I’ve written numerous stories about identity theft and fraud over the years – but that didn’t stop me being shocked by an audacious scam carried out literally on my doorstep.
My neighbour’s identity was stolen by fraudsters who subsequently opened a bank account, ordered three mobile phones, and attempted to take out a loan in her name.
She’s not alone in being a victim of ID theft. Latest figures from CIFAS’ National Fraud Database revealed a surge in ID fraud last year with an 11% increase in this type of crime in the first six months of 2021.
Cases had fallen in 2020, linked to the decline in economic activity caused by the pandemic. But the ID fraudsters were soon back in business when normal life started to return.
When I say the scam was carried out on my doorstep, that’s where I physically encountered one of the scammers.
When my intercom buzzer went one lunchtime last week, I didn’t think anything of it and pushed the button to open the front door expecting it to be the postman or a parcel delivery.
So, when I saw it wasn’t a delivery driver but a middle-aged woman standing in the hallway, I asked her what she was doing. She claimed her aunt lived in the block and she was meeting her.
I wasn’t convinced by her story so I challenged it. Which flat did her aunt live in? What was her name? Where had they arranged to meet? I know all my neighbours and everyone is the wrong age/gender/ethnicity to be this woman’s aunt.
I was…
