Fraud victims let down by outdated 1960s policing structure, report finds
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. There were more than four million incidents of fraud in the year to December 2024, according to the annual Crime Survey for England and Wales (Gareth Fuller/PA)
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.'
Its officers are also working with watchdog His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services to make sure local forces understand what they need to do to tackle fraud, he added.
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Daughter reveals chilling phone call made hours after mum vanished 15 years ago – as cops find body buried in garden
A body was found and a woman has been charged with murder NEW EVIDENCE? Daughter reveals chilling phone call made hours after mum vanished 15 years ago – as cops find body buried in garden Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MYSTERY phone call could prove vital in cracking the cold case of a mum who vanished 15 years ago, The Sun can reveal. Izabela Helena Zabłocka went missing in August 2010, aged 30, after moving to Derbyshire from Poland the previous year. 9 Missing mum Izabela Zabłocka and her daughter Kasia Credit: Kasia Zabłocka 9 Izabela left Poland in 2009 to work in Derby Credit: PA 9 Police launched a murder investigation and said they found human remains Credit: Splash 9 But an investigation wasn't opened by British cops until last month, thanks to a baffling miscommunication gaffe. Once the probe finally kicked into gear, officers made five arrests before finding remains in a back garden and charging a woman with murder on Friday - all within a matter of a couple of weeks. Anna Podedworna, 39, also faces charges of preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice. Now, Izabela's daughter, Kasia, who was just nine when she vanished, has told The Sun about an odd phone conversation she had in the hours after her mum was first reported missing. Kasia and her grandmother would speak to Izabela every day over the phone after her move to Britain - but when she suddenly stopped, they became frantic with worry. The young girl had been continuously trying to contact her mum when an unknown woman answered and told her she didn't know Izabela and hung up. Kasia told us: "It was a conversation of a few seconds, I was only a child. "The woman, as far as I remember, told me that she doesn't know my mother, doesn't know who Izabela is, and hung up." Soon after that, Kasia recalls, the phone was disconnected. Her family - who don't speak English - relayed all of this to Polish cops at the time but the trail eventually ran cold, without any answers about what had happened. Derbyshire Constabulary say the first they heard of Izabela was last month when Kasia, now 25, after years of appeals for help, got in touch on a whim. Body found in search for missing woman who vanished 15 years ago – as suspect, 39, arrested over 'murder' She was as surprised as anyone that British cops hadn't been involved in the case at all - assuming Polish forces must have been liaising with them all these years. And Izabela's case might not be the only one to slip through the cracks. Speaking to The Sun, former top Scotland Yard cop Peter Bleksley said: 'Given all the circumstances, my question is how many more? How many other cases are like this in the UK?' He said it's so easy for someone to move to the UK and then after months or even years disappear but because they're not part of a stable support network, are never reported to police. He added: 'How many more have entered communities, but are murdered and done away with but no one is going to miss them?' Of course, Izabela's family, particularly daughter Kasia, never did give up looking - but were let down by authorities again and again. Speaking to The Sun after remains were found in the garden of a home in Princes Street - a road where Izabela had lived - last week, Kasia had said: 'I definitely want to know the truth as soon as possible.' Her mum, who had called back home every day prior to vanishing on August 29 2010, had communicated to the family she planned to return home imminently. Have YOU got a story or an amazing picture or video? Email exclusive@ and you could even get PAID It's understood Kasia's grandmother had even sent her daughter money to buy a plane ticket but she never arrived and her phone was suddenly deactivated after the strange call. When they reported her missing to Polish cops, it seems they simply assumed she'd made it back to her homeland. They told Izabela's family they checked hospitals and prisons, and over the years did collect DNA samples, including hair from her wedding veil. However, Kasia said the case was then archived in the mid-2010s, and her loved ones feared they would never learn what happened. Mr Bleksley said: 'In terms of the Polish police, they paid it absolute lip service. Not in a hospital, not in a jail, don't really care.' In contrast, he said the investigation by Derbyshire Constabulary 'moved at break neck speed', which is a credit to those involved. 'From it getting reported, even having heard her name for the first time, it's only days until someone has been arrested, re-arrested, and now in custody,' he continued. 'In stark contrast to the Polish police, Derbyshire have taken it very seriously, they must have made a considerable amount of enquiries to rapidly make arrests and nail the correct address, start excavating and unfortunately find remains.' He said he hoped 'despite the passage of time' the remains 'provide a treasure trove of forensic evidence'. 