Identity theft is when your personal details are stolen and identity fraud is when those details are used to commit fraud.

Identity theft happens when fraudsters access enough information about someone’s identity (such as their name, date of birth, current or previous addresses) to commit identity fraud.

Identity theft can take place whether the fraud victim is alive or deceased.

If you’re a victim of identity theft, it can lead to fraud that can have a direct impact on your personal finances and could also make it difficult for you to obtain loans, credit cards or a mortgage until the matter is resolved.

Fraudsters can use your identity details to:

• Open bank accounts in your name.
• Obtain credit cards, loans and state benefits.
• Order goods in your name.
• Take over your existing accounts.
• Take out mobile phone contracts.
• Obtain genuine documents such as passports and driving licences in your name.
• Steal your personal mail - communal areas in blocks of flats are a particular risk for this kind of identity theft.
• Make calls, send text message (known as smishing) or send emails (known as phishing) in which the fraudster poses as your bank or other financial organisation and requests personal information.
• Your details could also be stolen following an online data breach at a company or organisation that holds personal information about you (as four million disheartened Talk-Talk clients will testify)