One in four UK medium-to-large businesses experienced fraud in 2024. The most common vulnerabilities cut across sector and food industry businesses have been amongst the victims. They include cyberattacks, unauthorised push payment fraud, and cargo theft using sophisticated fake commercial documentation or company details.
The UK Government have published their Fraud Strategy 2026 = 2029. Highlights include
1 Increased investment
- Over £250 million of additional funding.
2 Strengthened public-private collaboration
Launch of a new Online Crime Centre in April 2026, with £31 million committed to improving intelligence‑sharing between law enforcement, national security agencies and private‑sector partners.
3 Sector‑specific interventions,
Including Calls for Evidence in 2026 on:
- proportionate measures to reduce anonymity in the UK communications sector;
- drivers of unauthorised push‑payment (APP) fraud.
- Development of a secure digital tool to manage UK telephone numbers.
4 Improving the reporting system
Further improvements to Report Fraud (introduced in December 2025), with a focus on better technology, faster referrals, and enhanced victim support.
5 Supporting victims
Introduction of a Fraud Victims Charter in 2027, establishing minimum national standards for response times, reimbursement guidance, prevention, recovery and access to support services.
6 Strengthening civil and criminal justice
- Introducing judge‑only trials for the most complex fraud cases to reduce delays in court.
- Consideration of Jonathan Fisher KC’s recommendations to tackle barriers to prosecution and modernise the legislative framework.
- Responsible use of AI to modernise disclosure processes. This is to address the problem that fraud cases take almost eight times longer than the average case to reach charge.
- Exploration of civil penalties for fraud and for facilitating money laundering, These would be as an alternative or complement to criminal proceedings.
Additional commitments
- Sponsoring the Global Fraud Summit.
- Expanding the Stop! Think Fraud public‑awareness campaign.
- Increasing proactive policing as part of the national PROTECT response.
Summary taken from Lexology blog by Freddy Faull, Edmunds, Marshall & McMahon
Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash
