Cambridgeshire fraud expert warns problem 'is like trying to stop tide coming in'
More than 374,000 fraud cases were reported last year
People in Cambridgeshire are being warned to stay aware of fraudsters using new ways to steal their details.
A report from fraud prevention body Cifas found more than 374,000 cases were reported to its national fraud database last year.
Cifas also said it's seeing an increase in identity fraud related to artificial intelligence, including phishing scams and deepfake images.
While identity theft remained the most dominant type of fraud, accounting for nearly two-thirds (64%) of incidents with personal bank accounts a particular target for fraudsters, according to the report.
"It's like trying to stop the tide coming in"
David York is a fraud and cyber crime prevention officer at Cambridgeshire Police:
"It's not very easy, it's like trying to stop the tide coming in; the fraud problem is not going to go away," he said.
"Once they've got that information, that's when the identity fraud starts happening and people can set up accounts in your name, so it's important that people are aware of when they're giving their information away.
"(For example), check out who it is before you respond to a message; if it looks like a message from a family member, try ringing the family member on the number you've got for them.
"It all boils down to convincing you that something that is not true, is true, and what we would always say is for people to be on the lookout for anything that is unsolicited."
Cost of living pressures a target for fraudsters
Cifas' report said criminals sharpened their social engineering tactics and continued to exploit cost-of-living pressures.
An increased use of AI and data harvesting techniques to fraudulently open and abuse accounts, steal identities and take over customer accounts was also highlighted.
Cifas said that members prevents £1.8 billion worth of fraud losses.
Stephen Dalton, director of intelligence for Cifas, said: "Ongoing economic uncertainty and cost-of-living pressures provide a rich source of opportunity for criminals to exploit people at their most vulnerable.
"These circumstances may also be the catalyst for some individuals to commit fraud and supplement their income during difficult times."
Mike Haley, chief executive of Cifas, added: "Criminals are finding new and sophisticated ways to target consumers, such as through social media and AI and deepfake technology.
"We are committed to driving down these cases through the sharing of data and intelligence and building effective defences to prevent fraud."