Digital Safety, Identity Fraud and Safeguarding Support for Vulnerable People Across the UK

Technology can be used to help people stay connected, independent and safe. Sadly, it can also be used to abuse, control, exploit or defraud vulnerable people.

This guide is for people who may be experiencing digital abuse, identity fraud, financial exploitation, stalking, coercive control, neighbour harassment, online scams, or abuse by someone they know and trust.

Important: Use a Safe Device if Necessary

If you think someone may be monitoring your phone, computer, email, internet activity or location, consider accessing help from a device they cannot access.

This could be a trusted person's phone, a library computer, a workplace device, a professional's device or another safe device.

Do not suddenly change passwords, location settings or monitoring settings if you believe doing so could alert an abuser and place you at greater risk.

Specialist support can help you make changes safely.

Who Can Carry Out This Type of Abuse?

This includes abuse by:

• Partners or ex-partners
• Family members
• Neighbours
• Carers or support workers
• So-called friends
• Acquaintances
• People helping with money, benefits, housing or care
• People who have access to your phone, home, online accounts or personal documents

People with disabilities, older people, people with learning difficulties, people experiencing poor mental health, and socially isolated people can be especially vulnerable to this kind of abuse.

If You Are in Immediate Danger

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call:

Ask for the police.

If you cannot speak, listen to the operator and, if possible, respond by coughing or tapping the handset.

If you are calling 999 from a mobile and are prompted, press 55. This can tell the operator that it is a genuine emergency and transfer the call to police.

Pressing 55 only works in the Silent Solution process on mobile calls. It does not automatically tell police your location.

Police non-emergency: 101

What Is Digital Abuse?

Digital abuse is when someone uses technology to control, threaten, monitor, harass, intimidate, exploit or harm another person.

Examples include:

• Checking your phone without permission
• Reading your emails or messages
• Tracking your location
• Installing spyware or monitoring apps
• Using smart cameras, doorbells or speakers to watch you
• Controlling your social media
• Using your photos or private information against you
• Opening accounts in your name
• Taking control of online banking
• Using your benefits or identity
• Pretending to be you online
• Sending threatening messages
• Harassing you through fake accounts
• Sharing personal information without consent

Digital abuse is not only carried out by partners or ex-partners. It can also be done by neighbours, carers, support workers, family members, acquaintances or people pretending to help.

Identity Theft and Identity Fraud

Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information. Identity fraud is when they use that information to commit fraud.

This may include:

• Opening bank accounts in your name
• Applying for loans or credit cards
• Taking out mobile phone contracts
• Claiming benefits using your details
• Accessing your online accounts
• Using your passport, driving licence or National Insurance number
• Redirecting your post
• Pretending to be you online

Official support

Warning Signs Someone May Be Using Your Identity

You may notice:

• Letters about debts you do not recognise
• Credit checks you did not request
• Bank transactions you did not make
• New accounts opened in your name
• Missing post
• Benefit problems
• Unexpected bills
• Password reset emails
• Messages from companies you do not use
• Someone knowing private information they should not know

If this happens, keep records and report it as soon as possible.

Financial Abuse and Online Banking Abuse

Financial abuse can happen when someone controls, steals or misuses your money.

Examples include:

• Taking your bank card
• Forcing you to share your PIN
• Taking control of online banking
• Pressuring you to transfer money
• Using your benefits
• Taking out debt in your name
• Stopping you from accessing your own money
• Making you pay for things you did not agree to
• Using your disability benefits or care money

You should contact your bank immediately if you think your account has been misused. Ask for the fraud team and explain if you are vulnerable or being abused.

If Your Bank Does Not Resolve the Problem

You can make a formal complaint to your bank, lender or card provider. If the complaint remains unresolved, it may be possible to take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

MoneyHelper - How to complain about a bank, lender or card provider

Benefit Fraud and Misuse of Personal Information

If someone is using your personal details to make a false benefit claim, or is misusing benefits meant for you, this may be fraud or financial abuse.

If your own benefits are affected because someone is abusing or controlling you, contact the Department for Work and Pensions or seek advice from a trusted support organisation.

Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control

Domestic abuse can include physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, financial and controlling behaviour.

It can happen between partners, ex-partners or family members.

It can also include monitoring technology, controlling access to money, tracking someone's location, reading messages or restricting who someone can communicate with.

Checking a Partner's Abusive History

In some circumstances you can ask police to check whether a partner has an abusive past under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, commonly called Clare's Law.

GOV.UK - Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme information

Abuse by Neighbours, Friends, Carers or People You Trust

Abuse does not always come from a partner or family member.

Vulnerable people may be abused by:

• A neighbour who keeps watching or harassing them
• A friend who borrows money and never repays it
• A carer who uses their phone or bank card
• Someone who helps with forms but misuses personal details
• A person who enters the home and takes documents
• Someone who pretends to help but isolates the person
• A support worker who crosses boundaries
• Someone who uses disability, age or isolation to exploit them

This can be safeguarding abuse, financial abuse, fraud, harassment or coercive control.

If you are worried about an adult, contact the local council adult safeguarding team, social services or police.

