15,000 people fight back against fraudsters

Action Fraud, the UK’s first national
fraud reporting centre can be
contacted on 0300 123 2040

The National Fraud Authority and the City of London Police are today calling on everyone who believes they have been scammed, conned or defrauded to make a noise about fraud and report to www.actionfraud.org.uk.

Action Fraud is the UK’s first national fraud reporting centre and today (Jul 12) became available across the country. It has had 15,000 web reports and calls in the last six months from members of the public who have decided to join the fight against fraud.

Victims are provided with a crime reference number and their fraud data is fed to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), hosted by the City of London Police. Here it is analysed for trends in offending and then used to form the basis of criminal investigations and to gain a more complete picture of fraud. 

Action Fraud also provides a wide range of information about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim. According to the National Fraud Authority, which runs Action Fraud, at least £3.5billion is lost by individuals to fraud every year. However, the actual figure is probably much higher as many victims of fraud never report it. Of the crime reports made, fraud loss has ranged from £6 to over £1million. The top five most commonly reported frauds in the last month were:

1. Online shopping and auction fraud
2. Advance fee frauds such as loan and psychic scams
3. Romance and dating frauds
4. Non-investment frauds such as miracle health and Internet dialler scams
5. Share sale fraud

The Head of Economic Crime at the City of London Police, Steve Head, said:

“For too long criminals have flourished in an environment where people have been reluctant to report when they have become a victim of fraud. We are now changing this culture, and in doing so turning the tide against the fraudsters who bring so much misery to so many lives.”

“A national fraud reporting centre combined with the fully operational NFIB will revolutionise our efforts to combat fraud. Together they will help police forces catch fraudsters and help people to better protect themselves against the dangers of fraud.

Dr Bernard Herdan, chief executive of the National Fraud Authority:

“Fraud, of any value, is a serious crime that devastates lives and often funds more organised crime like drug smuggling and people trafficking. We’re very pleased to see so many people speaking up, but we know there are many more victims out there. People often feel embarrassed, but they shouldn’t. There are many types of fraud and anyone can become a victim. If you report it to www.actionfraud.org.uk you can help us fight the fraudsters and make the UK a more hostile environment for fraud. It takes all of us to work together to fight fraud - staying silent lets the criminals get away with it.”

There are some simple rules everyone can all follow to help protect ourselves against fraud:

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
• If you didn’t enter a lottery…you haven’t won it
• Ask questions - If someone is legitimate they won’t pressurise you or be elusive
• Be very wary about giving your personal information to strangers or providing money up front
• Always check the real company’s details against the ones you have been given, and ring them direct if you are in doubt
• Don’t stay silent. If you’ve been targeted by a fraudster and lost money, contact Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.org.uk or call 0300 123 2040

Originally rolled out on a region-by-region basis, Action Fraud is now available nationally and provides the single place for victims of fraud to report to or to get advice on protecting themselves. For more advice or to report a fraud, visit www.actionfraud.org.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

For more information please contact  Harry Watkinson at the City of London Police press office on 020 7601 2015.