On the 20th January, the City of London Police announced the full public launch of Report Fraud - a new national service designed to transform how victims and businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland report cyber crime and fraud, and how law enforcement and industry respond.
The service has been created to provide a single, modern national gateway for reporting and intelligence for both cyber crime and fraud that will strengthen the collective response of policing, government and the private sector, enabling the City of London Police to lead policing’s 4Ps response – Pursue, Protect, Prevent and Prepare - at a national level.
Through the new service, intelligence will be assessed and disseminated across forces, serious and complex cases will be identified for specialist investigation, and victims will be directed into a consistent national standard of care and support. The proximity to the UK’s financial sector also enables a stronger defence of economic security.
In response to the launch, Pete O’Doherty, Commissioner of the City of London Police and the Senior Responsible Officer for delivering Report Fraud, highlighted that “Cyber crime and fraud are the crimes most likely to affect people in this country, yet too often victims feel unsure where to turn or what will happen if they make a report. These crimes cause more than financial loss and often have devastating impacts on those targeted”.
While Lord Hanson, Fraud Minister underscored that they “will continue to step up efforts to ensure the UK remains the hardest place for scammers to operate”.
The City of London Corporation has contributed £13.2 million to the development and launch of Report Fraud and will contribute £2.5 million per year towards the ongoing running costs of the service.