9 Ex Met detective Peter Bleksley Credit: Peter Bleksley 9 Police and forensics searching a property on Princes Street on June 3 Credit: SWNS 9 Kasia spoke to a mystery woman over the phone the day after her mum vanished Credit: Getty Mr Bleksley went on to say: 'It smacks to me that somebody was desperate to tell the police what they knew, and they had been waiting for that knock on the door all that time.' He said the excavation 'will be absolutely painstaking' because 'any tiny microscopic' piece of forensic evidence 'will be crucial to nailing the case'. 'This is almost like a textbook test of modern forensic science,' he added. Asked if he believes Izabela - if the remains prove to be hers - was killed by someone she knew, Mr Bleksley said: 'That is very difficult to speculate. The fact that arrests were made so swiftly, indicates to me that these were people that were known to each other - that I will say… 'I'm not being intentionally flippant here but they are going to solve this. 'Somebody, I feel, is desperate to tell people what they saw. That's why it's galloped forward so quickly. Someone's almost gone 'oh I thought you'd never come - right okay, this is what I saw, this is who did it.'' Mr Bleksley added: 'As much as we criticise our police, and as much as we at times fall short and fail us all, by and large, when it comes to the big, serious, major investigations, they do very well.' He pointed to examples of Brits who have lost loved ones abroad and they've remained unexplained, including Madeleine McCann. 'We sometimes have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to our police force investigating serious crime,' he said. Mr Bleksley also added that had Madeleine - who vanished while on holiday in Portugal in 2007, aged three - gone missing 'under similar circumstances' in the UK, 'that case would have been solved a very long time ago'. During his career he's worked with police forces across the world, including the US, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, sometimes undercover. He championed British forces, in comparison, for their work ethics and systems of investigation. Asked if whilst working in other countries he recognised blindsides in local cops' working, he said: 'I did, which is why I was called in so often to help foreign law enforcement with their cases.' The existence of the likes of Europol, Interpol and the National Crime Agency designed to help police communicate internationally, it may appear archaic that a case like Izabela's can fall through the cracks. 'They can only be effective if the liaison through different countries is good,' said Mr Bleksley. 'In this case, it was appalling to the extent of being non-existent. 'If the Polish police had done their job properly, this case would've been solved years ago.' Asked if it is likely there will be some kind of watchdog probe into what went wrong in Poland, Mr Bleksley said: 'That I don't know, that would be a matter for the family, I'm sure for any forces in the UK, litigation would be pursued, of course, not to mention the complaints procedure. 'I don't know what the situation is in Poland with regards to that. He added: 'There's plenty more embarrassment for the Polish police force coming down the line if this case runs its course and ends up in a trial.' Asked if there's any chance Derbyshire Police were simply mistaken and, despite their assertions, ignored communications with Poland over the years about the case, Mr Bleksley said it's unlikely. 'Everything gets logged these days. Everything goes into the computer system and lives there forever. 'Derbyshire Police wouldn't have been as bullish as they have been by saying we had no trace of this if actually they didn't have any trace.' 'I did everything to publicise my mum's disappearance' Kasia told The Sun last week, prior to the remains discovery: "When Mum went missing, I was 9 years old, I was a child. "It was only when I became an adult that I took up the search for Mum again. "I did everything to publicise my mother's disappearance; it took me a lot of time, but I hope I will find out the truth." She went on to say: "My family reported the case to the Polish police 15 years ago, but now we are finding out that the British police did not receive the report during those 15 years, and they have only just started an investigation. "The Polish police only checked prisons and hospitals and didn't find anything significant, and after a few years, the disappearance case went to the archive." She continued: "I started looking for her on my own as soon as I became an adult. "I started publicising my mother's disappearance in Poland, in the media and on YouTube. I did everything I could, and Polish charities helped me with this. "I started making posters about my mother's disappearance. I wrote to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, and they wrote back that they would check the prisons in England and Wales, but I did not receive any information on whether this was actually checked." The 25-year-old had hoped her mum had simply decided to start a new life, and she would suddenly appear with a new identity. However, those hopes were quashed when murder arrests were made, with Kasia admitting: "I'm very upset by the news I've received, and I'm so sorry that I received this message and not another one. "I've been looking for her for 15 years, and I hope I finally find out the truth." Izabela's last movements 2009 Izabela moves to the UK from Poland 2010 The factory worker is living in Princes Street, Normanton August 28, 2010 She contacts her family for the last time before she vanishes May 2025 Derbyshire Police launch a fresh appeal for information and launch a murder investigation May 28 Two women, aged 39 and 43, as well as a 41-year-old man, are arrested and released on bail June 2 Human remains are found in a garden of a house on the street where Izabela lived June 3 A 39-year-old woman, who was previously arrested on suspicion of murder, is rearrested June 6 Anna Podedworna, 39, has now been charged with murder, preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice Two other women aged 39 and 43, and two men aged 41 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of murder and all remain on police bail pending further inquiries Detective Inspector Kane Martin, who is leading the investigation, said after the body was found: 'Izabela's family are at the forefront of our minds following this discovery and, whilst formal identification has not yet taken place, it is our belief that these remains do belong to Izabela." Mr Martin went on to say: 'We have spoken with Izabela's family in Poland, and they are aware. