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To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect consumers from artificial intelligence-enabled financial fraud and scams conducted through online platforms and messaging services.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect consumers from artificial intelligence-enabled financial fraud and scams conducted through online platforms and messaging services.
This Government is deeply concerned by the devastating impact online fraud can have on victims, both financially and emotionally, including that which is artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled.
That is why, under the Online Safety Act (OSA), the Government has taken action to ensure online platforms and services are required to implement robust preventative measures to stop fraudulent content from reaching potential victims. AI content is treated no differently to other types of content under the OSA – if it is fraudulent in nature, platforms are required to prevent it from reaching users and take swift action if it does appear.
From mid-2027 the largest in-scope companies will also be required to take greater steps to prevent fraudulent adverts from appearing, including those that are AI-enabled.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to collaborate with businesses to track and address the increase in fraud committed against consumers using generative AI tools, including voice cloning.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to collaborate with businesses to track and address the increase in fraud committed against consumers using generative AI tools, including voice cloning.
The Government is committed to working with industry to tackle all fraud, including AI enabled fraud.
The ‘Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029’ sets out our plan to tackle fraud. The strategy is already delivering a strong, partnership-focussed approach with business, including:
- the UK-sponsored Global Fraud Summit, co-hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL in Vienna in March 2026, agreed a set of Global Public-Private Partnership Principles on Fraud.
- the launch of the Online Crime Centre which, backed by over £30m of investment, brings government, law enforcement and industry together in one place to act on shared data in real time, utilise cutting edge technology and coordinate action.
The Government is also working with leading technology companies, academics and experts to develop and implement a world-first deepfake detection evaluation framework. This will help to tackle synthetic media threats, including image, audio and video.
To ask His Majesty's Government what statistics they produce on the number of UK citizens who are victims of online fraud originating (1) within the UK, and (2) outside of the UK.
To ask His Majesty's Government what statistics they produce on the number of UK citizens who are victims of online fraud originating (1) within the UK, and (2) outside of the UK.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 4.16 million incidents of fraud against adults in England and Wales, across 3.4 million victims in the year ending March 2025. 56% of these incidents were estimated to have some online element to them, implying 2.3 million incidents of online-enabled fraud.
We do not collect data on the number of frauds that originate from overseas. However, in 2022, the City of London Police estimated that around 70% of fraud incidents have an international element to them.
We use data from a wide range of sources to build our understanding of the fraud landscape, including published reports from businesses and consumer groups, and surveys such as the Economic Crime Survey. We continue to build the threat picture to better target our interventions, including through our Online Crime Centre launched in April.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to collaborate with businesses and consumer groups to gather statistics on the number of UK citizens affected by online fraud.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to collaborate with businesses and consumer groups to gather statistics on the number of UK citizens affected by online fraud.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 4.16 million incidents of fraud against adults in England and Wales, across 3.4 million victims in the year ending March 2025. 56% of these incidents were estimated to have some online element to them, implying 2.3 million incidents of online-enabled fraud.
We do not collect data on the number of frauds that originate from overseas. However, in 2022, the City of London Police estimated that around 70% of fraud incidents have an international element to them.
We use data from a wide range of sources to build our understanding of the fraud landscape, including published reports from businesses and consumer groups, and surveys such as the Economic Crime Survey. We continue to build the threat picture to better target our interventions, including through our Online Crime Centre launched in April.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims made to the Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund they have determined to be (1) ineligible, and (2) fraudulent.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims made to the Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund they have determined to be (1) ineligible, and (2) fraudulent.
The Windrush Compensation Scheme does not publish data about how manyclaims to the Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund were found tobe ineligible or fraudulent.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the annual revenue earned in the UK by global technology platforms from fraudulent advertising.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the annual revenue earned in the UK by global technology platforms from fraudulent advertising.
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.
Under the Online Safety Act, the largest social media and search services will soon be required to address fraudulent adverts on their platforms. Ofcom are due to consult on these duties next year.
Companies in the sector are also working with the government through the Online Advertising Taskforce, to enhance voluntarily initiatives to tackle the drivers of illegal advertising.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that suspected fraudulent activity in retail business premises can be investigated and tackled by the police.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that suspected fraudulent activity in retail business premises can be investigated and tackled by the police.
