Identity fraud makes up over half of record UK incidents in 2025: Cifas

The UK is seeing more than 1,200 fraud cases each day, with more than half of them linked to identity fraud, according to new figures from fraud database Cifas.

Overall, the not-for-profit organization registered a record 444,000 cases of fraud in 2025, a six percent increase year-over-year. This includes more than 242,000 cases of identity fraud, which were fueled by the availability of generative AI tools, the Cifas Fraudscape 2026 report notes.

“Although identity fraud filings fell by three percent year-on-year, it is still the most common case type, accounting for over half of all reports,” Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, writes in the report introduction.

The reduction is a result of a shift in criminal tactics, with fraudsters increasingly targeting account takeovers (ATO), particularly through mobile phones, he adds.

Five sectors reported increases in identity fraud compared with 2024, including banking, insurance, plastic cards, online retail and communications. Within banking, personal instant and easy-access accounts saw a dramatic 455 percent rise, while plastic cards remain the most affected sector, accounting for 36 percent of all identity fraud.

The Fraudscape report also looked at other types of fraud, including misuse of facility, money mules, false applications and insider threats.

Misuse of banking facilities, including money muling and laundering, surged by 43 percent compared to 2024. Cifas also documented more than 22,000 money mule cases involving individuals who transfer illegally obtained funds, following the introduction of this category this year.

Last week, the UK government published its new fraud strategy, which includes the use of identity verification, UK DIATF and business digital identity.

Article Topics

Cifas  |  digital identity  |  financial services  |  fraud prevention  |  synthetic identity fraud