Phone fraud drives rise in identity theft

Identity fraud accounted for 74% of all card fraud in the first six months of this year ( Barclaycard) 

This news is about increasing offenders who pose as other people via phone for data card.

IDENTITY theft has surged to account for nearly three-quarters of all credit card fraud this year, driven by a sharp increase in criminals impersonating others over the phone to obtain their victims’ account details.

The figures, calculated exclusively for The Sunday Times by the fraud prevention service Cifas, show identity fraud accounted for 74% of all card fraud in the first six months of this year, up from 63% in the same period of 2013.

The rise has been driven by “vishing”, where fraudsters phone victims and pretend to be someone else to con them into giving security details.

In the latest scam, criminals trick restaurants into helping them gain access to customers’ bank details. Police say fraudsters have targeted restaurants in London’s West End, as well as Twickenham and Canary Wharf.