During the COVID-19 pandemic, fraud and online crime rose as criminals continued to use more sophisticated ways to scam hardworking people across the UK. That is why Rebecca Harris MP welcomes the Conservative Government’s new anti-fraud campaign - ‘Stop! Think Fraud’. This campaign is delivering tough new anti-fraud messaging, raising public awareness on fraud safety advice in partnership with law enforcement, tech, banking, telecoms and third sector organisations. This is in addition to the Conservative Government’s  Fraud Strategy set out by the Home Office in May 2023, committing to 52 ambitious actions to cut fraud by 10% by the end of this Parliament. 

The Conservative Government’s long-term plan has cut fraud and computer misuse by 9.6% in Essex last year alone. Official data shows that the number of fraud and computer misuse incidents in Essex has fallen from 10,113 incidents to 9,140 incidents in the last year, a drop of 9.6%, showing that the Conservative Government’s long-term plan to stop fraud is working.

Since 2019, the Conservative Government has implemented a whole range of long-term reforms to tackle fraud by creating a new national fraud squad with over 400 new investigators, establishing the Pubcli Sector Fraud Authority to prevent fraud of the public purse, banning SIM farms which are used by criminals to send thousands of scam texts and stopping cold calls for financial products so people cannot be duped by scammers. The Conservative Government has also signed the world’s first Online Fraud Charter, delivering tough long-term action against fraud in partnership with 12 leading tech companies including Amazon, Facebook, Google and X (formerly Twitter).

Commenting, Rebecca Harris MP said:

“Fraud is an awful blight on our society and can ruin lives, so I welcome news that the Conservative Government’s crackdown on fraud has cut fraud referrals by 9.6% in Essex. The Conservative Government’s new ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign will build on this excellent progress, raising public awareness on fraud safety and building on the Conservative long-term Fraud Strategy announced last year."

The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

“Our bold Fraud Strategy is continuing to deliver for the British people. This new campaign is a powerful tool to add to our arsenal, which already includes a world-first agreement from tech firms to prevent online fraud and the rollout of a National Fraud Squad that has 400 expert investigators. I encourage everyone to stop, take a moment to think about fraud, and share this messaging far and wide.”

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat also said:

“Fraud ruins lives. Following this advice will give people the best tips to stop fraudsters from stealing their hard-earned cash and point them towards all the help and information on offer. Our Fraud Strategy is successfully turning the tide against fraudsters. This new campaign will share the details we all need to defend ourselves and our friends.”