Fraud victims let down by outdated 1960s policing structure, report finds
Victims of fraud are being let down as UK policing tries to battle '21st century cyber-enabled cross-border crime' in a localised system set up in the 1960s, a report has found.
Think tank the Police Foundation has called for a major overhaul of how law enforcement deals with fraud, which makes up around 40% of total crime in Britain.
In the year to December 2024, there were an estimated 4.1 million incidents of fraud, up a third on the previous year, according to the annual Crime Survey for England and Wales.
The Police Foundation report, published on Thursday, made a series of recommendations including setting up a UK Crime Prevention Agency and a national policing body to deal with fraud.
The issue should be dealt with at a UK level alongside terrorism and serious and organised crime including economic and cyber offences, it said.
It also called upon regional mayors and police and crime commissioners to take a so-called public health approach to fraud, raising awareness about how to avoid being scammed.
The report concluded: 'Fraud has become the single biggest form of crime affecting people in the UK and yet our policing institutions have not caught up with the scale of that change.
'We have a 1960s local policing structure trying to fight a 21st century cyber-enabled cross-border crime.
'As a result the police are achieving limited success and victims are receiving too little by way of service.'
While the report found that a lot of prevention work needs to be done outside policing, it also called for reform of how the police deal with fraud by 2030.
Michael Skidmore, head of serious crime research at the Police Foundation, said: 'Fraud is a high-volume, harmful crime, often perpetrated online by sophisticated networks that operate across police force and international borders.
'In comparison, our policing response is under-resourced, under-skilled and locked into a reactive, geographically bounded policing model developed to tackle the local crime problems of the 1960s.
'We are calling for a wholesale shift to a prevention-focused response.
'We need a new national lead body with a ringfenced budget and local and regional tasking powers, greater private sector collaboration and an uplift in skills.
'The current model is simply unsustainable, given the scale, harm and sophistication of the fraud challenge we face today.'
The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that around 14% of fraud is reported to police or the centralised Action Fraud service.
A total of 1,214,639 fraud reports were made to police in the year to March 2024, of which 3,641 ended with someone being charged with a crime.
Research by report sponsor Virgin Media O2 using freedom of information requests suggested that only 6% of reports to Action Fraud were passed to police forces for investigation in 2023/24.
Three of the forces in England and Wales had no officers dedicated to investigating fraud, the telecoms giant found.
The report also said that in March 2021 there were 866 economic crime officers in English and Welsh police forces, equal to 0.64% of the total workforce when fraud is 40% of crime.
Murray Mackenzie, director of fraud prevention at Virgin Media O2, said the company had blocked fraudulent transactions worth more than £250 million in one year.
He added: 'With overall fraud prosecutions falling despite a 33% jump in cases last year, the UK is failing to effectively tackle fraud, and criminals are stealing with no real prospect of ever facing justice.'
The report said that of 252 police officers and staff surveyed by YouGov between March 31 and April 4, 88% disagreed that police have enough resources to tackle fraud.
When the author asked one unnamed senior officer what the National Fraud Squad is, a scheme set up by the previous government, they laughed, the report said.
A series of recommendations in the report also includes a call for the private sector to be pushed to share data that could prevent fraud with the police.
Deputy Commissioner Nik Adams, national co-ordinator for economic and cyber crime for the City of London Police, said: 'The response to fraud has been improving.
'It is not about a badly designed system; it is about sustainably resourcing and strengthening the response to keep pace with this constantly evolving threat.
'To accelerate further fraud reductions, the wider system, especially the tech sector, need to make online platforms much more hostile to criminals.'
He said that City of London Police is 'leading a national economic crime strategy to increase fraud investigators and the use of financial investigation to seize assets, including crypto currency, from criminals using specialist investigation and policing powers.'