In March this year, the National Crime Agency coordinated a three-week crackdown (Operation MACHINIZE) against business premises such as barber shops and other cash intensive businesses across England and Wales. Operation MACHINIZE involved 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HM Revenue & Customs, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling in excess of one million pounds, executing 84 warrants and arresting 35 individuals.
This has been followed by a second phase of activity throughout October which involved every UK police force and Regional Organised Crime Unit. During the operation, which targeted a broader range of businesses, the operation saw: 2,734 premises visited and raided; 924 individuals arrested; over £13m of suspected criminal proceeds seized or restrained; and over £2.7m worth of illicit commodities destroyed.
At the Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced a new dedicated cross-government taskforce to design systemic interventions to disrupt money laundering and related criminality on the high street, as well as new funding for operational partners such as law enforcement and Trading Standards to tackle this threat.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role social media platforms play in enabling scam adverts and fraudulent content.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role social media platforms play in enabling scam adverts and fraudulent content.
The Government take seriously the criminal abuse of online advertising to promote scams, distribute malware and launch phishing attacks. All social media platforms and advertisers must play a role in driving out fraudulent activity. Under the Online Safety Act, the largest social media and search services will be required to address fraudulent adverts on their platforms. More can be done, and further action will be set out in the Government’s forthcoming fraud strategy, for which I am responsible.
The Government take seriously the criminal abuse of online advertising to promote scams, distribute malware and launch phishing attacks. All social media platforms and advertisers must play a role in driving out fraudulent activity. Under the Online Safety Act, the largest social media and search services will be required to address fraudulent adverts on their platforms. More can be done, and further action will be set out in the Government’s forthcoming fraud strategy, for which I am responsible.
The Government take seriously the criminal abuse of online advertising to promote scams, distribute malware and launch phishing attacks. All social media platforms and advertisers must play a role in driving out fraudulent activity. Under the Online Safety Act, the largest social media and search services will be required to address fraudulent adverts on their platforms. More can be done, and further action will be set out in the Government’s forthcoming fraud strategy, for which I am responsible.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role social media platforms play in enabling scam adverts and fraudulent content.
I am grateful to the noble Lord. I met with Ofcom recently. I know that the facts he has laid before the House are correct, but Ofcom wishes to proceed at pace to ensure that it can bring that regulation into power as soon as possible. Early in the new year, I will produce the revised fraud strategy. The previous Government had a three-year fraud strategy. We have updated that. It has taken about 15 months to work on it. The fraud strategy will look at a number of key threats, and the emergence and future threats of AI will be a key aspect of the government responses. I hope I can bring the fraud strategy before the House in relatively short order in the new year for consideration, discussion and implementation.
I am grateful to the noble Lord. I met with Ofcom recently. I know that the facts he has laid before the House are correct, but Ofcom wishes to proceed at pace to ensure that it can bring that regulation into power as soon as possible. Early in the new year, I will produce the revised fraud strategy. The previous Government had a three-year fraud strategy. We have updated that. It has taken about 15 months to work on it. The fraud strategy will look at a number of key threats, and the emergence and future threats of AI will be a key aspect of the government responses. I hope I can bring the fraud strategy before the House in relatively short order in the new year for consideration, discussion and implementation.
My Lords, we face a wave of increasingly sophisticated AI-generated scams, yet, despite what the Minister has said, Ofcom’s updated road map has pushed the consultation on the codes of practice for fraudulent advertising into mid-2026, meaning that new online safety protections are unlikely to be fully in force until 2027. Given the rapid evolution of AI fraud, what steps are the Government—and indeed the Minister, as the designated Fraud Minister—taking to speed up the vital protections provided by the Act? Will the Government ensure that robust action against all scam advertising is included in the fraud strategy and will be quickly implemented?
