Hello everyone,
I have received notification that Action Fraud, a facility that I know quite a few of you have used since its inception, has now been discontinued and replaced by Report Fraud, which went live on the 4th December.
The website can be found at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ and they can also be reached by ringing 0300 123 2040 – their site is definitely worth checking out for advice on all types of cyber crime and fraud, together with support if you have the misfortune to fall victim to these crimes.
I know that talking to people over the years about this type of crime that people not uncommonly make the observation that they never know whether it does any good as you never hear anything back but it is worth noting that Report Fraud make the point that they will not provide any response as they are only a conduit for reporting these crimes, do not themselves investigate the cases and cannot advise on the progress of a case. However, and this is the important bit to reassure you, all are forwarded on to the police Report Fraud Analysis Services where they:
- Continually review and data match your reports to identify criminals behind the scams.
- Disrupt telephone numbers, websites and bank accounts that the fraudsters use to scam people.
- Use the intelligence to help law enforcement agencies build up cases and catch criminals.
- Provide fraud prevention alerts that help to protect the public from future harm.
- Work with overseas jurisdictions such as Interpol and Europol to highlight fraud that helps catch criminals around the world.
- Help to demonstrate the harm caused by cyber crime and fraud. This evidence helps the Government understand the threat and allocate more resources to combat it.
So, there you go – stay safe!
Thanks,
Michael