Campaign to protect vulnerable
adults
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have launched a
campaign to encourage better protection of vulnerable adults from
fraudsters.
Posters have been sent to doctors’ surgeries, libraries, police
stations and more, reminding people that criminals target
vulnerable adults for their money. The posters encourage families,
friends, carers and professional bodies to keep a close check on
vulnerable adults, and to report any concerns.
The campaign was prompted after an ongoing study highlighted a
lack of official reporting of the matter to police and social
services.The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) is carrying
out the study, and the final results will be presented to the
Department of Health for inclusion in the wider work around
safeguarding vulnerable adults.
City of London Police Commissioner Mike Bowron QPM, the ACPO
lead for Economic Crime, responded to this request by commissioning
the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to conduct an in-depth
assessment of the problem. A team within the NFIB, consisting of
police specialists, financial investigators, social services and
analytical staff, has spent the past five months pulling together
and assessing information. A network of experts from business,
government departments, NGOs and charities has supported this
team.
The information will now be cross-referenced with the national
intelligence system for all reported fraud, using the NFIB, and
assessed against organised crime group data. The final results
should give the team a greater understanding of the scale of the
problem. The individual reports of fraud will be given to local
police forces and social service teams to ensure victims are better
protected, and any crimes investigated. The final results will also
be presented to government and stakeholders, to ensure that lessons
can be learnt, and a better way to protect our vulnerable adults
designed.
City of London Police Commissioner Mike Bowron, who is the ACPO
lead on economic crime, said: “This is a vital piece of work to
ensure that those who are vulnerable in our society are protected
from economic crime. The impact fraud can have on victims is
devastating, and we should do all that we can to prevent criminals
from praying on our vulnerable adults.