It says phishing attacks have risen a hundredfold in the last two years, while examples of key-logging software - which records passwords and other sensitive user details - have gone up by 250% since 2004.

McAfee's Jeff Green told Out-Law:

"Identity theft is a global phenomenon that theatens all of us, which means we all need to become more aware, more vigilant and less less trusting to protect ourselves.

"By learning where we are vulnerable, and how and why criminals engage in identity theft, we can then take the necessary precautions to avoid being victimised."