Written questions by McMurdock.

How many and what proportion of people on the terrorist watch list are foreign nationals.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used.To do so would be counterproductive and harmful to the national security of the UK.

What steps she is taking to improve the sharing of real-time information about criminal investigations with overseas authorities.

His Majesty's Government has committed to resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU. As set out in the Government’s manifesto, this includes seeking a new security agreement with the EU on access to real-time intelligence sharing. Having left the Schengen Information System following the UK’s departure from the EU, the UK now uses INTERPOL to exchange real time alerts with EU countries, as well as the rest of the world.We are rolling out the International Law Enforcement Alerts Platform (I-LEAP) to frontline UK law enforcement and border officers to provide real-time access to INTERPOL nominal data, stolen-lost travel documents and stolen motor vehicles; phase 2 of I-LEAP will strengthen alert-sharing capabilities with international partners.

How much funding the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit has received in each of the last three years.

Home Office investment in the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) for each of the last three financial years (FY) is set out below.The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2024/25. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place: FY 2022/23 Actual SpendFY 2023/24 Actual SpendFY 2024/25 Indicative BudgetHome Office Investment£2.2m£3.2m£3.5m

What recent assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the UK's vulnerability to cyber-terrorism.

The UK is becoming increasingly digital, connected and online. This increases our exposure to a range of cyber threats from a variety of actors.As set out in the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST 2023, the threat from terrorism is enduring and evolving, with the threat we see today and in the coming years becoming more diverse, dynamic and complex.Cyber terrorism was part of the threat landscape used to inform the CONTEST 2023 strategy and we remain constantly vigilant to new terrorist and cyber tactics.This government is committed to maintaining investment in critical threat assessment capabilities, including through the world-class Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).We continue to use all of HMG’s available levers to disrupt cyber threats and to keep the public safe.

How many passports were revoked due to links to terrorist activity in each month since January 2023.

Since the beginning of 2023, one British passport has been revoked due to links to terrorist activity. This occurred in January 2024.

What discussions she has had with her international counterparts about (a) policing fraud and (b) convicting perpetrators of fraud.

The Home Office continues to work closely with a range of partners, both bilaterally and through a range of multilateral fora, to tackle the fraud threat following the UK hosted Global Fraud Summit.We also work closely with key overseas partners to target fraud at its source. By collaborating with governments across the world, we are making it harder for organised crime groups to operate across borders and to target prospective victims in the UK.

What steps she is taking to protect vulnerable people from falling victim to fraud.

The Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) to all 43 forces in England and Wales. The aim of NECVCU is to support victims by building their confidence, helping them recover finances, and significantly reducing the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud and since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.Additionally, the Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent fraud prevention advice to the public.The Home Office continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scams.We are also continuing to work with individual sectors to support industry in disrupting attempts at fraud before they reach the public.We launched the Insurance Fraud Charter in November 2024 with key insurance firms to reduce insurance fraud.We are also developing a second telecommunications Charter to ensure the telecommunications sector takes additional steps to identify, prevent and disrupt fraud. Additionally, we are considering legislative action to ban “SIM farms”, technical devices that allow criminals to send scam texts to thousands of people at the same time.The Online Safety Act codes of practice, which will require social media companies to take proactive measures to stop fraud originating on their platforms, will come into effect in March. The Chancellor and the Hom eSecretary have made clear that if insufficient action is taken in this area bu those companies, the Government will consider what further steps need to be taken Later this year, we will also publish an expanded Fraud Strategy that covers the full range of threats that our society faces from this crime.

How many cases of child sex trafficking have been identified in the UK in each of the last five years; and what steps she is taking to ensure (a) accurate and (b) transparent data collection for those crimes.

