Fraud: Internet

(asked on 27th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of crime in England is categorised as online fraud; what percentage of policing resource is dedicated to combatting online fraud; and what plans they have to increase the level of police resource allocated to tackling digital crime.


Answered by
Baroness Williams of Trafford Portrait
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This question was answered on 11th June 2021

The Government is aware that fraudsters continue to exploit technology and the internet to commit their crimes. Recent ONS estimates suggest that around 53% of all fraud is online enabled (Crime Survey of England and Wales data covering personal incidents of fraud and not fraud against businesses: Nature of crime: fraud and computer misuse - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk). This Government is determined to drive down the number of these frauds and to protect the public from their harm.

Decisions on the allocation of funding received by Police Forces are determined at a local level in line with the priorities set by each Police and Crime Commissioner as part of their Police and Crime Plan. The Government continues to fund fraud capability to tackle these crimes. As part of the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed a further £63m to the Home Office to tackle economic crime, including fraud. This is in addition to the £10m funding that the Home Office commits each year to the City of London Police to run the existing Action Fraud and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau services.

However, we will continue to explore all opportunities to go further on fraud and online, digital crime, including through the upcoming Spending Review.

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