Identity fraud happens when someone steals your personal details and uses them for their financial gain. This usually means fraudsters will apply for credit in your name.
We know it’s worrying if you discover you’ve been a victim of a ID fraud, but fortunately we have a dedicated support team ready to help. This page will also guide you through the best steps to take to make sure you clear up your credit report and protect yourself in the future.
What to do if you’re a victim of ID fraud
If you think you've been a victim of fraud, it's important to act fast.
- Contact your bank as soon as possible to ensure that your accounts are safe.
- If you've received any communications, such as bills or statements, it's important to contact that specific organisation directly to let them know you didn't open the account.
- If you think you've been a Victim of Fraud it’s important to report your case to Action Fraud - the UK’s national fraud and internet crime reporting centre. They’ll give you a crime reference number which we can use to help query any fraudulent data on your report. They'll advise on the steps you need to take and any other organisations you should contact.
- You should also get a copy of your Experian Credit Report if you do not already have one. Carefully check the information it contains for any potentially fraudulent information, such as new searches or accounts you didn’t apply for. You can then contact the lenders directly. You can get your report by requesting your free statutory credit report, or by signing up or logging in to CreditExpert.
How we can help
You can ask us to query any fraudulent information on your credit report with lenders on your behalf by contacting us. Once the information has been confirmed as fraudulent, the lender will remove it from your report.
How do I protect myself?
Once you’ve been a victim of ID fraud, you’re likely to be concerned this might happen again. If you follow these general tips then you can greatly reduce the risk that you’ll be a victim in the future.
Add a password notice of correction to your Experian Credit Report
Add a password nobody else would know or could guess. If a fraudster applies for credit in your name, the lender should request this password before opening a credit account. To do this, go to ‘Contact us’, select ‘Fraud’ and then ‘I want to add a password to my Experian Credit Report’.
Don’t respond to cold calls or emails
This scam is typically known as phishing, where fraudsters will contact you and try to get you to give them information. Remember to be cautious and put the phone down and call back later if you’re concerned. Finally, never click links in emails asking you to log in, and never download attachments from unknown emails.
Be careful on social media
We love to share information on social media, but you should be careful about posting personal information. For example, pets’ names, address details or when you’re on holiday.
Check your Experian Credit Report
It’s a good idea to check your report annually. You can do this by requesting your free statutory credit report, or by signing up to CreditExpert. This will let you see if there’s anything you don’t recognise. If there is, we can help you query it with the lender. With a CreditExpert or Identity Plus subscription, you can also lock your Experian Credit Report to help protect yourself from fraudsters applying for credit in your name.
Have secure passwords
Keep your passwords as secure as possible by having complex and unique passwords for all your accounts. We know it’s more convenient to have one password for all accounts, but this makes a fraudsters job much easier.
