FRAUD

Did you know there's a difference between 'identity theft' and 'identity fraud'? Even more bizarre is that one is a crime and the other isn't! According to the credit card fraud prevention service (CIFAS), identity theft is the 'misappropriation of the identity of another person'. In other words, someone impersonates you for whatever reason – usually to obtain goods and services in your name.

This often affects your credit rating and can result in you being turned down for a loan or credit card or even a mortgage. Strangely, this isn't actually a crime in the UK at the moment although the Government is considering making it one. It only seems to become a crime when that identity is actually used to obtain goods and services by deception at which point it becomes known as identity fraud.

Unfortunately, identity frauds are hidden in the statistics for crimes of deception or theft so the differences become rather merged.