The trafficking of children for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this. This will include working closely with law enforcement partners, such as the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), which continues work to develop a whole system approach to improving intelligence, analysis, and tasking to enhance law enforcement response to the exploitation of vulnerable people, including victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse.The following table shows the number of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM, the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support) for (partial or whole) sexual exploitation for children, at age of exploitation.YearNRM referrals for (either partial or whole) sexual exploitation for children at age of exploitation2020824202194320221115202311182024 (up to Q3)1036In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide to victims of modern slavery, for potential child victims, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. The ICTG service is currently delivered by Barnardo’s.

What preventative steps she is taking to reduce the number of fraud cases.

The Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) to all 43 forces in England and Wales. The aim of NECVCU is to support victims by building their confidence, helping them recover finances, and significantly reducing the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud and since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.Additionally, the Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent fraud prevention advice to the public.The Home Office continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scams.We are also continuing to work with individual sectors to support industry in disrupting attempts at fraud before they reach the public.We launched the Insurance Fraud Charter in November 2024 with key insurance firms to reduce insurance fraud.We are also developing a second telecommunications Charter to ensure the telecommunications sector takes additional steps to identify, prevent and disrupt fraud. Additionally, we are considering legislative action to ban “SIM farms”, technical devices that allow criminals to send scam texts to thousands of people at the same time.The Online Safety Act codes of practice, which will require social media companies to take proactive measures to stop fraud originating on their platforms, will come into effect in March. The Chancellor and the Home Secretary have made clear that if insufficient action is taken in this area but those companies, the Government will consider what further steps need to be takenLater this year, we will also publish an expanded Fraud Strategy that covers the full range of threats that our society faces from this crime.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) prevent child sex trafficking.

The trafficking of children for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this. This will include working closely with law enforcement partners, such as the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), which continues work to develop a whole system approach to improving intelligence, analysis, and tasking to enhance law enforcement response to the exploitation of vulnerable people, including victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse.The following table shows the number of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM, the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support) for (partial or whole) sexual exploitation for children, at age of exploitation.YearNRM referrals for (either partial or whole) sexual exploitation for children at age of exploitation2020824202194320221115202311182024 (up to Q3)1036In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide to victims of modern slavery, for potential child victims, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. The ICTG service is currently delivered by Barnardo's.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Action Fraud reporting system.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from fraud.The current technology used by the Action Fraud service is outdated and cannot cope with demand, with fraud and cyber crime now accounting for an estimated 49% of all crime recorded in the Crime Survey for England and Wales.We are replacing the current Action Fraud service with a new, improved service. The to provide better support services and reporting tools for victims, provide greater intelligence to law enforcement, and allow for greater prevention and disruption at scale.

If she will take steps to ensure that interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders are not used to target individuals engaging in lawful political dissent.

Serious Crime Prevention Orders are a powerful tool for preventing and disrupting the activities of the highest-harm criminals involved in serious crime. SCPOs are not intended to target individuals who conduct themselves lawfully, including lawful political dissent.SCPOs were established in the Serious Crime Act 2007. Schedule 1 of the Act sets out the serious offences for which an SCPO can be imposed. This includes a range of serious offences including drug trafficking, slavery, people trafficking, terrorism and firearms offences. Under section 2(2)(b) of the Act the court can impose an SCPO to prevent offences not in schedule 1 where the court considers the offence is sufficiently serious it should be treated as if it were set out in that list.

What legal protections are available to fraud victims to prevent further (a) exploitation and (b) financial loss.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

What long-term programs are available to help fraud victims regain financial stability after a fraud incident.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

What processes are in place to help victims of fraud recover lost (a) funds and (b) assets when the fraud is committed (i) online and (ii) by international scammers.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

If she will hold discussions with the Sentencing Council on the adequacy of sentencing guidelines in relation to perpetrators of fraud.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) legal and (b) financial advice for victims of fraud.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

How many instances of online fraud were reported to the police in the 2023-24 financial year.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

Whether her Department coordinates with the Solicitor General to ensure victims of fraud receive the financial protection and support they need during criminal investigations.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

What steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of (a) fraud and (b) fraud prevention.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.