Scam losses risingUpdated 4 October 2026
Trend summary
- Fraud is the most common crime adults in England and Wales experience, and the money lost to scams is still going up.
- The Crime Survey estimates 4.5 million fraud incidents in the year to March 2026, up from 4.2 million and 32% higher than in 2016-17.
- UK Finance members reported £1.28 billion stolen in 2025, up 4%. Losses to scams where victims are tricked into sending money themselves rose 19% to £576 million.
- Investment scam losses jumped 40%. On the positive side, 61% of push-payment losses were paid back to victims under new reimbursement rules.
4.5mfraud incidents, England and Wales, year to March 2026
£1.28bnstolen through payment fraud, UK, 2025 (+4%)
+19%push-payment scam losses, 2025 (£576.4m)
+32%fraud incidents vs 2016-17
What the numbers show
Two sources describe UK fraud. The Crime Survey for England and Wales asks households directly, so it captures fraud that is never reported. It estimates 4.5 million incidents in the year ending March 2026; ONS says the rise from 4.2 million is not statistically significant, but bank and credit account fraud alone rose 15% to about 2.8 million. UK Finance counts what banks see: £1.28 billion stolen in 2025, of which £576.4 million was authorised push payment (APP) fraud and £703.4 million unauthorised fraud, mostly on cards.
The Home Office puts the total cost to the economy at about £14 billion a year, and says one in 14 adults and one in four businesses have been victims.
What is driving it
Fraud has moved online and onto phones. In 2025, 66% of APP scam cases started online and 17% by phone or text; UK Finance says criminals now use AI to run scams at industrial scale. The government says more than two-thirds of scams aimed at UK citizens come from abroad, often from scam compounds in South-East Asia. Enforcement has lagged: the National Audit Office found fraud made up 41% of crime against individuals in 2022 while charges fell.
Recent cases
- 15 June 2026: UK Finance reports £1.28 billion lost in 2025, with investment scam losses up 40% (UK Finance).
- 9 March 2026: the Home Office publishes its Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029, with £250 million and a new Online Crime Centre to shut down scam accounts, websites and numbers (GOV.UK).
- 4 December 2025: the new Report Fraud service replaces Action Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (City of London Police).
Press releases and official reports, 2023–2026
Five key releases a year for the last four years, newest first. Most come from UK government departments, regulators, accident investigators and national statistics; a few news reports are included where they are the clearest public record of an event. Releases from 2007–2022 are in the expandable list after 2023.
2026
- 24 Sep 2026Home OfficeUnited Kingdom and Cambodia join forces to crackdown on online scam centres
- 23 Jul 2026ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending March 2026
- 15 Jun 2026UK FinanceFraud remains a national security threat as criminals steal almost £1.3 billion
- 17 Mar 2026Home OfficeGlobal taskforce launched to hunt down overseas scammers
- 9 Mar 2026Home OfficeNew disruption unit launched in crackdown on fraud
2025
- 4 Dec 2025City of London PoliceReport Fraud service goes live with full public launch in January 2026
- 14 Oct 2025FCDO / Home OfficeUK and US take joint action to disrupt major online fraud network
- 8 Oct 2025PSROne year on: Impact of APP reimbursement on victims
- 28 May 2025UK FinanceFraud continues to pose a major threat with over £1 billion stolen in 2024
- 27 Mar 2025Home OfficeLord Hanson unveils ambitious new approach to tackling fraud
2024
- 6 Nov 2024Home OfficeNew failure to prevent fraud guidance published
- 7 Oct 2024PSRGroundbreaking new protections for victims of APP scams start today