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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a travel expert but Booking.com host scam nearly caught me out'
For years holidaymakers have been losing cash through a scam that targets customers who have made bookings on Milo Boyd takes a look at why it's still catching out people As my thumb hovered over the link, the BBC's Rogue Traders researcher, who was helpfully sitting next to me, said: 'I'm pretty sure that's a scam. Block the number and don't click the link." I did as advised and felt a sense of relief at a bullet dodged, followed by a tinge of embarrassment at having almost fallen for a travel scam. That would be a bad look, given my job title and the fact I was at a travel event surrounded by colleagues when the message came through. In my defence, it was pretty convincing. The WhatsApp message arrived with a name and photo attached just after a bit of back-and-forth with the actual host on the site. The 'guest relations manager' mentioned where and when I was going, and when I made the reservation. All would be well with the booking, they assured me, so long as I could confirm that my card details were not stolen - something the system had flagged to them as a possibility. A quick click of the link to confirm my details and I'd be off on holiday as planned, no problem, they promised. I screenshotted the messages and blocked the account, repeating the process for the 'head administrator of the apartments' who later followed up on her colleague's behalf. In this instance, a scam avoided, but plenty of questions remained. How had they got my details? How much would they've stolen if I had clicked the link? How many others are being targeted this way? The answer to the first question came several days after I explained what had happened to A customer service representative apologised before blaming the security breach on the host, saying that they must have had their own website infected with malware, giving the hackers access to my information. This is an issue for websites such as which send customers to third-party websites. These are often run by B&B owners or holiday let landlords with one property, who are unlikely to have the same security resources as a major travel firm. Potentially adding to the security issues is the fact that it takes less than 15 minutes to set up a host page, with no requirement to show a passport or official ID. In terms of the second and third questions, the amounts stolen and the number of victims are significant. The scam has been bubbling along for years, with the UK's Action Fraud having received 532 reports from individuals, with a total of £370,000 lost between June 2023 and September 2024. Between them, they are more than £370,000 out of pocket. They may also have been victims of a breach of their data rights. Several years ago was slapped with a €475K fine for failing to take action following a GDPR breach. If anything, the problem seems to be getting worse. Last June, admitted that there had been an increase of between 500 and 900 per cent in scams carried out on the platform in the previous 18 months. In 2023 Dr Leigh Jones, a University of Oxford academic, told the Mirror how she had lost more than £1,000 at the hands of scammers after she booked multiple hotel rooms for her family ahead of her wedding day in Vietnam. "It was a really impressive phishing scam. After this, I will be done with Why is there no warning on their website? I'd advise people to switch to another way to booking holidays," she told the Mirror at the time. Earlier this year Which? found that some customers had been contacted by scammers through the company's official app, making it much harder to distinguish it from a genuine message from a host. Not only are customers losing money, the scammers are causing accommodation operators major headaches. Balaram Thapa runs a hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal. Recently, one of his customers fell victim to a phishing scam. "One of our guests booked a room at our hotel through received a confirmation, and then later got a message that appeared to come from us, asking them to reconfirm their payment via a third-party link. It looked completely legitimate, with our hotel name and reservation details included," the hotelier explained. The guest paid through the fake link and only realised it was a scam when they arrived. "It was a frustrating situation for both the guest and our team. Not only did they lose money, but it damaged their trust in the booking process—and in us, even though we had no role in the scam. It's become clear to me that travellers need to be especially cautious about messages they receive, even if they appear to be from official booking platforms." Balaram contacted and was told that the hotel's account may have been compromised. Their advice was to change the password. "They didn't offer any further assistance or compensation," the hospitality manager added. To help the distraught customer, Balaram offered a 50% discount on their stay. "It was a loss on both sides, but we did our best to make it right," he said. Sean Malloy is an American lawyer who has represented phishing scam victims in court and offered some advice for those fearful of being caught out. "I have dealt with numerous instances of phishing scams that resulted in financial or emotional losses. When platforms like are impersonated, consumers are often caught off-guard, especially since the communication can appear so legitimate," he told the Mirror. "To protect themselves, travellers should NEVER CLICK any payment links sent in email or text, and always verify bookings and requests by using the app or site itself. Turn on two-factor authentication when you can, and review your accounts periodically for evidence of hacking." 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"We take the process of verifying accommodation listings seriously. While partners can register in less than 15 minutes, they are then exposed to multiple controls and checks during sign-up, after submission and before their listings become bookable."
