Third of all crime is fraud after more than four million offences in England and Wales last year with reports rising in every region
- Fraud is now more of a concern for people than violence, burglary or car crime
- Around 12,000 incidents taking place every day which is nearly one in 10 adults
- Labour carried out analysis and said rise in online fraud was particular concern
Fraud now accounts for a third of all crime after more than 4million offences were recorded last year in England and Wales, a new analysis shows.
Reports of fraud are rising in every region of the country, with more than 12,000 incidents taking place every day.
Fraud is now more of a concern for people than violence, burglary or car crime.
In the past 12 months there has been a 61 per cent increase in ‘remote banking’ fraud and a 27 per cent rise in ‘online shopping and auctions’ fraud
Labour, which carried out the analysis, said the rise in online fraud was of particular concern because many more people were shopping and banking remotely as a result of the Covid pandemic
In the past 12 months there has been a 61 per cent increase in ‘remote banking’ fraud and a 27 per cent rise in ‘online shopping and auctions’ fraud.
Labour, which carried out the analysis, said the rise in online fraud was of particular concern because many more people were shopping and banking remotely as a result of the Covid pandemic.
The party’s analysis of official data from the telephone-operated Crime Survey reveals there were 4.4million victims of fraud in the last year.
That equates to 38 per cent of all offences in England and Wales and is equivalent to nearly one in 10 adults.
Only a fraction of fraud offence are reported to law enforcement agencies, with 730,765 offences in the year to September 2020, compared with 728,881 offences the previous year – around one sixth of the estimated number of victims, according to the Crime Survey.
Conor McGinn, the shadow minister for security, said: ‘Under the Conservatives, criminals have never had it so good. These increases in fraud on the Tories’ watch are appalling and troubling.
‘When even Conservative politicians openly admit the police lack capacity to tackle this crisis, it’s clear how much damage their cuts are doing.
‘Fraud can be a devastating crime, often leaving victims financially scarred and traumatised, as well as causing real damage to our economy.
‘Action is long overdue. There must be a coordinated cross-government effort to treat this huge crime wave with the seriousness it needs.’
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