- 22 May 2024UK FinanceFraud remains a major problem as over £1 billion is stolen by criminals in 2023
- 11 Mar 2024Home OfficeUK hosts world leaders for first Global Fraud Summit
- 12 Feb 2024Home OfficeMajor campaign to fight fraud launched
2023
- 30 Nov 2023Home OfficeWorld first agreement to tackle online fraud
- 26 Oct 2023Home OfficeRobust new laws to fight corruption, money laundering and fraud
- 7 Jun 2023PSRPSR confirms new requirements for APP fraud reimbursement
- 11 May 2023UK FinanceOver £1.2 billion stolen through fraud in 2022, with nearly 80 per cent of APP fraud cases starting online
- 3 May 2023Home OfficeNew blueprint to protect public from scammers
View 20 years of major UK fraud press releases (2007–2026)80 more from 2007–2022, five a year, newest first
2022
- 21 Nov 2022Home OfficeSecurity Minister welcomes new support for fraud victims
- 15 Nov 2022NAOProgress combatting fraud
- 29 Sep 2022PSRPSR sets out proposals to give greater protection against APP scams
- 22 Sep 2022Home OfficeNew crackdown on fraud and money laundering to protect UK economy
- 8 Mar 2022DCMS / Home OfficeMajor law changes to protect people from scam adverts online
2021
- 18 Nov 2021PSRPSR announces plans to stop APP scams
- 8 Nov 2021DWPNew measures to protect pension savers from scam transfers
- 28 Oct 2021Home OfficeJoint taskforce relaunched to protect against rise in fraud crime
- 22 Jul 2021ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending March 2021
- 4 May 2021Home Office / HM TreasuryGovernment makes progress on tackling fraud and economic crime
2020
- 28 Oct 2020ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending June 2020
- 17 Jul 2020ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending March 2020
- 26 Mar 2020Insolvency ServiceBe vigilant against coronavirus scams
- 19 Mar 2020ONSNature of fraud and computer misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2019
- 13 Jan 2020Insolvency ServiceRecognising fraudulent contact about your investments
2019
- 20 Nov 2019HMRCHMRC tips on avoiding Self Assessment tax scams
- 18 Jul 2019ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending March 2019
- 12 Jul 2019HM Treasury / Home OfficeCriminals to face fresh crackdown in fight against dirty money
- 1 Jun 2019HMRCControls prevent phone fraudsters spoofing HMRC
- 14 Jan 2019Home Office / HM TreasuryNew taskforce to tackle economic crime
2018
- 1 Nov 2018Home OfficeGovernment launches new strategy to tackle serious and organised crime
- 18 Oct 2018ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending June 2018
- 19 Jul 2018ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending March 2018
- 26 Apr 2018ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending December 2017
- 25 Jan 2018ONSOverview of fraud and computer misuse statistics for England and Wales
2017
- 11 Dec 2017Home Office / NCAHome Secretary announces new national economic crime centre to tackle high level fraud and money laundering
- 17 Oct 2017Home OfficeJoint Fraud Taskforce Newsletter: edition 2
- 20 Jul 2017ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending Mar 2017
- 30 Jun 2017NAOOnline Fraud
- 19 Jan 2017ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending Sept 2016
2016
- 14 Nov 2016Home OfficeHome Secretary's speech to the FCA's Financial Crime Conference
- 20 Oct 2016ONSCrime in England and Wales: year ending June 2016
- 21 Jul 2016ONSOverview of fraud statistics: year ending Mar 2016
- 23 Mar 2016Home OfficeHome Secretary Theresa May launches the modern crime prevention strategy
- 10 Feb 2016Home OfficeHome Secretary launches new joint fraud taskforce
2015
- 15 Oct 2015ONSCrime in England and Wales: Year ending June 2015
- 27 Jul 2015DWPGovernment warning: arm yourself with the facts, don't lose your pension to scammers
- 1 Jul 2015HMRCScam emails double during tax credits renewal period
- 25 Feb 2015Home OfficeAnti-money laundering taskforce unveiled
