'Identity theft' is when personal details are stolen, and 'identity
fraud' is when those details are used to obtain goods or services by
deception.
Identity thieves can steal your personal information in
several ways, including buying details from the dark web (a hidden and
unregulated part of the internet). But there are things you can do to reduce the risk of it happening to you.
Source: Which? (06 Jan 2026)
