Tackling Online Fraud

The aim of this programme is to establish a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of online fraud, to provide a basis for more effective and better targeted measures to prevent, prepare, protect, and pursue fraud. Currently, we do not know enough about the impact on victims of online fraud or the ‘career history’ of online fraud offenders. As a result, the prioritisation of fraud and the allocation of resources within the wider policing system to combat fraud is not as effective as it could be. This project explores how a new typology of fraud based on victim impact could improve the allocation of resources and outcomes for victims. This also includes looking at current policy and practice surrounding online fraud and how fraudulent activity may evolve in the future.

The programme aims to:

• Develop a new typology of online fraud offending and victimisation that can serve as a more meaningful basis for action;
• Generate a better understanding the impact of online fraud on victims;
• Generate a better understanding the characteristics of online fraud offenders;
• Identify future trends in online fraud;
• Develop a comprehensive policy and practice map describing how we currently seek to prevent, prepare, protect and pursue in relation to online fraud;
• Develop ideas for how policy and practice can be improved;
• Address the question of online anonymity and whether requiring user identification might reduce the opportunity to commit fraud.

The project is a collaboration between the Institute for Crime and Policy Research, Crest Advisory, and The Police Foundation