Stalking, Harassment and Neighbour Harassment

Repeated unwanted contact, watching, following, monitoring, threatening behaviour or unwanted communications may amount to stalking or harassment.

This can include behaviour carried out online as well as in person.

Neighbour Problems and Antisocial Behaviour

Antisocial behaviour can include harassment, threats, verbal abuse, nuisance behaviour, vandalism and other behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress.

Depending on what is happening, concerns may be reported to:

• Police
• Your local council
• Your housing association or landlord
• Adult safeguarding if a vulnerable adult is being targeted

If threats, stalking, violence, fraud or criminal behaviour are involved, do not assume it is merely a neighbour dispute.

Adult Safeguarding Across the UK

Safeguarding means protecting adults who may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Cyber Crime, Hacked Accounts and Online Scams

If your email, phone, social media, banking, or online accounts have been hacked, take action quickly.

NCSC advice includes:

• Contact the account provider
• Check email forwarding rules
• Change compromised passwords
• Change passwords anywhere the same password was reused
• Log out of all devices and apps
• Enable two-step verification
• Update devices and apps
• Check bank statements and shopping accounts

Report Suspicious Emails

Forward suspicious or scam emails to:

report@phishing.gov.uk

Report Scam Texts

Forward suspicious text messages to:

7726

Personal Information, Data Misuse and Data Breaches

If an organisation has wrongly disclosed your personal information, failed to keep it secure, used it unexpectedly or allowed another person access to it, data protection rights may also be relevant.

This can be particularly serious where information includes:

• Your home address
• Your phone number
• Health or care information
• Financial information
• Your whereabouts
• Information about children
• Information that could increase a safeguarding risk

You Can Ask for Your Personal Information

A Subject Access Request can be used to ask an organisation for copies of personal information it holds about you.

Complain About Misuse of Your Data

If you believe an organisation has not handled your information properly, you can raise a data protection complaint with the organisation and, where appropriate, take the matter to the ICO.

Practical Digital Safety Checklist

If safe to do so:

1. Change passwords from a safe device
2. Use a password the abuser cannot guess
3. Turn on two-step verification
4. Check account recovery emails and phone numbers
5. Log out of all devices
6. Check location sharing settings
7. Review trusted devices
8. Check banking apps
9. Check social media privacy
10. Remove unknown apps
11. Update your phone and computer
12. Keep evidence of abuse
13. Tell a trusted professional if you feel unsafe

Smart Home and Tracking Risks

Check whether someone has access to:

• Smart doorbells
• Home cameras
• Smart speakers
• Smart locks
• Thermostats
• Car tracking apps
• AirTags or Bluetooth trackers
• Shared family location apps
• Child monitoring apps
• Cloud photo accounts
• Shared calendars

If you are unsure, ask a trusted professional or support organisation for help.

Remember that changing or removing a monitoring device could alert the person using it. Consider your immediate safety before making changes.

Keeping Evidence Safely

Evidence may be useful for police, housing, safeguarding, court, benefits or legal support.

Keep:

• Screenshots
• Threatening messages
• Emails
• Call logs
• Bank records
• Photos of damage
• Names of witnesses
• Dates and times of incidents
• Account alerts
• Fraud letters
• Police reference numbers

Store evidence somewhere safe. This could be a new email account, secure cloud account, trusted person, solicitor, police officer or support worker.

Support for Children and Young People

Children can also be affected by digital abuse, domestic abuse, coercive control, tracking apps, shared devices and online harassment.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

Support for People With Disabilities

Disabled people may face extra risks because they may rely on others for:

• Communication
• Transport
• Care
• Medication
• Money management
• Online forms
• Device setup
• Access to benefits
• Housing support

Abuse may involve:

• Taking mobility aids
• Misusing disability benefits
• Controlling communication devices
• Accessing private medical information
• Using dependence as a threat
• Isolating someone from support
• Pretending to help while exploiting them

If you are worried about a disabled adult, contact adult safeguarding through the local council, police, social services or a trusted professional.

Find your local council

When to Contact the Police

Contact police if:

• You are being threatened
• Someone is stalking or harassing you
• Someone has stolen money or identity documents
• Someone is monitoring you without consent
• Someone is using your accounts
• Someone has taken out credit in your name
• You feel unsafe
• A vulnerable adult is being abused

Emergency:

Non-emergency:

In Scotland, fraud should be reported to Police Scotland by calling 101.

Useful Official Links

Right First Time UK Message

Right First Time UK believes vulnerable people deserve clear, practical and accessible information to help stay safe.

Digital abuse, identity fraud, financial exploitation and coercive control can happen to anyone, but disabled people, older people, people with care needs and socially isolated adults are often at higher risk.

This guide is designed to help people recognise the signs, know where to report concerns, and find trusted support across the UK.

If you are worried about yourself or someone else, please seek help. You are not alone.

Information notice: This page provides general information and signposting. It is not a substitute for individual legal, police, safeguarding, financial or cyber-security advice. Services, procedures and contact arrangements can change. Always check the linked official organisation for the latest information. If there is an immediate danger to life or safety, call 999.