East Ham and Stratford have emerged as hotspots for identity fraud.
The towns experienced 78 and 43 cases respectively for every 10,000 households in 2011, credit company Experian said.
This was in sharp contrast to the likes of High Wycombe and Peterborough, which registered 13 recorded attempts each, and more than 10 times the national average.
Experts said criminals were now targeting less well-off neighbourhoods.
Nick Mothershaw, director of identity and fraud services at Experian, said: “The increasing prominence of lower income demographics at the top of Experian’s identity fraud risk table represents a notable shift in fraudsters’ tactics.
“They have traditionally focused the bulk of their attentions on the wealthiest sections of society living in prestigious London postcodes.
“Our research shows that the risk continues to spread, with the highest rates of identity fraud now to be found in the Thames Valley and London’s Olympic neighbourhoods.”
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