Over 220,000 cases were filed with the UK’s National Fraud Database (NFD) between January and June, the highest number ever recorded during the first half of a year, according to Cifas.
The non-profit, which runs the NFD and the Insider Threat Database, said identity fraud rose 9% year on year (YoY) to nearly 130,000 cases in the first half of 2026.
This figure in turn was driven by scammers targeting bank accounts and plastic cards, which accounted for 68% of all these cases. Impersonation incidents using the victim’s real address increased by 12% YoY.
Although “false identity” filings decreased by 35% YoY in the period, mainly across the banking and telecoms sectors, “intelligence continues to indicate growing concerns around synthetic identities, AI-enabled impersonation and digitally manipulated documentation,” the report noted.
Read more on UK fraud: UK Fraud Cases Surge 17% Annually
Account takeover cases were another driver of UK fraud in the first half of the year, according to Cifas.
It recorded nearly 40,000 cases, a 5% YoY increase, with online retail (+84%) and card account (+59%) incidents rising sharply. Unauthorized SIM-swap cases increased 402% to 4109 incidents and now represent 10% of all filings, up from 2% a year ago.
Young Adults Are Victims and Perpetrators
Although most identity fraud victims in the period were aged 61 and over, the biggest increase came in the 21-30 age group, where cases increased by almost a third (32%).
However, people aged under 30 also represented a majority (57%) of muling cases, with 17% aged under 21.
Cases linked to money muling increased by 69% annually in the first half of 2026, with more than 13,000 filing with the NFD. Mule activity now accounts for 30% of all cases of misuse of facility – where an account or product is misused by the genuine account holder.
Some of this increase can be attributed to enhanced detection and a newly introduced filing reason released in 2025 – “funds received – money muling.”
Cifas CEO, Mike Haley, explained that identity fraud now accounts for three-fifths of cases recorded in the NFD, highlighting the value of personal information to scammers.
“Whether it is used to open accounts, take over existing facilities or support wider criminal activity, stolen personal data often provides the entry point,” he said.
“The findings also reinforce the importance of early intervention. As criminals continue to evolve their tactics and use digital channels to reach new audiences, education, awareness and prevention remain – particularly for younger people who are increasingly exposed to fraud risks.”