I am grateful to my noble friend for that. The Government have already signed a United Nations resolution against fraud, and we are hosting a conference in Vienna in March next year to try to bring together international action on the very issues that my noble friend has mentioned. Independently, I went to Nigeria in April this year and signed an agreement with the Nigerian Government on fraud and scammers, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has done one with Vietnam recently, and we intend to expand that further to other key nations. It is vital that we have international co-operation to tackle areas where scammers are operating from, very often against the will of the host Government.
I am grateful to my noble friend for that. The Government have already signed a United Nations resolution against fraud, and we are hosting a conference in Vienna in March next year to try to bring together international action on the very issues that my noble friend has mentioned. Independently, I went to Nigeria in April this year and signed an agreement with the Nigerian Government on fraud and scammers, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has done one with Vietnam recently, and we intend to expand that further to other key nations. It is vital that we have international co-operation to tackle areas where scammers are operating from, very often against the will of the host Government.
My Lords, it is becoming increasingly apparent that overseas, in different countries, there are huge numbers of almost industrial-scale scams going on. Will the new fraud strategy include a way of tackling some of the international problems that we have? Is my noble friend the Minister liaising with some of those countries where we know that this is a really prevalent activity?
I am grateful to the noble Lord. He is absolutely right that the banks are effectively subsidising fraud results and are leading to the repayment of an amount of the fraud that is taking place. He is also right that a large portion of that fraud, which is around 44% of all crime, goes through telecommunication companies. We recently established a brand new fraud charter with telecom companies, which I believe will reduce fraud via telephone communication significantly over the next 12 months. In the fraud strategy we will discuss the potential for reducing fraud through telecommunications platforms and through platforms such as Meta/Facebook and others, which are a significant gateway to fraud. The noble Lord is absolutely right, but I will have to reflect on those matters as part of the forthcoming fraud strategy.
I am grateful to the noble Lord. He is absolutely right that the banks are effectively subsidising fraud results and are leading to the repayment of an amount of the fraud that is taking place. He is also right that a large portion of that fraud, which is around 44% of all crime, goes through telecommunication companies. We recently established a brand new fraud charter with telecom companies, which I believe will reduce fraud via telephone communication significantly over the next 12 months. In the fraud strategy we will discuss the potential for reducing fraud through telecommunications platforms and through platforms such as Meta/Facebook and others, which are a significant gateway to fraud. The noble Lord is absolutely right, but I will have to reflect on those matters as part of the forthcoming fraud strategy.
My Lords, fraud is not falling, despite all the efforts that have been put into it so far. The National Crime Agency estimates that 67% of fraud is cyber-enabled. It says:
“Social media platforms are a key facilitator of authorised push payments frauds”.
Social media platforms and telecoms are the main route by which fraud comes to this country from overseas scammers, as referred to by the noble Baroness, Lady Jones. At the moment, banks pick up the full cost of reimbursing fraud victims. Banks have a key role in preventing fraud but they are not the facilitators of it. Surely the time has come to make social media platforms and telecom companies pay their share of the losses that people suffer as a result of their facilitation of fraud.
The noble Lord is absolutely right. The Government have accepted that there is a challenge in that area. There are resources going into educational opportunities, particularly targeted at university students, to help them avoid money laundering. Some months ago I visited a scheme—as it happens, in my home area of north Wales—where educational opportunities were being undertaken by regional organised crime agencies to meet students to explain how money laundering works and how they can become victims of money laundering without realising they are involved in it. There is a great educational opportunity and we are trying to work through that, but self-evidently I will continue to look at what more can be done.
The noble Lord is absolutely right. The Government have accepted that there is a challenge in that area. There are resources going into educational opportunities, particularly targeted at university students, to help them avoid money laundering. Some months ago I visited a scheme—as it happens, in my home area of north Wales—where educational opportunities were being undertaken by regional organised crime agencies to meet students to explain how money laundering works and how they can become victims of money laundering without realising they are involved in it. There is a great educational opportunity and we are trying to work through that, but self-evidently I will continue to look at what more can be done.
My Lords, can the Minister tell us what work the Government are doing around protecting young people in particular? I have been contacted by a number of student-age young people who have found themselves, through social media, caught up in money laundering. They are sent a message asking to borrow their bank account
and the money is exchanged equitably, as far as they are concerned, but it is then investigated by the bank and found out to be money laundering—an offence they can never remove from their history. Can the Government do a piece of work around protecting young people from money laundering?
