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Fraud

Answer

Romance fraud is an issue this Government takes incredibly seriously; we recognise that it is a particularly devastating crime, that can leave victims facing financial loss and emotional distress.

The most recently available data on romance fraud comes from Action Fraud (the predecessor to Report Fraud). Of the 321,025 reports to Action Fraud in the year ending September 2025, 3% (10,393) were categorised as Dating Scams.

The Home Office and Office for National Statistics (ONS) have agreed that while City of London Police (CoLP) are transitioning to the new Report Fraud system, they will temporarily suspend their supply of recorded fraud data to the ONS. This is to enable CoLP to give priority to aligning the legacy Action Fraud data against Report Fraud to ensure consistency.

A primary focus of the Government’s response to this issue, outlined in the recently published Fraud Strategy, is ensuring that where fraud occurs, victims are recognised and supported, and law enforcement is empowered to respond.

We have committed to publishing a Fraud Victim Charter by the end of 2027, which will set national standards for the level of service every victim should receive, including response times, minimum standards of care, and clear communication pathways.

Steps are also being taken to ensure law enforcement have the tools, training and experience to fully investigate each crime.

The new Report Fraud service will provide police with better quality intelligence from public reports of fraud to support investigations and bring fraudsters to justice.

We will assess wider police performance on fraud investigations and victim care regularly through His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Police Efficiency Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspections, improving consistency and standards for investigations and victim care. We have also committed to providing a clearer training framework, including new courses to upskill officers in fraud investigations and victim support.

In the longer term, we will transfer overall responsibility for fraud into the new National Police Service (NPS), as part of the wider Police Reform programme, to ensure a stronger and more streamlined police response with clearer roles and more effective tasking.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

9183

Session

2026-27

Grouped for answer

Yes

Subjects

Fraud Private life

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk