter Kelly
Experian have released shocking figures showing that identity fraud has shot-up by 66% over the last year. London remains the UK’s identity fraud capital, with residents of College Gardens in Tooting being almost five times more likely to become a victim of identity fraud then anywhere else in the UK.
More than 6,000 people contacted Experian last year about credit fraud, up from 3,500 the previous year. They describe the typical victim as earning more than £50,000 a year and between 26 and 45 years old. Those who rent a property are at a higher risk due to sharing letter boxes and have the tendency to move more frequently, offering a greater opportunity for their credit histories to be misused by fraudsters.
Helen Lord, director of fraud and compliance at Experian, said: “The dramatic increases in identity fraud we have witnessed over the last few years have coincided with the increasing involvement of organised criminals in this space.” She further added that “We are all potential victims.”
Outside of London, areas at a higher fraud risk include Far Cotton in Northampton, Great Cambourne near Cambridge and Ingleby Barwick in Stockton-on-Tees.