AI-driven scams and identity fraud contributed to more than 421,000 cases filed to the National Fraud Database in 2024
Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, officially launched its Fraudscape 2025 report on 3 April, revealing that fraud levels reached record highs in 2024. A staggering 421,000 cases were filed to the National Fraud Database (NFD) last year – a 13% year-on-year rise and the highest number ever recorded.
This sharp increase was one of the largest annual spikes Cifas has observed, underscoring the growing complexity and scale of fraud in the UK. On average, a new case was filed every two minutes by Cifas members, collectively helping to prevent more than £2.1 billion in fraud losses.
Identity fraud remained the most dominant threat
Identity fraud continued to be the most prevalent type of fraud, with nearly 250,000 cases recorded – a 5% increase compared to 2023. These accounted for 59% of all NFD filings, with criminals exploiting well-known impersonation tactics to deceive victims.
Cifas noted that the surge in identity fraud has led to a sharp rise in facility (account) takeovers, as fraudsters invest more in building fake identities and convincing profiles. The use of AI and generative technologies has made these tactics more efficient and harder to detect, enabling scams to be carried out at greater speed and scale.
Notably, identity fraud involving personal store cards rose by 35%, personal bank accounts by 12%, personal credit cards by 8%, and motor insurance also by 8%. Victims aged 61 and over were the most targeted demographic, making up a quarter of all cases.
Account takeovers saw dramatic rise
Facility takeover fraud soared by 76% in 2024, with more than 74,000 cases filed. Mobile phone accounts were especially affected, making up 48% of cases. The telecoms sector saw a 105% increase in account takeovers, while unauthorised SIM swap fraud grew by a staggering 1,055%, with nearly 3,000 cases reported.
Online retail also saw a significant number of account takeovers, as criminals altered account details or redirected orders. Again, the over-60s age group was disproportionately affected, accounting for 29% of all filings.
False applications and insider threats on the rise
False applications rose by 10%, totalling more than 21,000 cases, with false documentation cited in 30% of filings – particularly across the banking and insurance