Fraud and cyber crime crackdown

The new arrangements mean that anyone who has been a victim of fraud should report it directly to Action Fraud, either online through the Action Fraud website www.actionfraud.police.uk or through a link on the PSNI website www.psni.police.uk or by telephone to the Action Fraud reporting centre on 0300 123 2040.

Fraud reports which are submitted through the service are sent via secure transfer to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) at the City of London Police which is the country’s policing lead for fraud.

Members of the public should only contact police about fraud in the following circumstances: If it is a crime in action; If the crime has taken place within the previous 24 hours; If the perpetrator is known to them.

Figures from Action Fraud show that in the past five months, a total of 541 frauds have been reported in Northern Ireland.

Causeway Coast and Glens Chief Inspector Catherine Magee said: “We believe the service offered by Action Fraud is the best way of dealing with this important issue, both in terms of investigating such crime and building up a clearer understanding of fraud and fraudsters.”

President of Causeway Chamber of Commerce, Ian Donaghey MBE added: “We acknowledge that fraud and cyber crime are a growing problem in today’s society and we encourage local businesses to report to the service so that Action Fraud and PSNI can have a clear picture of the current scale of fraud and the threat which it poses.”