An analysis of identity theft trends in the U.K. shows a 52 percent increase in ID fraud crimes perpetrated against young people aged 30 and under between 2014 and 2015.
In reviewing numbers from its own national database, London-based fraud prevention firm Cifas determined that in 2015, 23,959 individuals aged 30 or below were victims of ID fraud, compared to a total of 15,766 in 2014.
According to Cifas, rampant social media use is among the reasons younger people are becoming more frequently targeted. “The likes of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other online platforms are much more than just social media sites – they are now a hunting ground for identity thieves,” Simon Dukes, chief executive officer of Cifas, said in a company report.
Cifas also conducted a corresponding survey in which only 57 percent of polled 18-to-24-year-olds said that they have thought about just how secure their personal information is online.
