Survey: ’4 million’ Brits stung by ID theft
The Register reports consumers continue to be complacent about identity theft despite growth of the crime, which has claimed four million victims in the UK alone. The warning from the Metropolitan Police Service comes at the start of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, which began recently. The seventh edition of the annual event aims to educate people and businesses about the scope of identity theft and its prevention. According to research commissioned by paper-shredding kit supplier Fellowes, 7 per cent of the UK population (4 million people) have been victims of identity fraud at one time or another. According to the UK’s fraud prevention service CIFAS, 80,000 have been targeted this year. The average cost of an identity theft is £1,190, but some individuals have been stung to the tune of £9,000.
