Thirty six per cent of Brits believe that online identity fraud or information theft is unavoidable in the future. Research findings published by Experian Consumer Services also reveal that 40 per cent think responsibility for this should lie with their service provider.

Conducted amongst 2,249 adults across the UK, the results highlight attitudes towards online identity fraud and the role online service providers play in the following sectors: mobile, banking, insurance, gaming, internet service providers. In terms of banking, 86 per cent of respondents believe the consequences of identity theft when banking online could be significant, while 65 per cent are concerned about the misuse or theft of their personal information as a result of using online banking platforms. While the vast majority of survey respondents (89 per cent) logged out of online banking once they had finished on the site, 17 per cent accessed it from a shared computer every month, and one in ten had done so from an open Wi-Fi hotspot.

Despite a high level of consumers expressing significant concerns about the risk of identity theft, many still do not implement well established best practice online security measures, such as using different passwords for accounts. Just 47 per cent believe this is their personal responsibility. In the case of protecting and recovering data following the loss of a mobile device specifically, opinions about who should protect and recover their information are more fragmented. Just under a fifth currently believe accountability should lie with the mobile network provider, followed by their ISP (17 per cent), companies holding their personal data (14 per cent) and insurance companies (13 per cent). Thirty per cent think that none of the service providers would fulfil this role.

Consumers also associate varying levels of perceived harm from identity theft depending on the different online platforms they are using. For example, information misuse following online banking is perceived to have the greatest personal impact at 87 per cent, followed by the risk of an e-mail account being hacked and messages sent out to their network (80 per cent). General internet use has a perceived risk of 76 per cent.

Peter Turner, managing director at Experian Consumer Services UK&I, comments: “The truth is that both consumers and online service providers have a role to play in protecting personal information shared online as a lapse by either party will result in an increased risk of online identity theft or fraud. Some online service providers are already rising to the challenge and providing services to help protect their customers. However all online service providers should be asking themselves what their role is in helping to protect consumers from identity theft. Taking a proactive approach to the protection of customers’ online identities, enhances customer relationships and builds trust in brands, which is extremely valuable to brand managers. Customers want to know that the processes and support exist, should they ever need to call on them."

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