Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
Paragraph: 42
Implement immediate steps to improve fraud reporting mechanisms and case progression for victims.
Recommendation
Individual police forces do not have the capacity to manage the volume of fraud reports made and so it is vital that there is an effective reporting service that is victim-focused and can deal consistently with reports and progress cases swiftly to a resolution, all while keeping the victim updated on the actions being taken. Action Fraud has not proved itself to be fit for these purposes and is not sufficiently resourced to meet the growing and varied challenges of fraud. Action Fraud is due to be replaced in 2024; however, victims should not have to wait until then before they begin to see an improvement to the mechanisms for reporting fraud and monitoring the progress of their cases. The Government should take steps now to address these issues.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government committed £400 million over three years to tackle economic crime, dedicating 725 Police Uplift Programme posts to serious organised crime, and expanding fraud investigation teams across all Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs).
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
42
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The Government agrees that victims of fraud should have access to an effective reporting service, alongside the support and information they require and therefore, we are replacing Action Fraud in 2024. Victims, however, will not have to wait until then before they begin to see an improvement to the mechanisms for reporting fraud and monitoring the progress of their cases. We are providing £30 million to City of London Police (CoLP) over the next three years, to support the upgrade in the Action Fraud service. A number of improvements to the existing system have already been put in place, as part of this upgrade, to improve the victim reporting experience and the quality and timeliness with which cases are sent to police forces for action. Improvements include: • Increasing the number of staff in the call centre • Expanding the reach of victim care services • Using automation to increase effectiveness • Sending cases to forces faster One key improvement, currently underway, is to transform the Action Fraud website where the public can report fraud and cybercrime. In 2023, a new, user-friendly, accessible reporting tool and website will be launched, offering an improved victim experience and simpler pathways to access further support and guidance. It will crucially improve: the ease of reporting; quality and validation of data; timeliness of the reports from the public; and provide law enforcement the intelligence they need to investigate and disrupt more fraudsters.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