City of London Police partner with international law firm Gowling WLG to help victims of fraud recover their money

The City of London Police has announced a partnership with international law firm Gowling WLG, as part of a civil asset recovery programme which will be made available to victims of fraud in the future.

In the event that a prosecution of a fraud case is not possible or viable, the City of London Police and Gowling WLG will work together on a select number of cases to pursue recovery of money and/or assets lost by fraud victims. The cases that are identified will be referred to Gowling for consideration.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish, City of London Police, said:

“As a victim of fraud, you can feel helpless and that you have to shoulder the often heavy financial burden of losing money at the hands of criminals. Of course, a judicial outcome in the form of a custodial sentence and or conviction is the ideal outcome, however it’s the lost money or assets that can have a lasting effect on victims.

“This trial with Gowling WLG is a positive initiative, which we hope will provide a clear process for victims in helping them take back what is owed to them.” 

With over £570m lost to fraud in the first half of 2024 alone in the UK, fraud victims are needing more help than ever to recoup their money. This partnership between private and public stakeholders to investigate and take back monies lost by fraud marks a significant step forward in the UK’s fight against fraudsters.

Research conducted by City of London Police showed that, in the absence of a criminal investigation, civil asset recovery agents have a positive role to play in working together with law enforcement and supporting victims. This not only gives victims the opportunity to recover some of their losses but also enables civil asset recovery agents to target and strip organised crime groups (OCGs) of their assets. In doing so, it strengthens the UK’s defences against fraud and related crimes, including county lines activity, human trafficking, and terrorism."

Bríd Holden, Director at Gowling WLG, said:

"After a successful pilot, we are pleased to be working on this initiative with City of London Police to investigate and support victims to recoup monies lost to such frauds. We are hoping that working in collaboration with City of London Police will change the landscape and encourage more victims to report fraud, raising awareness generally, but also our aim is  that this partnership will recover monies for victims of such frauds."

Note: The announcement of the programme follows a successful pilot project involving an elderly victim suffering from Alzheimer's disease who was defrauded of more than £2 million though a cryptocurrency scheme scam. The Civil Fraud and Asset Recovery team at Gowling WLG is continuing to work with City of London Police through the programme to pursue civil asset recovery.