Identity crime is a generic term for identity theft, creating a false identity or committing identity fraud.
The Home Office, in collaboration with other government departments and private sector organisations, is engaged in a variety of activity to tackle identity theft and identity fraud. Click here for more information.
How does a criminal get my personal information?
Criminals commit identity theft by stealing your personal information and then pretending to be you. This is often done by taking documents from your rubbish or by making contact with you and pretending to be from a legitimate organisation.
Once a criminal has the information he needs he could for example:
Click here to see how you can protect yourself.
Click here for the Home Office identity theft leaflet.
Click here for information on what you should do if you become a victim of identity theft.
Click here for the Home Office identity theft leaflet.
If I’m a victim, am I responsible for any fraudulent credit card or bank transactions?
If you have been a victim of identity fraud and your card is still in your possession, you should not have to pay for anything bought on it without your permission (subject to the terms and conditions of your account). If your card has been lost or stolen, you will usually not have to pay, unless it can be shown that you have acted fraudulently or without reasonable care, for example by keeping your PIN number written down with your card. The same applies to any money lost through fraudulent bank transactions.
You may become a victim of identity theft if:
You may already be a victim of identity theft if:
Click here for the Home Office identity theft leaflet.
Click here for contact information.