Almost half (45 percent) of UK adults are aware that scans or photos of their ID documents could be obtained by criminals to be used to commit fraud – yet a third sent the documents via digital channels, such as email, social media and messenger apps anyway.
The figures come from a new YouGov survey into attitudes and knowledge around fraud in the UK, commissioned by IDnow.
The survey indicates that younger people are more willing to take risks with sending ID documents. Forty-eight percent of 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed have shared ID documents via such risky channels, compared with just 21 percent of over-55s.
Brits most concerned by banking fraud
The survey revealed that three-quarters of Brits are most concerned about banking fraud, when asked about the different areas of life where fraud could occur. An additional 37 percent of Brits are most concerned about fraud via social media channels.
Elsewhere, developments in generative artificial intelligence (AI) mean deepfake technology can now be used to create hyper-realistic fake documents, as well as videos. However, the survey found that less than a third (31 percent) of Britons know what deepfake documents are and are aware of the potential risks posed by digitally generated images of physical documents.
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And with 54 percent of Brits unfamiliar with social engineering, encompassing deceptive tactics such as phishing or smishing, the majority of the population remains vulnerable to potential fraud attempts.
Banks need to do more to prevent fraud
In terms of the likelihood of being a victim of crime, a fifth (21 percent) of Brits believe they are most at risk of someone hacking their social media profile. In fact, social media was the primary security concern for those aged 18- to 24-years-old, with each remaining age group citing their main worry as someone accessing their bank account through identity fraud.
So for accounts connected to larger sums or investments, three quarters of Brits (75 percent) would be willing to go through a lengthier online onboarding process, if this made it safer.
“Our findings show that banks in the UK do not always go far enough to make their customers feel safe and secure,” said Doug Pollock, VP customer success at IDnow. “They need to go further in terms of fraud prevention technology to meet their customers’ risk appetite, especially when their money is at stake. Because, and our research confirms this, if banks get it wrong, the majority of people (54 percent) would consider moving banks were they to become a victim of fraud.
“We hope these findings highlight the massive impact online fraud continues to have on British people. Because fraudsters work across industries, regions and use cases, it’s vital we all work together – financial services, technology providers, government, law enforcement and the public – to identify and stop fraudsters before it’s too late.”
