[UK]How common is identity theft really?

I used to think it was just rare cases you read about in the news, like some unlucky person having their credit card cloned or their social security number stolen. But lately, the more I dig into it, the more it feels like almost everyone has had some level of exposure. Between data breaches, shady apps selling info, and data brokers hoarding millions of profiles, it seems like identity theft isn’t some freak occurrence it’s a statistical inevitability. You don’t even have to “fall for a scam” to be at risk. Your info is probably already out there whether you like it or not.

Has anyone here actually had to deal with full-blown identity theft (not just a compromised card)? How did you even start fixing it? Generally curious and didn’t know where else to post it.