The Facts

Identity fraud is a real and serious threat to all of us today, especially if we don't take steps to protect our identities. It is a crime that affects businesses as well as individuals and in today's climate, none of us can afford the financial or reputational losses which identity fraud can bring.

Should you or your company be worried about identity fraud? The simple answer is yes but if you need a little convincing, have a look at the facts below but don't panic – this site is designed to provide you with the practical tips and advice you need to help you minimise the risk of identity fraud.

95% of adults in Britain believe ID fraud is a threat to them personally – including 58% who think it is a serious threat.
7% of people have been victims of ID fraud – 1 in 2 of which has lost money as a result, with the average amount lost being £1,190 per victim.
One in four (25%) people do not shred sensitive documents at home, with younger people being more complacent about this than those 55 or older.
88% of people who use social networking sites have shared items of personal information online that could be used by ID fraudsters, including sensitive information about other people.
1 in 2 people (54%) are concerned about having personal information stolen from organisations they deal with, which is up from 43% in 2010.
96% are not completely confident that the organisations they deal with treat their personal information in such a way that it will not accidentally fall into the hands of identity fraudsters.
79% of employees admit identities could be at risk - yet 39% do not shred all high-risk documents before disposing of them when working away from their regular office environment, including 21% of victims.
61% of employees think their organisation should be doing more to ensure the secure handling of confidential documents relating to them, their colleagues and its customers.
Company policies about identity fraud are down from 68% in 2008 to 52%; there is a corresponding increase in people’s lack of awareness about this issue (up from 11% in 2008 to 26% now) possibly reflecting employees’ verdicts on the effectiveness of policies.