Current accounts are now the type of financial product most likely to be targeted by fraudsters, according to a credit checking company.

Experian said at least 89 in every 10,000 applications for a current account are made by an imposter.

Nearly half of all attempted current account fraud involves criminals trying to use someone else's stolen details , it said.

Experian, whose records go back eight years, said that in March, current accounts became the most targeted financial product for fraud attempts for the first time, overtaking mortgages.

It said criminals are continuing to test potential weaknesses in the seven-day system which was introduced in 2013 to make it easier for people to switch current accounts - but the growth in fraud detection rates shows firms' systems are holding up.

Current accounts are seen as a "quick win" for fraudsters as they enable them to launder money and rack up debts in someone else's name by maxing out overdrafts or using the account as a springboard to make other bogus credit applications, for anything from luxury cars to household goods or other credit products.

Experian's fraud index is based on information from fraud prevention system National Hunter, which Experian operates on behalf of members. It enables financial institutions to cross-match applications in order to weed out potential frauds. Last year, National Hunter processed 33 million financial applications.

The increase in detected current account fraud has been driven by a growth in identity fraud, Experian said.

In March 2014, 32% of detected fraudulent current account applications involved people who had stolen someone else's identity - and by March 2015 this had jumped to almost half (49%).

Earlier this week, Financial Fraud Action (FFA UK) partnered up with Neighbourhood Watch to issue a warning about people being tricked by phone scams into handing over their personal details such as passwords and Pin numbers to fraudsters pretending to be from their bank.

FFA UK, whose members include banks and card issuers, said a total of £23.6 million was lost in 2014 due to fraudsters tricking people across the UK into transferring money directly into their bank accounts.

It said banks or the police will never phone to ask for someone's four-digit card Pin or online banking password, even by tapping them into the telephone keypad.

Since autumn 2013, in efforts to encourage people to shop around for a current account deal that suits them, the process of opening a current account has been made simpler.

Instead of taking up to 30 working days to open a current account it now takes just seven, and payments are automatically switched over to the new account.

Nick Mothershaw, UK and Ireland director of identity and fraud at Experian, said: "Recent figures from the Payments Council shows that there has been a 7% year-on-year rise in current account switching.

"While fraudsters may be taking the opportunity to test the security of lenders' systems, increased detection rates are showing that their systems are clearly holding up.

"It is important for people to take measures to ensure their details remain their own. Knowing what your bank can and cannot ask you for will help you avoid phishing scams. Making sure sensitive mail is shredded is also important. Keeping an eye on your credit report can help you spot any suspicious activity."