A significant increase in online shopping fraud has been reported, with consumers losing over £56 million in the last financial year. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a national Online Crime Agency to address this growing issue.
Online shopping fraud surged dramatically last year, costing consumers more than £56 million, representing a 20% increase in shopping scams. According to data obtained by the Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) through a Freedom of Information request from Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting center for fraud and cybercrime, consumers reported 68,000 cases of online shopping fraud during the 2023-24 financial year. This resulted in a total loss of over £56.
3 million for victims, up significantly from the previous year's £46.6 million and 66,000 reported cases.Action Fraud defines online shopping fraud as 'shopping scams that rely on the anonymity of the internet.' The Lib Dems are calling for the establishment of a national Online Crime Agency to combat crimes such as personal fraud, threats, and incitement to violence on social media. Party leader Sir Ed Davey stated, 'Criminals are exploiting vulnerable individuals with online frauds and scams on an industrial scale.' He criticized the previous Conservative Government for inaction, stating, 'People have lost staggering sums of money to online fraudsters, and we urgently need concrete action to stop them.'Liberal Democrats are urging the government to establish a new Online Crime Agency to tackle fraud, bring perpetrators to justice, and free up police resources to focus on maintaining community safety. Action Fraud provides an online toolkit outlining steps individuals can take to protect themselves from online fraud. They advise against sharing personal data, using updated antivirus software on devices, and verifying the legitimacy of email sources. UK Finance released data in the first half of 2024 revealing that over £570 million was stolen by scammers during that period. The report indicated that 72% of fraud cases originated from online courses, which accounted for 32% of the total value of losses
ONLINE SHOPPING FRAUD SCAMS ACTION FRAUD LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ONLINE CRIME AGENCY CONSUMER LOSSES
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