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time. 'Identification of the remains is likely to be a lengthy process, but we will issue updates when we are able. 'I know that reports of these findings will send shockwaves through the local community, and I understand the concern of residents. 'Officers will remain in Princes Street in the coming days, and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak with them." DI Martin explained that a "dedicated team of detectives" would continue their investigation to "piece together information" about the days leading up to Izabela's death. Izabela worked at the former Cranberry Foods chicken and turkey factory in Scropton, around 10 miles west of Derby. Crimestoppers is offering up to £20,000 for exclusive information relating to the investigation that leads to a conviction, with the reward valid for three months until August 27. Anyone with information can contact the charity via its website, or by calling 0800 555 111. Do you know more? Email 9 Cops began searching Princes Street in Derby after making three arrests Credit: Google
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner gloats cops ‘will NEVER pin case on me without a body' in sick letter
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MADELEINE McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner has gloated that police will never pin the case on him without a body. In a sickening letter, the German sex fiend, 48, also goaded 'the dropping of the investigation will hit the world like a bomb'. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Prime suspect Christian Brueckner goaded cops in a sick letter bragging that they will not find a body Credit: Darren Fletcher 9 British toddler Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz in Portugal back in 2007 Credit: AFP 9 Bruckner taunted cops in a letter to claim they cannot find evidence against him 9 Police officers packed up a tent as they ended day one of their search for evidence connected to Madeleine McCann's disappearance Credit: PA The German paedophile bragged in a letter police do not have the evidence to back their accusations against him in the investigation into the toddler's disappearance. And Brueckner, 48, in jail in his homeland for rape, taunted cops, saying: 'Is there a body? No, no no.' The vile letter emerged as officers desperate to find a forensic link to him flew back to Germany after a fresh, three-day search in Portugal. They had combed scrubland close to where Madeleine vanished aged three from a holiday villa in Praia da Luz in 2007. German prosecutors are convinced of the predator's guilt — but he has never been charged and denies any involvement. Last month, a Sun investigation aired on Channel 4 revealed new bombshell evidence found at Brueckner's lair — including a kids' bike and a balaclava mask, as well as toys, guns and memory cards containing child kidnap stories. We revealed that he wrote horrifying fantasies about abducting and abusing a blonde toddler — and how this would leave him 'in paradise'. He also boasted in online forums about his desire to 'capture something small and use it for days'. But, in the verified letter seen by The Sun, Brueckner insists there is no evidence against him. He wrote: 'It is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered. Madeleine McCann cops call off search as trawl of Brueckner's 'rat run' turns up nothing 'Was I or my vehicle clearly seen near the crime scene on the night of the crime? "Is there DNA evidence of me at the crime scene? Are there DNA traces of the injured party in my vehicle? 'Are there other traces/DNA carriers of the injured party in my possession? Photos? 'And, not to forget, is there a body/corpse? All no, no no.' He adds: 'You don't have to be a realist like me to predict that the accusations made against me will not hold up and that the investigation will be dropped.' Brueckner — named as a Madeleine suspect for five years — has also revealed in creepy letters a knowledge of how the German legal system works in his favour. He wrote: 'You know, of course, that in Germany you don't have to prove your innocence as a suspect, but that the public prosecutor's office has to prove that you are clearly guilty. 'Even the slightest doubt leads to an acquittal, if there is a court hearing at all.' 9 Portuguese police are searching various sites in and around the resort of Praia da Luz Credit: Dan Charity 9 The locations are around where Brueckner stayed in his car or in camping grounds Credit: Dan Charity Brueckner even claims the case against him is built on 'purchased witnesses' and reveals his awareness of his global notoriety. He added: 'Now, my path is paved with misjudgements, so to speak, but from now on the whole world is watching. 'Not even the Braunschweig regional court will now dare to make an obvious misjudgement. 