New disruption unit launched in crackdown on fraud

New and expanded fraud strategy sets out how the government will dismantle overseas scam compounds and protect the public from the UK’s most pervasive crime.

Fraudsters will be stopped in their tracks by a new online crime squad, set up to disrupt the gangs behind Britain’s most pervasive crime.

Launching operations in April, the new Online Crime Centre will bring together specialists from the government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks and major tech firms to drive co-ordinated action against fraud.

It forms part of a new and expanded fraud strategy published today, which sets out how the government will disrupt fraudsters and protect the public – with £250 million invested over the next 3 years in the fight.

In a major upgrade to Britain’s defences, the police and companies that hold vital intelligence on scams will work side by side, sharing data instantly and building a single picture of global fraud networks.

Backed by over £30 million in funding, the centre will identify the accounts, websites and phone numbers that organised crime groups rely on, and shut them down at scale – blocking scam texts, freezing criminal accounts, removing scam social media accounts and disrupting operations at source. It will go after the highest harm offenders, who are responsible for directing international operations to steal from hardworking Brits.

The strategy comes as 1 in 14 adults, and 1 in 4 businesses, have become a victim of fraud, costing the economy over £14 billion a year. It sets out how the government will shut down the tools criminals exploit, shore up the UK’s defences, and boost support for victims.

Fraudsters are exploiting new technology, industrialising their operations and targeting the British public at scale.

That’s why we’re bringing together the key players in the system – police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks, regulators and tech companies – to shut down the channels scammers rely on, wherever they operate from.