Calls for independent anti-fraud body as Essex victims lose £800 on average
88% of people in Essex think Fraud is a significant problem
88% of people in Essex think Fraud is a significant problem, according to an advisory firm.
A survey of over 5,000 people was conducted by Strand Partners' in June 2024.
It revealed the average fraud victim in Essex loses £839 and spends 70 hours resolving it.
Today (4 November), a campaign is calling on the government to make fraud a national priority and create a single organisation that takes full accountability for tackling the crime of fraud.
Chief fraud officer at Virgin Media O2, Murray Mackenzie tells us the police "need more powers" and "greater ability to prosecute these crimes".
"Without decisive action, professional fraudsters will continue to prey on the public with little fear of consequence", says Mr Mackenzie.
Half of people in Essex think fraud is a low priority for the police, and 56% believe police funding for the crime is completely inadequate, according to a Freedom of Information request made by Virgin Media O2 to the Crown Prosecution Service (July 2024).
Mr Mackenzie continues, "Fraud is a huge problem in this country."
"40% of all crime is fraud.
"2/3 of us have been victims of attempted scams and attempted frauds."
"The reality of that is the majority of these criminals don't face prosecution for their crimes.
"When you speak to someone who's been a victim of fraud, it's not just the financial implication that they feel, it's also the the emotional burden that they carry as a consequence.
"We know that if the criminals who perpetrate these crimes face justice, those victims will feel more secure, safer in their day-to-day lives.
Professional fraud gangs are persistently and aggressively targeting the public, with nearly seven in ten Brits (69%) reporting to Virgin Media O2 that they’ve been targeted by scammers.
Last year alone, the operator intercepted and blocked over £250 million in suspected fraudulent transactions — equivalent to stopping one every two minutes.
New Freedom of Information (FOI) data reveals the police are suffering from a chronic lack of resourcing, with just 84 fraud convictions originating from each police force on average last year.
Three forces having no officers dedicated to investigating the crime.
VMo2 are calling on the Government to appoint a dedicated minister for fraud and overhaul how the police tackle it by creating a single centralised, specialised national body that handles all instances of fraud.
"We're certainly seeing an upward trajectory in attempted fraud and successful fraud.
"We're calling for this change because we know the public are under pressure from criminals. We want them to feel safe", says Mr Mackenzie.