'Even if an attempt is currently being made to create a shocking overall picture of me through purchased witnesses, it is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered with 'yes'.' The latest hunt for DNA or forensic links on the case appeared to have ended without success on Thursday. Police were seen taking fibres by hand while a hole was dug at the site of an apparent tent from around the time of Madeleine's disappearance. However, it was unclear whether the search had found anything was found with enough potential value to the case it merited being sent back to Germany for testing. Brueckner had already moved out of his cottage in Praia da Luz when three-year-old Madeleine, from Rothley, Leics, arrived in the resort with parents Gerry and Kate and her two-year-old twin siblings. Those who want to understand how brutal the German justice system is in its attempts to hammer through its own law, even if nothing is true. Christian Brueckner He was living in his car, or wild camping in areas including this week's search site. In another letter seen by The Sun, Brueckner described how he used his drifter lifestyle to avoid detection. He wrote: 'Do you know that I was a drug dealer at that time in 2007? Investigators know this. 'I bought marijuana in Spain and sold it on beaches in the Algarve. 'I was never caught by the police because I followed a few principles. 'If possible, only drive during the day so that my battered hippie bus doesn't attract so much attention, only drive the necessary and most importantly, never provoke the police.' 9 Brueckner has been named as a Madeleine suspect for five years 9 Forensic cops comb scrubland close to where Madeleine vanished aged three from a holiday Credit: Dan Charity He added: 'Together with my dog and a lover at the time I enjoyed the 'temporary hippie life'.' The seeming failure of long-shot searches this week to find any traces of Madeleine is the latest in a string of blows for the case. German authorities, who maintain Madeleine is dead, are racing to find a way to keep dangerous Brueckner behind bars after he was cleared of further rape allegations last year. He told this week he plans to 'hide' when he is released — as soon as September 17 — taking hopes for the Madeleine case with him. The pervert was jailed in 2019 for the 2005 rape of an American pensioner just streets from the Ocean Club, where the McCanns stayed in Praia da Luz. In his letters, he whinges he has been framed so he can be scapegoated over the Madeleine case. Brueckner wrote: 'Right from the start they plotted a miscarriage of justice to make me vanish into thin air. And now half the world knows why.' And he adds: 'I am not exaggerating when I say that 80 per cent of what I have heard from the reports is not true. 'A large proportion of these lies are clearly being spread by the investigating authorities. "My words are directed at those who are taking this seriously and are not laughing about it. 'Those who want to understand how brutal the German justice system is in its attempts to hammer through its own law, even if nothing is true.' The Sun investigation aired on Channel 4 revealed the existence of computer hard drives which were vital in to persuading investigators of Madeleine's death. Our findings placed Brueckner at key Madeleine search point — the Arades Dam, in Portugal. And a document puts him at the location where he allegedly said 'she did not scream' as he discussed her with an associate. In the online message where he brags to another sicko that he really wanted to 'capture something small', he adds it would not matter 'if the evidence is destroyed afterwards'. German investigators last night remained hopeful British police might rejoin the investigation as an active inquiry.
Rhyl Journal
17 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
BBC art dealer from Bargain Hunt jailed for terror offence
The 53-year-old admitted to eight counts of failing to disclose during business under the Terrorism Act 2000. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said Ojiri was aware that he had sold art to Nazem Ahmad, who had been sanctioned in 2019 by the US authorities. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organisation in the UK (Image: Ben Whitley/PA) She stated: "These offences are so severe that only a custodial sentence can be justified." According to the BBC, the judge added: "You knew about Ahmad's suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by people like him. "Your hard work, talent and charisma has brought you a great deal of success... You knew you should not have been dealing with that man." She added that there was no evidence that Ojiri supported any form of extremism but that his conduct undermined he detection of terrorist financing. Representing the BBC Bargain Hunt star, Gavin Irwin said that the art expert's "humiliation is complete," adding that the star has lost "his good name" and the "work he loves." Mr Irwin added: "He'd like to apologise for undermining trust" in the art market. Discussing the case, Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Raising money for terrorism is a core part of how terrorist groups are then able to cause harm around the world." Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said Ojiri's motivation appeared "to be financial, along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector." He added: "This prosecution is believed to be the first of its kind, and the CPS will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against individuals who flout the law in this way." According to the House of Lords Library, Hezbollah is an armed Shiite militia group that is backed by Iran, which largely operates in Lebanon. Giving the UK Government's reasoning for classifying it as a terrorist group in 2024, it added: "It has been proscribed in its entirety by the UK as a terrorist organisation since 2019. "The current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel continues. Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israeli territory whilst Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes—including that which saw the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah." It concluded by saying: "The UK has called for an immediate ceasefire to provide space for a diplomatic settlement."
