What to do if you’re a victim of identity theft

Identity fraud is the single most common type of fraud in the UK. According to Cifas, the UK's leading not-for-profit fraud prevention membership organisation, the UK National Fraud Database recorded 220,000 fraud-risk cases in the first six months of 2026, with identity fraud accounting for 59% of those cases.

Identity theft and identity fraud are slightly different. Identity theft is the stealing of your personal information. Identity fraud happens when someone uses it to impersonate you, perhaps to take out credit or access one of your accounts. Usually, the two go hand in hand, and either one is a total violation.

The important thing is knowing what to do if you're a victim of identity theft and how to act quickly. 

Stolen identity: What to do immediately

Naturally, you'll likely feel overwhelmed and stressed, especially if you've noticed someone opening accounts in your name or spam-calling you.

Start with the accounts and information that could give someone access to your money or allow them to keep pretending to be you.

1. Call your banks

Contact your bank and credit card providers, as well as any other financial companies involved in suspicious activity, straight away. Most financial institutions and providers have specialist fraud teams available 24/7 who can tell you what to do if you’re a victim of identity theft. Tell them:

• What you've noticed (including payments you don't recognise).

• New accounts.

• Unusual login activity.

• Lost cards.

They'll likely immediately secure your accounts and block compromised cards before investigating transactions.

You can also freeze your cards through your banking app and speak with your providers to let them know your personal information may have been compromised, not just the card itself.

2. Change your passwords and PINs

Fraudsters can attempt to take your data from anywhere. For example, your email inbox can give them access to password-reset links for banking, shopping, social media, and countless other accounts.

We recommend changing your passwords and PINs for the following:

• Online banking.

• Email.

• Credit card accounts.

• Shopping accounts.

• Social media.

• Cloud storage.

• Mobile phone accounts.

Use a different password for each one. You can use the password manager on your phone or download an app if you don't automatically have one. Turn on multi-factor authentication where it's available too.

3. Check for unusual transactions on your bank statement

Once you've contacted your bank, review your recent bank and credit card statements thoroughly.

Look for:

• Card payments you don't recognise.

• Bank transfers you didn't make.

• Cash withdrawals.

• New Direct Debits.

• Payments to unfamiliar companies.

Report anything suspicious to the financial provider involved as soon as possible. We recommend contacting your card provider immediately after spotting an unauthorised payment.

To support any investigation, save screenshots, emails, and transaction details. A clear record of what happened can help make conversations with banks, lenders, and fraud investigators much easier.

4. Report lost or stolen documents

Missing bank cards are often noticeable quite quickly, but in case you don’t always know where your card is located, it’s worth considering having notifications from your bank enabled on your phone. This way, you’ll notice any suspicious transactions quickly and be able to take action. 

A stolen passport, driving licence or other identity document can create a bigger problem. They all contain much more personal information than a bank card, and many of us don't always know where they are. The risk is even higher if you're on holiday.

Cancel a lost or stolen UK passport as soon as possible through HM Passport Office. If your driving licence is stolen, contact the police and arrange a replacement through the DVLA.

5. Check your credit report

Someone stealing money directly from your bank account is only one type of identity theft/fraud. They might also use your details to:

• Apply for a loan.

• Open a credit card.

• Take out a mobile phone contract.

• Use a different address in your name.

• Make other credit applications.

Any of that can start to appear on your credit file.

When you check your credit report with Checkmyfile, you can identify any new accounts or financial associations you don't recognise. These don't automatically mean identity theft, but they're worth checking.

We’re the only service that puts all your data from the UK’s three main credit reference agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – in one place. Lenders may not report to all three, so it’s useful to see all your info side by side. And if you spot something that doesn’t look right, our UK-based customer care team can help.

Get started with a 7-day free trial, then it’s £14.99 a month. Cancel online anytime.

How to check if someone is using your identity

Identity theft doesn't always show up as money disappearing from your bank account. Instead, you might receive:

• Letters or emails about accounts you never opened.

• Credit cards you didn't apply for.

• Unexpected password-reset or login codes.

• Debt collection letters for unfamiliar debts.

• Notifications about credit applications.

• Posts for your name linked to an unfamiliar account.

New hard searches, unfamiliar accounts and addresses you've never used on your credit report are also signals.

Start with the date and company name. Then contact the organisation directly using contact details from its official website, rather than replying to the suspicious email or message you've received.

Keep in mind that fraudsters can impersonate banks and lenders too. Be careful not to accidentally hand over more personal information while investigating the first signs of fraud.

How to protect yourself from future identity theft

You can report fraud and cybercrime through Report Fraud, formerly Action Fraud. Reporting establishes an official record of what happened and may help when dealing with lenders about fraudulent accounts.

Once you've secured your accounts, extra measures can make it harder for someone to use your details again:

• Keep using unique passwords and multi-factor authentication.

• Be wary of unexpected messages asking for personal details.

• Keep important documents somewhere secure.

• Always double-check the legitimacy of anyone asking for your personal details.

Apply for protective registration with Cifas

This is an option if you feel you’re at risk of fraud. Cifas Protective Registration puts a fraud-protection marker against your details, which is essentially a warning flag on your personal data in the UK National Fraud Database because you are worried about identity theft.

It currently costs £30 for two years. Cifas member organisations then carry out additional identity checks when someone applies for a financial product using your details.

That doesn't stop you applying for credit yourself. But take note that it may make the process take slightly longer because the lender has more checks to complete.

Add a notice of correction to your credit report

A Notice of Correction is a note of up to 200 words added to your credit report. For fraud protection, you can use what's known as a Password Notice of Correction, which is where you add a password of your choice to the notice. Credit applications made in your name then need the correct password to proceed.

The only drawback is that a Notice of Correction means applications usually need manual review, so your own genuine credit applications can take longer too. 

Monitor changes on your credit report with Checkmyfile

Fraudsters can attempt to use your personal details for repeat offences, which is why we recommend monitoring your credit report regularly.

At Checkmyfile, we've made it simple to check new searches, credit accounts, address links, and other changes to your file. If you notice something doesn't look right, contact our UK-based customer care team. They can help you understand what you're seeing and what to do next if something doesn't look right.

Sign up today with a 7-day free trial, then it’s £14.99 a month. Cancel online anytime.