According to a study owners of new-build flats and expensive properties are susceptible to mortgage fraud and identity theft. Fraudsters in a number of cases gain access to personal details by stealing post and intercepting emails between borrowers and solicitors.
Research by Experian, a credit card checking agency found, people living in so-called “city prosperity” account for 10% of all ID fraud in mortgages compared to 7% last year. Nick Mothershaw, a fraud expert with Experian said fraudsters target new build flats to gain easier access to a person’s post. Once they get into a building they can steal the mail containing new debit or credit cards to the address.
“A fraudsters ideal card or current account would be a high-net-wealth individual living in a poorly secured property with communal mailboxes”, he said.
