Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Britain ‘seen as haven for fraudsters’ as 1% of cases result in charges, say MPs

Britain ‘seen as haven for fraudsters’ as 1% of cases result in charges, say MPs

The ‘Inaction Fraud’ hotline was criticised by MPs.
Britain is a “haven” for fraudsters as less than 1% of reported cases result in charges, a damning report into the Government’s handling of the growing problem has said.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee criticised the “slow progress” on tackling the estimated 3.8 million incidents of fraud and attempted frauds.

They said they were “deeply disappointed” with the progress being made by the Government as fraud accounts for 41% of all crimes committed in England and Wales.

“Many of the same issues remain and there is still no sign that Government has a grip on fraud or an adequate strategy to address it,” their report published on Friday said.

Estimates put the cost to individuals at £4.7 billion, while it cannot quantify the potential price to businesses, and it is the victims who are “left to pay the price”.

The Home Office’s approach was criticised as “sluggish” as the UK’s “immature” overseas criminal justice agencies fail to tackle international elements.

Deterrence is also being failed because less than 1% of around 900,000 frauds reported in England and Wales each year results in an offender being charged or prosecuted, the report said.

The committee accused the Action Fraud hotline of failing victims and said it has earned the nickname “Inaction Fraud”.

Police morale was being dented by investigations often lasting longer than the sentences being handed to criminals, it said.

“We are worried that for many people, reporting a fraud may be their only contact with the police, and negative experiences of reporting fraud risks undermining public trust in the police more generally,” the MPs said.

“The criminal justice system’s current approach to penalising and sentencing fraudsters is insufficient to prevent the UK being seen as a haven for fraudsters.”

Dame Meg Hillier, the Labour chair of the cross-party committee, said there is “just no sign that Government has a grip on fraud”.

“Given the pervasive and damaging effects of fraud on business, individuals and society, it is extremely poor performance that Government still isn’t even able to fully grasp the extent let alone reduce the prevalence or harms,” she said.

“Opportunities to prevent further harm are being missed and public trust in law enforcement is undermined.”

The Home Office responded: “This Government is absolutely committed to cracking down on fraud and we will shortly publish our fraud strategy which will establish a co-ordinated response from Government, law enforcement and the private sector to better protect the public and increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters.

“We have also committed £400 million over the next three years to bolster law enforcement’s response to fraud and economic crime.”

On Thursday, the Home Office announced its three-year plan to crack down on money laundering and economic crime but Labour urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bring forward his fraud strategy.

Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said: “It has been five months since Rishi Sunak stood in the House of Commons and promised that he would ‘shortly’ publish a new fraud strategy, with ‘a more unified and co-ordinated response across government and law enforcement’.

“Not only has that strategy failed to materialise, but as this report shows, the Government’s failings on fraud are now more stark than ever.

“We cannot let working people and pensioners continue being robbed of their hard-earned wages and savings by these gangs of parasites, while the Government sits on its hands and pretends there is no problem.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×