Identity theft
Misuse of your personal details to impersonate you, open credit or commit fraud in your name.
Identity theft is the misuse of your personal details — name, date of birth, address, account numbers — to impersonate you, typically to open credit, take over accounts or commit fraud in your name. It is quietest exactly when it is easiest to stop: at the very start, before an opened account or a bill for something you never bought reveals it. The raw material comes from data breaches, phishing, stolen post, oversharing on social media, and discarded paperwork.
Early signals are worth knowing — unexpected letters about accounts or credit applications you did not make, a sudden dip in your credit file, statements that stop arriving, or being turned down for credit for no clear reason. Acting fast in the first hours limits the damage: contact the affected lenders and your bank, change exposed passwords, and consider a notice on your credit file. Our guide to the warning signs of identity theft sets out a first-48-hours plan. Fraud is reported to Action Fraud across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while in Scotland the report goes to Police Scotland on 101.