Fraud is the most widespread crime in the UK, accounting for 40% of all offences committed in the country. Nevertheless, an investigation has discovered that many police forces are ill-equipped to combat it. With just 2% of the funding allocated to tackle crime being spent on fraud. This has prompted concerns from consumer advocates that police forces are not doing enough to tackle this issue. Which costs victims hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
Fraud, the Most Common Crime in the UK, is Being Ignored by the Police
Devon and Cornwall Police, for example, has only 25 officers dedicated to handling fraud cases. This despite having a total of 5,243 officers. This is above the nationwide average, according to consumer group Which?, which obtained the information. MPs on the Justice Committee have raised concerns that there are only around 1,000 specialist fraud officers across the country. While the government’s plan to recruit 20,000 police officers by 2023 will result in just 380 additional fraud specialists.
Confusion Over Different Agencies Deters Fraud Victims from Reporting to Police
The issue is compounded by the fact that victims don’t report cases as they are unsure how. As Mike Haley, the chief executive of the anti-fraud agency Cifas, pointed out, there are numerous agencies involved in combating fraud, but there is a notable lack of communication and coordination between them. As a result, accountability becomes unclear, and no one takes responsibility.
Furthermore, victims are encouraged to report fraud to their bank, which may hopefully be able to prevent some of the funds from being lost. This should be done before reporting the crime to Action Fraud, rather than their local police force. Action Fraud then sends the cases to the police’s National Fraud Investigation Bureau, which decides whether or not to investigate.
In 2022, there were 4.5 million fraud offences, up from 3.4 million – a 34% increase in just five years. Detective Inspector Mark Riley of the Lancashire Police said that many police forces do not prioritise fraud. He remarked that when compared to crimes such as assaults and drug dealing, fraud is not given as much importance. Consequently, we do not have enough resources to tackle fraud. Officers are also intimidated by fraud and are not as confident in handling cases.
The Need for More Specialist Fraud Officers in UK Police
Commander Nik Adams of the City of London Police, which oversees Action Fraud, has attributed some of the decline in the number of police officers to the reduction in the number of police officers. The police need to strike a balance between the likelihood of a successful investigation, the amount of work required, the extent of the loss, and our limited resources.
In response to the issue, the UK government has developed a ten-year fraud strategy focusing on common scams and bringing together the public and private sectors. The Home Office has said that the government is dedicated to combatting fraud and economic crime, and it plans to spend an additional £400m over the next three years to strengthen the response of law enforcement agencies.
To improve the situation, UK police forces must prioritise fraud investigations and dedicate more resources to tackling this issue. They must also work more closely with other agencies to ensure that victims are aware of how to report fraud and receive the support they need. By doing so, the police can make significant strides in reducing the number of fraud cases in the UK.