The noble Baroness is absolutely right. One of the things that we are trying to do—again, trailing the fraud strategy—is to ensure that we have better criminal justice outcomes for investigations. We are just starting—this will become clearer when the fraud strategy is produced—a better journey for victims of fraud in terms of reporting, keeping them informed and getting to criminal justice outcomes. There is a real wish by the National Crime Agency in particular and the Serious Fraud Office to look at how we can bring criminals to justice. A number of measures have already taken place where we have seized assets and brought people to court, and I want to see that continue. It is vital that we make the UK the hardest place possible for fraudsters to operate, which means not just protection and better investment in telecommunication platform issues but putting in an element of serious risk for those fraudsters to ensure that they end up behind bars or lose their assets.
The noble Baroness is absolutely right. One of the things that we are trying to do—again, trailing the fraud strategy—is to ensure that we have better criminal justice outcomes for investigations. We are just starting—this will become clearer when the fraud strategy is produced—a better journey for victims of fraud in terms of reporting, keeping them informed and getting to criminal justice outcomes. There is a real wish by the National Crime Agency in particular and the Serious Fraud Office to look at how we can bring criminals to justice. A number of measures have already taken place where we have seized assets and brought people to court, and I want to see that continue. It is vital that we make the UK the hardest place possible for fraudsters to operate, which means not just protection and better investment in telecommunication platform issues but putting in an element of serious risk for those fraudsters to ensure that they end up behind bars or lose their assets.
My Lords, how will the Government ensure that the new fraud strategy leads to a genuine increase in fraud cases being properly investigated and taken to court? Will the Government make clear that success will be judged not by the volume of fraud cases reported but by the convictions secured, the investigations opened and the charges made?
It is important that we get these things right—I say that to my noble friend in the spirit of camaraderie—and sometimes there are issues that take a while to work through. If he is referring to the question of Ofcom and advertising that the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, raised, there is a wish for Ofcom to get it right and to ensure that whatever it does is legally secure in getting it right.
I want to give it breathing space to do that. The direction of travel is there to ensure that fraudulent adverts are taken down and not used as a gateway for the very issues that other noble Lords have mentioned today.
It is important that we get these things right—I say that to my noble friend in the spirit of camaraderie—and sometimes there are issues that take a while to work through. If he is referring to the question of Ofcom and advertising that the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, raised, there is a wish for Ofcom to get it right and to ensure that whatever it does is legally secure in getting it right.
I want to give it breathing space to do that. The direction of travel is there to ensure that fraudulent adverts are taken down and not used as a gateway for the very issues that other noble Lords have mentioned today.
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the regulators often use long consultation periods to do nothing and that the general public want action, not consultation?
There are two areas that we want to look at. Number one is education. All of us are the first port of call to reduce scamming, which means that we all, including young people, need to watch out for the signs of scams and know what those protective measures are. That goes back to the noble Lord’s point earlier about money muling. We need to ensure that we raise awareness and put that into the curriculum via our school system. But it is not just us who have to have a role in stopping scams; ultimately, the state has a responsibility to track down the scammers, put protective measures in place and stop that happening. That goes back to us ensuring that the telecom companies and the platforms take down fraudulent activity ASAP so that young people in particular are not drawn into what would end up being a cost to them and damaging to their mental as well as financial health.
There are two areas that we want to look at. Number one is education. All of us are the first port of call to reduce scamming, which means that we all, including young people, need to watch out for the signs of scams and know what those protective measures are. That goes back to the noble Lord’s point earlier about money muling. We need to ensure that we raise awareness and put that into the curriculum via our school system. But it is not just us who have to have a role in stopping scams; ultimately, the state has a responsibility to track down the scammers, put protective measures in place and stop that happening. That goes back to us ensuring that the telecom companies and the platforms take down fraudulent activity ASAP so that young people in particular are not drawn into what would end up being a cost to them and damaging to their mental as well as financial health.
