Only one in TWENTY fraud cases are solved – so how can you protect yourself?
Criminals steal nearly £200billion a year by using increasingly sophisticated scams, says Action Fraud
ONLY one in 20 fraud cases are solved by British authorities every year, a new report has warned.
Criminals steal nearly £200billion a year by using increasingly sophisticated scams that catch people out, research found.
But a "shockingly low" 96 per cent of crimes reported to the UK body Action Fraud are closed without being solved, Which? claims.
That compares to 84 per cent of thefts, 80 per cent of robberies and 73 per cent of violent offences.
Which? claims the current system for investigating fraud can be "incredibly slow," which can prevent crimes being solved, and that authorities are fighting a "losing battle".
Bodies representing the police and finance industry said they focus on preventing fraud in the first place, as well as solving cases.
How to protect yourself from fraud
USE the following tips to protect yourself from fraudsters.
- Keep your social media accounts private – Think twice before you your share details – in particular your full date of birth, address and contacts details – all of this information can be useful to fraudsters.
- Deactivate and delete old social media profiles – Keep track of your digital footprint. If a profile was created 10 years ago, there may be personal information currently available for a fraudster to use that you’re are not aware of or you have forgotten about.
- Password protect your devices – Keep passwords complex by picking three random words, such as roverducklemon and add or split them with symbols, numbers and capitals.
- Install anti-virus software on your laptop and personal devices and keep it up to date – This will make it harder for fraudsters to access your data in the first place.
- Take care on public Wi-Fi– Fraudsters can hack or mimic them. If you’re using one, avoid accessing sensitive apps, such as mobile banking.
- Think about your offline information too – Always redirect your post when you move home and make sure your letter or mailbox is secure.
Some crimes reported by Action Fraud are passed onto local police for investigation.
But the research found that police have also seen a drop in their success rate for solving fraud cases, with some solving about 40 per cent fewer crimes in 2016 than in 2014, the latest figures reveal.
The drop in solving these cases comes as research finds that online fraud is on the rise.
Fraud and computer hacking are now 10 times more common than burglary, according to Action Fraud.
More than two thirds of the country’s 43 local police forces responded to Which?'s request for data on fraud cases.
Of those that responded, 29 out of 30 had seen their performance slip between 2014 and 2016.
How to report a scam
HERE's how to report a scam if you think you've been defrauded, according to Which?:
1. Report scam emails to the ISP - If you’ve spotted a scam email or phishing email, the first step will be to report it to the internet service provider (ISP) that was used to send you the email. Once you report the scam email, the ISP can then close the account that sent the email.
2. Report scam emails to the company - If you're the victim of a mimicking scam online, where fraudsters pretend to be from a genuine company, it’s also worth contacting the company that has been mimicked. Whether it’s a bank, government department or other company cited in the email, if you notify the company they can take steps to warn other people about the scam.
3. Report internet fraud to Action Fraud - is the UK’s national fraud and crime reporting centre. After reporting a scam, you’ll get a police crime reference number and the case will be referred to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau for analysis by the City of London Police. Not every report results in an investigation, but each helps build a clearer national picture of fraud. You can also report phishing attempts where you have not lost any money or exposed your personal details.
4. Reporting premium rate phone scams - If you want to complain about or report a premium-rate telephone service scam, contact Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA).
This is the official UK regulator for content, goods and services, charged to a phone bill. You can call PSA free from a landline on 0300 303 0020 or visit the .
5. Report scam mail to Royal Mail - If you receive written correspondence you believe to be from fraudsters, you can forward it to Royal Mail with a covering letter to: Freepost Scam Mail, PO Box 797, Exeter EX1 9UN. You can also email [email protected] or call 0345 611 3413.
6. Stop scam mail - The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) allows you to have your name and address removed from mailing lists. To register for the free service, call 0845 703 4599 or visit the MPS website.
7. Report a scam to local police - You should also consider contacting your local police station to report scams. This may provide them with useful information in catching the fraudsters.
8. Speak to Citizens Advice - If you report a scam to your local Citizens Advice, they may be able to offer you advice. You may also be giving them vital information which they can pass on to Trading Standards to help stop other people from becoming victims of the same scam. Scams are criminal offences under the Fraud Act. This means that trading standards officers can take criminal action against the scammers.
Ceri Stanaway, Which?'s Money Editor, said: “The shockingly low success rate for fraud investigations is leaving many victims deprived of justice and suggests the authorities are fighting a losing battle against this type of crime.
“Unfortunately, investigations are often conducted at a slow pace – with communication between banks and the authorities often dragging on for weeks before police can launch a full inquiry.
“We’d urge consumers to be extremely cautious when dealing with unsolicited contact – as fraud is on the rise.”
Action Fraud is set to introduce an upgraded computer system to improve the reporting service for victims.
A statement from City of London Police - the lead force for fraud in the UK - said: "Fraud is the fastest-growing crime in the UK and this means that it is not always possible to enforce our way out of the problem; due to the high volume of cases it is not possible for every report of fraud to result in a judicial outcome.
"For this reason, it is important that law enforcement not only focuses on pursuing suspects, but also works to prevent and protect people from fraud.
A spokesman for trade association UK Finance said: "The finance industry invests millions of pounds in advanced security systems to protect customers and last year prevented £2 in every £3 of attempted unauthorised fraud."
He added: "Customers should always follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign, and be wary of any requests out of the blue asking for personal or financial details or to transfer money."
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A Home Office spokesman said: "We remain committed to improving the law enforcement response to fraud.
"Through the Joint Fraud Taskforce, we are working with the City of London Police, the national lead force for fraud, to educate the police, share best practice and establish a consistent and transparent approach to fraud across all forces."
He added that an inspection of fraud this year "will provide the catalyst for local forces to increase their awareness of fraud".
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