Increases in fraud during COVID-19 - The upsurge in online fraud attempts during the COVID-19 lockdown is part of a long-term upward trend, internationally, observed in all sectors. According to PWC, 47% of businesses worldwide have been victims of fraud in the past 24 months. Action Fraud, the UK’s National Fraud and Cybercrime Reporting Centre has received more than 2,500 reports of coronavirus-related scams, mostly online, totalling almost £9 million in losses.