Fraudsters are targeting older victims as identity theft soars to record levels.
The sharpest rise in cases is among those aged 61 and over – from 33,515 in 2018 to 40,958 last year.
Each day there are more than 600 new victims of fraud, which is believed to cost the UK more than £5.5billion a year.
Figures from anti-fraud prevention agency Cifas show identity theft cases are up 32 per cent in the past five years, with 223,163 in 2019 alone.
Many more people may not know they are victims until they get a bill or see a fall in their credit rating.
Others may be too embarrassed to report it.
Most frauds are online, with crooks posing as bank security staff, retailers or government departments such as HMRC to discover a victim’s name and address, date of birth and bank account details.
This is used to apply for credit cards, loans and even mortgages. The data is often sold through the dark web and crooks, usually based abroad, use call centre-type operations.
One expert said: “This is a highly sophisticated scam with gangs cold calling hundreds of people every day.”
Bank and credit cards accounted for nearly half of all cases, followed by bank accounts and loans.
Ashley Hart of TSB, which is working with Cifas, said: “Fraudsters thrive on numerous platforms, working hard to trick personal information out of innocent people – often the first step in a fraud.
“Tricks such as fake online quizzes on social media and fictitious job offers on job boards are increasingly common.”
People are advised to never click on links in unsolicited emails and to challenge unsolicited calls by calling back on a number they can confirm as genuine.
Give minimum personal information on social media and only accept invitations or respond to contact from people you know.
Be wary of unexpected or suspicious pop-ups, only use the secure payment method recommended by reputable online retailers and always click log out of websites.
