UK identity fraud works differently from the US, so many identity theft protection services sold with an American pitch don't fit here. There is no Social Security number to monitor. The weak points are your name, address, date of birth and credit file. The best protection is mostly free or low cost, and a paid service is only worth it for specific extras.
The UK's main defences
- Cifas Protective Registration. Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention service, offers Protective Registration for £30 for two years. Most banks, lenders and telecoms firms are Cifas members and carry out extra identity checks when someone applies for credit in your name. The trade-off is that your own applications can take slightly longer
- Credit file monitoring. The three credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, each offer monitoring that alerts you to applications you didn't make. It is also worth checking your file two to three months after you move house
- Free statutory credit reports, which you can request from each agency to spot unfamiliar accounts
- Basic security. A password manager and multi-factor authentication on email and banking stop many takeovers at the start
What a paid service might add
Paid services typically add alerts when your details appear on dark web sources, monitoring across more than one credit file, and support after fraud. An alert tells you something has leaked but can't undo it, so judge a service by the support it gives: help contacting lenders and disputing entries is worth more than a stream of alerts.
| Need | Free or low cost | What a paid service may add |
|---|---|---|
| Spot credit applications you didn't make | Free statutory credit reports, and free tiers or trials of monitoring | Alerts across all three files |
| Stop new credit in your name | Cifas Protective Registration | Nothing more: the registration is the control |
| Know when you are in a breach | Free breach-checking sites | Ongoing dark web monitoring |
| Recovery help | Your bank's fraud team and the police fraud reporting service | Case support |
If you are a victim
- Change the passwords and PINs for your banking, email and social media.
- Tell your bank and any lender involved straight away.
- Check all three credit reports. Report mismatches to the credit reference agencies so the lender can investigate, which can take several weeks.
- Consider Cifas Protective Registration to protect against further applications.
- Report it through Report Fraud, the national service for reporting fraud and cybercrime.
If you run a business
Reducing the risk day to day
Most identity fraud starts with personal details that are easy to find. Shred post that carries your name and address, be careful what you share on social media, and use a different strong password for every account, kept in a password manager. Treat unexpected calls, texts and emails that ask for personal details as suspect, and contact your bank on a number you know is genuine. Register on the electoral roll at your current address, because a mismatch can cause problems with credit applications later.
Business owners are targeted through their company details and email accounts as well as personally. Our guides to business security solutions and to a business password manager cover the basics, and our business loans guide explains why a clean credit record matters when you borrow.