The key UK identity fraud statistics in one place — how many identity fraud cases are recorded each year, how account and facility takeover is trending, which sectors are hit hardest, and what fraud costs, drawn from CIFAS, UK Finance and the Office for National Statistics, with the data period stated next to every figure.
Cifas records fraud-risk cases filed by members to its National Fraud Database. UK Finance publishes payment-fraud cases and gross losses reported by participating financial providers. The ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates experiences among household residents aged 16 and over. These sources cover different populations and should not be combined into a single national total.
This page focuses on identity fraud, account takeover and related losses. Compromised personal details can enable identity abuse, but not every breach is intended to support fraud and not every fraud follows a reported data breach. Each measure below has its own reporting period and definition.
Key facts and figures
- 242,003 identity fraud cases were filed by Cifas members in 2025: 54% of National Fraud Database filings and down 3% from 2024.
- 444,000+ total cases were filed to the National Fraud Database in 2025 — more than 1,200 a day and a record high, up 6% on 2024.
- 72% of National Fraud Database filings in 2025 concerned identity fraud or facility takeover combined.
- 78,000+ facility (account) takeover cases were recorded in 2025 — 18% of all filings and up 6% year on year.
- 402% increase in unauthorised SIM-swap cases filed by Cifas members in January–June 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
- £2.4 billion in fraud losses were prevented by CIFAS members in 2025.
- 4.5 million fraud incidents were estimated among adults in England and Wales in the year ending March 2026, not all identity fraud.
- £54.0 million in card ID theft losses was reported by UK Finance members for 2025, down 12%, across 103,171 confirmed cases.
Checked on 15 October 2026. Full-year Cifas figures cover 2025; its latest interim update covers January–June 2026. UK Finance’s 2026 annual report covers 2025 payment fraud, and the latest ONS bulletin covers the year ending March 2026. Half-year and full-year totals should not be compared directly.
The headline measures at a glance:
| Measure | Latest figure | Data period | Trend / detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity fraud cases (National Fraud Database) | 242,003 | 2025 full year | 54% of all filings; down 3% year on year |
| Total fraud cases (National Fraud Database) | 444,000+ | 2025 full year | Record high; up 6% on 2024 |
| Facility (account) takeover cases | 78,000+ | 2025 full year | 18% of all filings; up 6% |
| Unauthorised SIM-swap filings | Up 402% | January–June 2026 | Compared with January–June 2025; Cifas member cases |
| CSEW fraud incidents (individuals) | 4.5 million | Year ending March 2026 | No statistically significant annual change |
| Card ID theft losses (UK Finance) | £54.0 million | 2025 full year | Down 12%; 103,171 cases, down 11% |
How common is identity fraud in the UK?
Cifas recorded 242,003 identity fraud cases in 2025, representing 54% of National Fraud Database filings. It was the largest recorded category but not a record identity-fraud count: filings fell 3% from 2024. The record in the report concerns the total across all fraud-risk categories.
The figures show what participating organisations detected and filed. Identity fraud may involve real or fabricated identities used to obtain products or services, while account takeover concerns an existing facility. Personal data obtained through breaches, deception or other routes can facilitate either, but these counts do not quantify the proportion caused by data breaches.
Cifas distinguishes identity fraud from facility takeover and misuse of facility. In the latter, the genuine holder misuses an account or product. These labels should be kept separate: misuse is not automatically identity theft, and a combined total must name the categories it includes.
How many identity theft cases were reported in the UK in 2025?
The 242,003 identity fraud filings in 2025 were 3% below 2024. They are member-recorded cases, not a count of every UK theft of personal details or of unique victims. Total fraud-risk filings can rise while one category falls.
Across all categories, the National Fraud Database received 444,993 filings in 2025, up 6% and the highest full-year total reported by Cifas. Identity fraud accounted for 54%. Detection, membership and filing practices can affect administrative totals alongside changes in offending.
The latest interim update records nearly 130,000 identity fraud cases in January–June 2026, up 9% on the same period in 2025. They represented 59% of more than 220,000 fraud-risk filings. This is a half-year comparison and should not be annualised into an observed full-year result.
Cifas data are an operational record from member organisations, not a census of all fraud. Cases, applications, accounts and people are not interchangeable units. A person can feature in more than one case, and activity that is undetected or outside the member network will not necessarily be represented.
What is the most common type of identity fraud in the UK?
Cifas reported more than 63,000 identity fraud cases involving bank accounts in 2025, up 10%. In its January–June 2026 update, bank accounts and plastic cards together accounted for 68% of identity fraud filings. These product breakdowns concern the member database, rather than all victims nationally.
Identity fraud filings involving insurance products increased 26% to more than 16,000 in 2025. The figure concerns that specific identity-fraud category; it should not be described as the total of all insurance fraud or all dishonest claims.
Two related categories help explain the wider member-reported picture:
- Facility takeover accounted for 78,387 filings in 2025, about 18% of the database total and up 6% from 2024. The category concerns control of an existing account.
- Misuse of facility accounted for 106,497 filings in 2025, up 43%. Cifas also reported more than 22,000 money-muling filings after introducing a new filing category; these figures should not be added as independent populations.
Identity fraud and facility takeover together accounted for 72% of National Fraud Database filings in 2025. This concentration applies to that member-reported series, not to every fraud offence across the UK.
