Cifas and Trend Micro join forces in bid to combat identity fraud

Fraud accounts for as much as 44% of all recorded crimes in England and Wales, with an estimated £219 billion annual cost to the UK’s economy. UK consumers have lost approximately £10 billion this year to online scams alone.

According to the Cifas National Database (the largest and most diverse source of fraud risk data in the UK that enables organisations to share and access real-time data), identity fraud is the most frequently reported fraud type (at 59%) and is a persistent threat to UK consumers.

JustMe combines real-time identity verification with scam protection, giving UK consumers greater control over how their personal information is used and increased visibility into what they can trust online.

Users will be notified and have the capability to confirm in real-time if any applications submitted in their name (eg for credits cards or loans, etc) are legitimate. They will also have the ability to be alerted if they’re being targeted by a scammer or submit suspicious content – text messages, e-mails and social media posts, etc – for verification on whether it’s a scam or not.

Shared ambition

Mike Haley, CEO at Cifas, commented: “Cifas’ partnership with Trend Micro promises to be transformational. Our shared ambition is to provide tools for millions of people to protect themselves from fraud. By combining the proven strengths of Cifas and Trend Micro, we’re aiming to deliver a market-leading solution that sets a new benchmark for fraud prevention.”

Haley added: “This is a groundbreaking move that elevates our capabilities and reinforces our commitment to protecting individuals and organisations from the ever-evolving threat of identity fraud.”  

Frank Kuo, chief consumer business officer at Trend Micro, responded: “We’re proud to stand in partnership with Cifas in our shared mission to take a more proactive approach towards fighting identity fraud and online scams. Cifas is a unique organisation poised, together with its membership, to stop cyber criminals from causing further harm to consumers. JustMe is a simple, but powerful solution intended to give consumers a way in which to fight back.”

For Cifas members, this development represents a unique opportunity to take a proactive stance against the modern digital threats which are increasingly difficult to detect and continue to plague consumers.

*Interested parties are invited to join an ‘early viewing’ programme and learn more by visiting http://www.just-me.uk