Metro
5 days ago
- Metro
I loaned my parents a few hundred quid — then they stole thousands
'I know people will judge my mum and dad for what I'm about to tell you, or call me stupid for letting it happen – but we all feel terrible already and really just need advice.' Financially responsible Lily, 25, has just found out her credit rate has plummeted. The reason? Her parents have technically 'stolen' from her, taking out a spiralling loan in her name. In the latest instalment of Metro's Money Problem, personal finance journalist and consumer champion Sarah Davidson gives some no-nonsense advice. The problem… Lily says: 'About two years ago, my parents' rent went up at the same time as their car broke down, and they needed some money but had been refused credit. I was at uni and only working part-time, which barely covered my own rent and living expenses. I did have a good credit score though, and when I asked how I could help out, my mum suggested I could take out a payday loan of a few hundred pounds. 'I'm of the opinion that you do what you can for your family, so I agreed – and as promised, they paid it back on time. The issue is that they then kept borrowing small amounts each month (which the company seemed to allow without any additional checks). 'The high interest rate got them further and further into debt and it snowballed into the thousands, which they couldn't afford so ended up defaulting on. 'I didn't find out until I checked my credit report recently, as I've now graduated and started saving to buy a house. Even though I'm angry at them (mostly for not telling me) I could see how ashamed my mum and dad were about what they did. Up Next 'Is there any way I can fix this without getting them into trouble?' The advice… Oh Lily. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I don't think you're stupid for 'letting' this happen. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but in the eyes of the law, your parents stole from you. That's a criminal offence and you're a victim. If you're not okay with that, you need to report it to the police. If you are okay with that, then covering the cost of that theft is on you. It's also up to you to work out how to deal with what your mum and dad did. If you had lost money as a result of another person taking a loan out in your name without your knowledge, you would normally take the following steps: Report it to Action Fraud, the police department that deals with financial crimes. You can do this online, by calling 101, or by calling their fraud or cybercrime specialists on 0300 123 2040. When you submit a report you will receive a police crime reference number. Report the incident to the payday lender, including the amounts and dates of the additional advances taken without your knowledge and your crime reference number. The company will either agree to reimburse you for the money taken, agree to a part payment or refuse to cover your losses. If you're unhappy with this outcome, you can make a complaint to the company. If you're still unhappy, you can wait eight weeks (usually) and then make a further complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. However, your question is whether there is any way you can 'fix this without getting them into trouble', which I'm guessing means getting your money back and/or getting this black mark struck from your credit record. Sorry, Lily. No can do. The bottom line is that unless you report the crime to the police, you are accepting that 'you' took the loans and failed to repay them. That gives you no recourse to get your money back and no grounds to challenge the damage it's done to your credit score. If you don't want to dob your mum and dad in, then you need to forgive the past and focus on mending the future. To have any hope of that happening, you need to be comfortable accepting that – in the eyes of the law and of the lender – this is your problem to fix. 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However, if you can afford to take a fixed term loan and pay it off monthly at a lower interest rate, this could keep interest costs down. There are lenders that offer responsible loans for this type of situation – try searching credit unions and community finance in your area. Campaign group Fair4all Finance invests money into responsible lenders across the UK – you can find a list on their website. Your payday lender may already have referred you to a debt collection agency. If this is the case, the lender can give you their details – or your parents might have these already. Contact the debt collector to ask for your repayment options. Some will allow you to make smaller payments you can afford over a longer time. Others won't. Whatever you do, do not ignore letters. You could end up facing court action, which will make everything much worse. If you can't afford to repay the debt, contact one of the organisations listed on the Government's website for free and confidential help. They will be able to guide you on your best options and are not financially incentivised to advise you take out expensive debt relief orders or declare bankruptcy. Try to