Cifas report shows fraud rising in the first six months of 2011

Fraud has risen by 10 per cent over the last six months, with most of the activity centering on identity theft according to Cifas.

The fraud prevention and advisory service said that the fall seen in the last half of 2010 has now been reversed, with over half of all frauds recorded related to impersonation and identity fraud (46 per cent) or the takeover of a victim's accounts (10 per cent).

The organisation's Fraudscape Bulletin found that bank account and plastic card fraud have risen seven per cent and eight per cent respectively in the first six months of this year.

Cifas warned people that "the desirability of bank accounts, savings products or plastic card accounts should not be underestimated", and "the fight against fraud must be redoubled by organisations and individual consumers".

It also said that the current economic climate is causing people who may have never turned to crime to commit fraud. It found an increase in mortgage fraud, most of which "bore the hallmark" of people struggling to meet commitments.

The frauds included the failure to disclose a previous address in an attempt to hide an adverse credit history, false proof of income and false employment details.

Richard Hurley of Cifas said that the report shows "that the volatility in fraud previously identified by Cifas shows no signs of abating.

"Whether it is the organised criminal, the opportunist or the genuinely needy who commit it, the changes not only in frequency, but also method, prove that businesses, individuals and public organisations alike must start taking this threat more seriously.

"Cifas strongly urges that an active, preventative, approach is taken to tackling fraud, as opposed to a costly clean up effort designed to limit damage after the fact."