Which? comments as Government announces new taskforce to tackle economic crime
Gareth Shaw, Head of Which? Money, said:
“People are losing life-changing sums of money everyday to fraud across the UK, which continues to grow at an alarming rate.
“However, our investigation found that fewer than one in 20 reported cases of fraud are estimated to ever get solved, which suggests the authorities are fighting a losing battle and leaving many victims without justice.
“Fraud can be devastating and costs the UK an estimated £200 billion a year – so this new approach really must deliver to better protect consumers.”
Notes to editors
- Official statistics suggest that more than 96 per cent of crimes reported to Action Fraud are closed without a successful outcome. Press release of Which? investigation into fraud here – September 2018
- Which? advice on how to spot scams: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/scams
- Fraud and computer hacking are now 10 times more common than burglary with overall fraud estimated to be approaching £200bn a year, according to Action Fraud.
Statement