Research by the UK Safer Internet Centre has shown that just under half of eight to 17 year-olds have been scammed online, with 79% of that age group having come across online scams at least monthly. What action are the Government taking to reduce the impact of scamming on school-aged children, who appear to be particularly at risk?
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed SIM farm offence in the Crime and Policing Bill on the legitimate activities of journalists and broadcasters; whether they will ensure that that offence is not misapplied in ways that could hinder journalism; whether...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed SIM farm offence in the Crime and Policing Bill on the legitimate activities of journalists and broadcasters; whether they will ensure that that offence is not misapplied in ways that could hinder journalism; whether...
We recognise the vital role that journalists and broadcasters play in our democracy and are committed to ensuring that legislation does not hinder legitimate journalistic activity.
The proposed SIM farm offence in the Crime and Policing Bill is designed to tackle the growing threat of fraud facilitated by the misuse of SIM farm devices, which allow criminals to send thousands of scam messages and conduct large-scale robocalling campaigns. These activities have contributed to a significant rise in fraud, which now accounts for over 40% of all reported crime in England and Wales.
We have extensively consulted on this policy, including with representatives from the media and communications sectors. As a result of this engagement, the legislation has been carefully drafted to include specific exemptions for legitimate uses, such as those by journalists and broadcasters. Clause 80 of the Bill explicitly provides that possessing a SIM farm for purposes such as broadcasting services constitutes a “good reason” under the law.
Furthermore, we continue to work closely with journalists and media organisations to ensure that the implementation of this offence does not impede their work. We are actively collaborating with stakeholders to develop clear guidance for law enforcement agencies. This guidance will help ensure that the offence is applied proportionately and that legitimate journalistic activities are protected, while also enabling effective action against those who use SIM farms to defraud the public.
Our approach balances the need to protect the public from fraud with the imperative to safeguard press freedom and legitimate communication practices.
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they carried out of the 3,700 reports related to gig ticket fraud made to Action Fraud in 2024, and what action they have taken to respond to those reports.
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they carried out of the 3,700 reports related to gig ticket fraud made to Action Fraud in 2024, and what action they have taken to respond to those reports.
We are committed to tackling all types of fraud, including online ticket fraud, and holding those who profit from it to account.
As of 17 March 2025, as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom’s illegal harm duties are now in force. Ofcom will now start assessing platforms’ compliance with their new obligations under the Act and will launch enforcement action where they uncover concerns. This includes making sure that in-scope companies take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms, and remove fraudulent material quickly when they become aware of it. This includes criminals offering fake or fraudulent tickets via these platforms and services.
Furthermore, the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is improving public messaging and making it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take action against the creation of fake profiles or websites that closely resemble legitimate ticket vendors or event pages; and if so, what measures they plan to implement, and when.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take action against the creation of fake profiles or websites that closely resemble legitimate ticket vendors or event pages; and if so, what measures they plan to implement, and when.
We are committed to tackling all types of fraud, including online ticket fraud, and holding those who profit from it to account.
As of 17 March 2025, as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom’s illegal harm duties are now in force. Ofcom will now start assessing platforms’ compliance with their new obligations under the Act and will launch enforcement action where they uncover concerns. This includes making sure that in-scope companies take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms, and remove fraudulent material quickly when they become aware of it. This includes criminals offering fake or fraudulent tickets via these platforms and services.
Furthermore, the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is improving public messaging and making it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce legislation to tackle online ticket fraud in the secondary market, and whether they plan to combat ticket scams as part of a wider effort to tackle online fraud.
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce legislation to tackle online ticket fraud in the secondary market, and whether they plan to combat ticket scams as part of a wider effort to tackle online fraud.
We are committed to tackling all types of fraud, including online ticket fraud, and holding those who profit from it to account.
As of 17 March 2025, as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom’s illegal harm duties are now in force. Ofcom will now start assessing platforms’ compliance with their new obligations under the Act and will launch enforcement action where they uncover concerns. This includes making sure that in-scope companies take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms, and remove fraudulent material quickly when they become aware of it. This includes criminals offering fake or fraudulent tickets via these platforms and services.
Furthermore, the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is improving public messaging and making it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.