Phishing can expose credentials used in account takeover. These data do not establish the share of takeovers caused by phishing; the related phishing guide uses separate survey and incident-reporting measures.
How fast is account takeover and SIM-swap fraud growing?
Cifas reported a 402% increase in unauthorised SIM-swap cases during January–June 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. SIM-swap fraud can allow interception of messages or verification codes. This is a change in member-recorded cases, not a measure of the risk faced by every mobile user.
The same half-year update recorded nearly 40,000 facility takeover cases, up 5%. Online retail and plastic-card takeover filings increased 84% and 59% respectively. These are product-specific comparisons, not the proportion of all accounts that were compromised.
The increases identify areas of concern in the member data, but do not prove that offenders have universally abandoned one method for another. If a phone unexpectedly loses service, investigate promptly with the network using a trusted contact route. Review account security and use stronger authentication options where available.
How much does fraud cost, and how much is prevented?
Cifas reports that its members prevented £2.4 billion in fraud losses in 2025. This is a prevention estimate, distinct from realised losses and from the value of transactions in every filed case. It should not be subtracted from another organisation’s loss total.
UK Finance’s Annual Fraud Report 2026 records £54.0 million in card ID theft losses during 2025, down 12%, and 103,171 confirmed cases, down 11%. The updated series revises 2024 to £61.5 million and 115,326 cases. Case numbers relate to cards defrauded, not unique customers; losses are gross, including money subsequently recovered.
Across its authorised and unauthorised payment-fraud categories, UK Finance reports £1.28 billion lost in 2025, up 4%. This is broader than card ID theft but narrower than every form of UK fraud. It is contextual industry data, not an identity-fraud-only loss estimate.
| Loss / prevention measure | Figure | Data period | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraud prevented by CIFAS members | £2.4 billion | 2025 full year | Cifas prevention estimate |
| Card ID theft losses (UK Finance) | £54.0 million | 2025 full year | Down 12% against revised 2024 |
| Card ID theft cases (UK Finance) | 103,171 | 2025 full year | Down 11%; cards, not unique people |
| Payment-fraud losses reported to UK Finance | £1.28 billion | 2025 full year | Up 4%; authorised and unauthorised categories |
How many people experience fraud in the UK?
The CSEW estimated 4.5 million fraud incidents among household residents aged 16 and over in England and Wales in the year ending March 2026. There was no statistically significant annual change in incidents. It includes experiences not reported to police but excludes businesses, tourists, younger children and communal establishments.
The same bulletin estimated 3.8 million fraud victims, up 10% from 3.4 million. Victim numbers and incident numbers differ because someone may experience fraud more than once. Neither is an identity-fraud-only measure.
The CSEW, Cifas and UK Finance series should not be added together. They respectively describe survey experiences, member fraud-risk filings and reported payment-fraud cases or losses. Their different populations and definitions explain why their totals and trends can diverge.
Frequently asked questions
How common is identity fraud in the UK?
Cifas members filed 242,003 identity fraud cases in 2025, 54% of National Fraud Database filings and down 3%. The latest half-year update recorded nearly 130,000 in January–June 2026, up 9% on the equivalent 2025 period. These are member cases, not a complete national victim count.
How many identity theft cases were reported in the UK in 2025?
Cifas members recorded 242,003 identity fraud cases in 2025, down 3% from 2024. The record full-year figure of 444,993 concerns all fraud-risk filings, not identity fraud alone. Cases should not be equated with unique people.
What is the most common type of identity fraud in the UK?
Identity fraud was the largest category in Cifas’s 2025 database, at 54% of filings. Its first-half 2026 update says bank accounts and plastic cards together accounted for 68% of identity fraud cases. Account takeover is a separate category and should not be described as the fastest-growing category on these figures alone.
Is identity fraud increasing or decreasing in the UK?
Trends differ by period and measure. Cifas identity-fraud filings fell 3% in 2025, then rose 9% in January–June 2026 against the equivalent prior half-year. UK Finance card ID theft losses fell 12% in 2025. None of these series measures every identity-related crime.
What is the difference between identity fraud and account takeover?
Identity fraud involves misuse of a real or fabricated identity to obtain a product or service; facility takeover concerns an existing account. Together they accounted for 72% of Cifas National Fraud Database filings in 2025, not 72% of every recorded UK fraud offence.
How is personal data used in identity fraud?
Names, dates of birth, addresses and account details can be misused to impersonate someone or access accounts. Breaches and phishing are possible sources, but the statistics here do not quantify how much identity fraud either causes. Protecting personal data and securing accounts can reduce opportunities for misuse.
Related guides
- Data Breach Statistics UK: ICO Reports, Trends & Costs
- Phishing Statistics UK: Attack Volumes, Targets & Trends
- Ransomware Statistics UK: Attacks, Costs & Recovery
- GDPR Fines UK: ICO Fine & Enforcement Statistics
- GDPR data breach: what to do in the first 72 hours
- What is personal data under GDPR? A UK guide
Sources & references
- Cifas — Fraudscape 2026, full-year facts and definitions
- Cifas — 2025 National Fraud Database results
- Cifas — January–June 2026 update, August 2026
- ONS — Crime in England and Wales, year ending March 2026
- UK Finance — Annual Fraud Report 2026, pages 21–26 and definitions
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Mark writes about data protection, workplace compliance and accredited online training for GDPR & Data Protection Course, part of Online CPD Academy.