Burglary’s out of fashion as fraud tops crime chart
FRAUD is now Britain’s commonest crime, it was revealed yesterday.
Around one in 10 adults is a victim of scams and you are twice as likely to be swindled than to have your car stolen.
Traditional offences such as burglary and vehicle theft are continuing to fall.
But official statistics show there were 3.6 million frauds and two million computer misuse offences in the year to September.
The shift confirms a change in tactics by criminals, say experts.
Fraud and so-called cyber offences have been included in the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the first time.
Policing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “Crime is changing and the way it is measured needs to change too so that we can continue to protect families and communities.”
Figures show that there were 1.9 million cases of fraud involving UK-issued bank and credit cards – an increase of 39 per cent on the previous year.
A total of 11.8 million crimes were committed last year. But stripping out fraud categories puts the figure at 6.2 million, more or less unchanged.
John Flatley of the Office for National Statistics, which published the survey, said that when figures were first compiled fraud was not considered a significant threat and the internet had not been invented.
He added: “Today’s figures demonstrate how crime has changed, with fraud now the most commonly experienced offence.”
An estimated eight in 100 adults are hit by fraud.
Computer misuse affects four in 100.
Commander Chris Greany of the City of London Police said: “The survey shows us that fraud and cyber crime are the largest single crime types today and the figures only include individuals and not businesses, who are also victims.
“Policing is working closely with Government and the private sector to do what we can to arrest offenders, protect victims and provide suitable guidance.”
He commended a five-point programme for beating the fraudsters.
First, never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password.
Second, don’t assume an email, text or phone call is authentic.
Third, don’t be rushed – a genuine organisation won’t mind waiting.
Fourth, listen to your instincts – you know if something doesn’t feel right.
Fifth, stay in control – don’t panic and make a decision you’ll regret.
Katy Worobec, director of Financial Fraud Action UK, added: “Banks work extremely hard to protect customers and stopped £6 in every £10 of attempted fraud in the first half of 2016.”
But she added: “Customers and businesses need to be alert to the threats.”
Excluding fraud, the likelihood of being a victim of crime has fallen considerably, the ONS said.
But its report showed an annual rise of 22 per cent in violent crimes, largely driven by recording method changes.