Lovro Persen , Director Document and Fraud at IDnow

THE EXTRAORDINARY

LEAPS IN AI TECHNOLOGY

MEAN IT ’ S NOW

ALMOST TOO EASY FOR A FRAUDSTER

TO CARRY OUT FINANCIAL

CRIMES .

MAJOR SURVEY INTO

Commissioned by IDnow , a leading identity verification platform provider , the YouGov survey of 2,264 people has uncovered that almost half ( 45 %) of UK adults were aware that scans or photos of their ID documents could be obtained by criminals to be used to commit fraud – yet sent the documents via digital channels , such as email , social media and messenger apps anyway .

Such activity could lead to identity theft , which IDnow believes should be a concern to the UK public , especially given the rise in deepfake technology . Developments in Generative Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) mean deepfake technology can now be used to create hyperrealistic fake documents , as well as videos . However , the survey found that less than a third ( 31 %) of Britons know what deepfake documents are and are aware of the potential risks posed by digitally generated images of physical documents .

Lovro Persen , Director Document and Fraud at IDnow , said : “ Many of us have seen the uncanny deepfake videos of celebrities that spread like wildfire across the Internet , showing how easy it is to emulate the likeness of someone using AI . But worryingly , this research suggests that the UK public is not as concerned , or aware as they should be , of the risks associated with such digitally generated images or videos .

“ The extraordinary leaps in AI technology mean it ’ s now almost too easy for a fraudster to carry out financial crimes . Consumers shouldn ’ t make it even easier for fraudsters though . Our advice is always to think twice before sending a scan or photo of your driving licence or passport into the digital ether via unencrypted channels , such as social media or email .”

Interestingly , 48 % of 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed have shared ID documents via such risky channels , compared with just 21 % of over-55s , highlighting the potential need to better educate the younger generation on digital fraud threats .

Is fraud front of mind ?

The survey also 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 % of Brits are most concerned about fraud via social media channels .

With 54 % 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 . Social engineering , one of the most prevalent and hard to catch fraud typologies , sees fraudsters manipulating trust or fear , putting consumers at risk of divulging sensitive information or falling prey to malicious links disguised as trustworthy messages .

In terms of the likelihood of being a victim of crime , a fifth ( 21 %) 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

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