Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help protect people from identity fraud through impersonation.

Cifas, a not-for-profit fraud prevention organisation, holds records of first and third-party fraud risk, including identity fraud. In the first six months of 2025, Cifas reported that over 118,000 identity fraud cases were reported to their NFD in their Fraudscape 2025 six-month update (Fraudscape 2025 - Cifas).

Identity theft is not a standalone criminal offence and not included in official crime statistics The Independent Review of Fraud Offences will consider whether a specific offence for identity theft is needed.

We also recognise that one of the most effective ways of preventing identity theft enabled fraud is to improve the safety and security of the identity systems we use. The Government is developing proposals for a digital identity system, to enable people to prove their identity securely, without physical documents, with the aim of reducing identity-enabled fraud and crime. Information on digital identity and the Trust Framework can be found here: UK digital identity and attributes trust framework - GOV.UK.

It is also important to empower the public to protect themselves and keep their identities safe. That is why we have introduced a checklist, providing advice and steps on how to prevent the misuse of identities: Identity fraud victims' checklist.