avoid those routes if you can. Finally, you and your parents need to make this right between you or it will fester. Where there is money involved, feelings can become bitter over time. I'd suggest you sit down with them over a cup of tea at a pre-agreed time to discuss it. Have all the paperwork in front of you and let them know beforehand that you'd like to consider how they could help you with the repayments so they aren't blindsided. You might decide to write off some of what they borrowed in your name – it sounds like you're sympathetic to their financial situation and want to help if you can. I wouldn't recommend letting them off scot-free though. That's not fair on you and, frankly, if there are no consequences for them, what's to stop it happening again? After all, they seem to have been using your credit pretty freely to pay for more than just their rent and fixing the car. Use the meeting to work out what you and your parents can realistically afford each month. Add up all their income and subtract all their bills, allowing for some extra cash each month to cover unforeseen expenses. You should do the same. Anything left should go towards repaying the debt. Ask your parents to set up a standing order with their bank to transfer their share to you on a fixed date every month. Once that's done, contact the lender or debt collection agency and – perhaps with the help of one of the charities above – agree a repayment plan that you can afford to maintain until the loan is paid off. It might be worth agreeing an amount you can afford even if your parents stop contributing. I'm sure you don't need telling twice that, even with the best of intentions, things can go awry. Got a Money Problem of your own? Have you been ripped off by a romance scammer? Fighting with family or friends over who should pay for what? Struggling to get by despite a decent income? Or simply want to vent about how you've been treated by a major company? If you've got a money problem you'd like Sarah to look into, fill in this form or email providing as much detail about your situation as possible. No issue is too big or small, and all submissions will be treated with the strictest confidence. Sarah Davidson is an award-winning financial editor and head of research at WPB Got a money worry or dilemma? Email
ITV News
30-05-2025
- ITV News
Family 'horrified' by scam livestream page for funeral of Northamptonshire house fire victim
The family of a house fire victim say they are "horrified" after a fake livestream page was set up to scam mourners on the day of his funeral. Louie Thorn, 23, died on 28 March in the blaze in Rushton, Northamptonshire, along with Emma Conn, 30, and Mayci Fox, 4. His funeral took place in Rothwell on Friday, as Mr Thorn's family revealed a scammer had attempted to profit from his death. The page offered followers a live stream of the funeral behind a pay-wall and asked followers "if you can afford you can donate". The page was deleted later on Friday. It comes after an ITV News investigation found hundreds of similar scamming funeral livestream pages had been created on Facebook for other high-profile deaths. The father of Louie Thorn said he was made aware there were several links posted ahead of the funeral. Lee Thorn said: "Awful. Not just one, three. What is that about? There are some awful, cruel people in this world. "People trying to profiteer off a sick situation like this, it's horrific. What are people about, why do these people exist? "I've had three of them, hopefully they all got pulled down pretty quickly. Just terrible. There's some sick people out there isn't there?" Police said anyone who has been affected by the fraudulent page should report it to Facebook. A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: 'To take advantage of such a tragic incident is appalling and we understand the distress this has caused the family of Louie Thorn. 'There are always unscrupulous people on social media whose sole aim of being on such platforms is to charge for a service which doesn't exist. "However, offering live streams of funerals in exchange for money is despicable. 'We would advise Louie's family and as many people as possible affected by such a fraud to report the page to Facebook so they can take action to remove the fraudulent content. 'We would also urge anyone who has fallen victim to any online fraud to report it to their local police force or Action Fraud.' Facebook has been approached for comment. Louie Thorn died in the house fire at a converted railway station in Rushton in March, along with four-year-old Mayci Fox and her mother Emma Conn. Investigators said the fire was not suspicious and police confirmed there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. A fire which killed three people including a four-year-old girl and her mother was not suspicious, say investigators. The family of Emma Conn remembered her and her daughter Mayci as 'two peas in a pod', while Louie Thorn was remembered as "genuine, caring, kind and trusting". An inquest opening gave their provisional causes of death as inhalation of smoke, pending further tests.
