Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 27
Prioritise fraud victim support for most vulnerable; train responders to identify needs.
Conclusion
Fraud crimes do not impact victims equally and due to limitations in victim support capacity, efforts to support victims of fraud should be focused on those who need it most. It is therefore vital that responders to these crimes have the training and experience required to identify who may need further support and can direct them to services which can provide this aid.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government committed to improving call centre capacity with new suppliers, launching a new reporting tool and website next year, and implementing automated SMS and a chatbot to ease reporting, but did not specify how support would be targeted to the most vulnerable.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
27
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Government agrees that it is imperative that all victims of fraud receive enough support and advice. To ensure this standard is met, the Home Office are working with the City of London Police (CoLP) to expand National Economic Crime Victim Care Units (NECVCU) across England and Wales from 2023, for victims whose cases are not investigated by the police. The NECVCU will help victims feel more confident and aims to significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. All 43 forces recognise the need to provide support and do already deliver victim care, whether it is locally delivered and commissioned, or alongside the NECVCU. The NECVCU service has now been rolled out to a total of 37 forces at Level 1 (non-vulnerable victim care) and 6 forces at Level 2 (vulnerable victim care). From April 2023, NECVCU will cover 40 out of 43 forces at Level 1 and 34 out of 43 forces at Level 2. We continue to work with the remaining forces to ensure all 43 forces have a consistent approach to supporting all victims of fraud and cyber-crime. More broadly, the Government is introducing a Victims Bill that will improve the experiences of all victims of crime, including victims of fraud. Enshrining the Victims’ Code in law will send a clear signal about what victims can and should expect from the criminal justice system. We are also strengthening oversight of how criminal justice agencies treat victims so that we can identify problems and drive up standards. The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime sets out the services and a minimum standard for these services that must be provided to all victims of crime, including victims of fraud. Under the Code victims are entitled to referral to support services for victims, including specialist services where appropriate. [Information about what is available specifically for victims of fraud is on the Action Fraud website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/]. Local support services funded by Police and Crime Commissioners can also be accessed without the victim reporting the crime. Under the Victims’ Code, victims are also entitled to be told when key decisions on the investigation are made and, where applicable, to have the reasons behind these decisions explained to them.
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