Thieves have been feeling the pinch during the recession, with incidents of identity fraud rising nearly a third in 2009, the UK’s fraud prevention service, CIFAS, reports. 

 More than 85,000 people became victims of impersonation in 2009 and 24,000 suffered ‘account takeover’ fraud – where a fraudster hijacks a person’s bank account and takes control of it , such as via ‘phishing’ or bogus finance emails. This type of fraud has intensified by more than 250 per cent over the past two years.

Peter Hurst, CIFAS chief executive, said: "It is well-known that a rise in fraud goes hand in hand with a recession. The trends identified by CIFAS members during 2009, however, demonstrate that it is not just a few thousand extra people turning to crime to make ends meet. It is a whole criminal element changing its behaviour. Fraudsters adapt their methods in response to changes in the economy, finding and exploiting any area of weakness.

"All organisations must acknowledge this by arming themselves against the fraudsters. As these figures demonstrate, fraud is very much a present danger – no matter what the circumstances. Working together, sharing data on proven frauds and sharing best practice are the only ways that fraud can be prevented – and it is not only the pragmatic thing to do, but also the responsible thing to do in times of continued economic strife."