Ealing Broadway a Hot Spot for Identity Fraud

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W5 residents four times more likely to be victims

Research by the credit company Experian has identified Ealing Broadway as one of the areas of the UK most likely to be hit by identity fraud.

Using data gathered from the people who had contacted their Victims of Fraud service, Experian have published a report for the whole of the UK which shows where this crime is most prevalent. The advisers in Experian’s Victims of Fraud service have helped more than 4,000 consumers since the service was set up in July 2003. This is the first major project of its kind and the dossier details the findings of that research.

Although identity fraud is a crime that affects people across the country, Londoners are most at risk from the crime. Of the 54 ‘very high risk’ areas identified by Experian, 20 are London postal sectors and 34 are located inside the M25. Ealing Broadway is fifteenth most at risk in the London area (though below Hammersmith King St at a shocking number 4 and Chiswick in at number 9).

The most popular modus operandi of fraudsters over the past four years has been present and previous address frauds. The first is where the victim’s details are used by someone living at the same address or the fraudster places a postal redirect on the address, the second involves the fraudster using the victim’s name and their previous address to take advantage of any credit history that has not been transferred to a new address. Although of less overall significance, the percentage of frauds resulting from the theft of personal effects has fallen by more than 50 per cent over the past four years.

Top Twenty Identity Fraud Post Codes in London Area

November 7, 2006