- 15 Jan 2015Insolvency ServiceTackling investment scams
2014
- 21 Oct 2014Cabinet OfficeTop 10 online-enabled frauds hitting British wallets to the tune of £670 million, with high emotional cost
- 18 Sep 2014CMANine convicted of multi-million pound pyramid promotional scheme
- 26 Jun 2014Home OfficeNational Fraud Authority annual report and accounts 2013 to 2014
- 12 Mar 2014Home OfficeKaren Bradley speech on e-crime
- 4 Mar 2014HM Land RegistryHM Land Registry launches Property Alert service to help fight property fraud
2013
- 2 Dec 2013Home OfficeNational Fraud Authority
- 28 Nov 2013Home OfficeChristmas shoppers warned to take care with online shopping
- 18 Jul 2013Home OfficeAction Fraud: fault in IT system
- 20 Jun 2013Home OfficeSimple steps can protect public from cyber fraud
- 6 Jun 2013NFAAnnual Fraud Indicator 2013
2012
- 3 Dec 2012Home Office / NFANFA fraud campaign – 'The Devil's in Your Details'
- 21 Nov 2012Home Office / NFAOverconfident UK investors fall prey to £1.2bn of fraud
- 18 Sep 2012Home Office / NFAHelp for small businesses to stamp out fraud
- 1 Jun 2012Home Office / NFAGiving safely: a guide to making sure your donations really count
- 29 Mar 2012Home Office / NFACost of fraud revealed in new report
2011
- 12 Oct 2011Home OfficeJoining forces to fight fraud
- 31 Mar 2011Home OfficeFight against financial crime strengthened as national fraud authority moves to Home Office
- 31 Mar 2011NFAInvestment fraud: £23.5 million losses reported to Action Fraud
- 10 Feb 2011Home Office / NFABe fraud safe this Valentines – top tips to avoid online dating fraud
- 27 Jan 2011Home Office / NFAFraud costs the UK over £38 billion, says the National Fraud Authority
2010
- 22 Jul 2010NFANational Fraud Authority resource accounts 2009 to 2010
- 15 Jul 2010Home OfficeCrime in England and Wales 2009 to 2010: findings from the British crime survey and police recorded crime
- 12 Jul 2010BISCredit reports available online for all consumers
- 27 May 2010DWPFraud and Error in the Benefit System: October 2008 to September 2009
- Jan 2010NFAAnnual Fraud Indicator
2009
- 25 Nov 2009BISCompanies Act 2006: objecting to a registered office address
- 3 Sep 2009SFOSerious Fraud Office annual report 2008 to 2009
- 18 Aug 2009NFANational Fraud Strategic Authority annual report and resource accounts 2008 to 2009
- 20 Jul 2009NAOHM Revenue and Customs 2008-09 Accounts: The Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report
- 2009NFSAThe National Fraud Strategy: A new approach to combating fraud
2008
- 4 Aug 2008SFOSerious Fraud Office resource accounts 2007 to 2008
- 14 Jul 2008HMRCReducing error and fraud in Tax Credits
- 1 Jun 2008NAOGood practice in tackling external fraud
- 15 May 2008HM TreasuryThe Law Officers' Departments departmental report 2007
- 23 Jan 2008NAODepartment For Work and Pensions: Progress in tackling benefit fraud
2007
- 22 Aug 2007SFOSerious Fraud Office resource accounts 2006 to 2007
- 25 Jul 2007NAODepartment for Work and Pensions Resource Accounts 2006-07
- 24 Jul 2007House of LordsScience and Technology – Fifth Report
- 12 Jul 2007NAOHM Revenue & Customs 2006-07 Accounts: The Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report
- 1 Mar 2007NAOCombating Fraud Position Statement
Photo list
How this page is built. Figures come from the official statistical releases linked above; where agencies publish provisional numbers we say so, because they are revised. UK statistics are often published separately for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so we say which area each figure covers. Photos are public-domain, Creative Commons or Open Government Licence images credited in each caption; file photos are illustrative and are not from the events described unless the caption says so. This page tracks trends and is not personal safety, medical, legal or financial advice.