The UK Government has published its Beating Crime Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan sets out the UK government’s strategy for cutting crime. One of the key focuses, as set out in the Plan, is the UK government’s proposal to tackle fraud. According to the Plan, fraud accounts for approximately 42% of all crime against individuals. A report published by the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies at the University of Portsmouth in 2019 suggested that fraud costs UK businesses £130 billion each year.  

A New Action Plan will tackle fraud, which is the biggest crime in England and Wales, to reduce the serious harm this crime causes and to make it safer for us all as we go about our lives. The threat posed by fraud to our economy and the public is one we are determined to address, working with the public and industry to prevent the crime and by disrupting, pursuing and bringing to justice the most harmful. The National Crime Agency will be strengthened through the recruitment of additional officers and new capabilities that can take on these tech-enabled criminal networks. Catching criminals is only the first step. The next stage is taking them to court. We are going to speed up the process and reduce waiting times in the court system.

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