Fraud Statistics UK

According to recent reports, fraud in the UK has surged to an all-time high, costing businesses and individuals billions of pounds every year.

Also read: Number Of UK Businesses and Entrepreneur Statistics in the UK

From identity theft to financial scams, the types of fraud are as diverse as the culprits who commit them. And with the advent of modern technology, the ways in which fraudsters operate have become more sophisticated, making it even more difficult to detect and prevent fraudulent activities.

Card Fraud UK

Value: £574m

In 2020, Remote Purchase (CNP) fraud was valued at £452.6 million, which represents a decrease of 4% from 2019.
E-commerce fraud accounted for £376.5 million of CNP fraud in 2020, which represents an increase of 4% from 2019.
Counterfeit fraud decreased by 32% from £12.8 million in 2019 to £8.7 million in 2020.
Loss & Stolen fraud decreased by 17% from £94.8 million in 2019 to £78.9 million in 2020.
Card ID Theft fraud decreased by 21% from £37.7 million in 2019 to £29.7 million in 2020.
Card non-receipt fraud decreased by 15% from £5.2 million in 2019 to £4.4 million in 2020.
The total value of fraud in the UK was £574.2 million in 2020, which represents a decrease of 7% from 2019.
In the UK, fraud abroad was valued at £159.7 million in 2020, which represents a decrease of 6% from 2019.

Card Fraud Volumes

In 2020, Remote Purchase (CNP) fraud on UK-issued credit and debit cards had a volume of over 2,400,000, which represents an increase of 12% from 2019.
Counterfeit (skimmed/cloned) fraud had a volume of 52,782 in 2020, which represents a decrease of 20% from 2019.
Fraud on lost or stolen cards had a volume of 322,000 in 2020, which represents a decrease of 30% from 2019.
Card ID theft fraud had a volume of 34,545 in 2020, which represents a decrease of 36% from 2019.
Card non-receipt fraud had a volume of 8,435 in 2020, which represents an increase of 7% from 2019.
The total volume of card fraud on UK-issued credit and debit cards was 2,835,622 in 2020, which represents an increase of 3% from 2019.

Unauthorised remote UK banking fraud

Value: £197m

Remote Banking Fraud Losses 2013-2020

In 2020, internet banking fraud had losses of £159.7 million, which represents an increase of 43% from 2019.
Telephone banking fraud had losses of £16.1 million in 2020, which represents a decrease of 32% from 2019.
Mobile banking fraud had losses of £21.6 million in 2020, which represents an increase of 41% from 2019.
The total remote banking fraud losses in 2020 were £197.3 million, which represents an increase of 31% from 2019.

Volumes 2013-2020

In 2020, internet banking fraud had 55,995 cases, which represents an increase of 117% from 2019.
Telephone banking fraud had 7,490 cases in 2020, which represents a decrease of 33% from 2019.
Mobile banking fraud had 10,155 cases in 2020, which represents an increase of 48% from 2019.
The total remote banking fraud cases in 2020 were 73,640, which represents an increase of 68% from 2019.

Romance scams UK

Value: £21m

Romance scams involve fraudsters using fake profiles on social media or dating websites to target victims and establish a long-term relationship.

Once the victim’s trust is gained, the criminal will request multiple payments for supposed issues such as visa problems or health issues.

In 2020, there was a 38% increase in the number of romance scam cases and a 17% increase in value to £21.2 million. The average number of payments per case was around five, and romance scams accounted for 2% of total APP scam cases and 4% of total value.

Only £8.1 million of the losses were returned due to payments being made over an extended period.

Romance scam cases reported 2019 – 2020

Volume:

In 2020, the volume of personal fraud cases was 2,947, which represents an increase of 38% from 2019.
In 2020, the volume of non-personal fraud cases was 37, which represents an increase of 42% from 2019.
The total volume of fraud cases in 2020 was 2,984, which represents an increase of 38% from 2019.
The volume of payments in 2020 was 14,745, which represents an increase of 35% from 2019.
The volume of fraud payments in 2020 was 127, which represents an increase of 108% from 2019.

Value:

In 2020, the value of personal fraud was £20.6m, which represents an increase of 15% from 2019.
In 2020, the value of non-personal fraud was £0.5m, which represents an increase of 388% from 2019.
The total value of fraud in 2020 was £21.2m, which represents an increase of 17% from 2019.
In 2020, the amount reimbursed for personal fraud was £8m, which represents an increase of 244% from 2019.
In 2020, the amount reimbursed for non-personal fraud was £0.1m, which represents an increase of 314% from 2019.
The total amount reimbursed for fraud in 2020 was £8.1m, which represents an increase of 244% from 2019.

Advance fee scams in the UK

Value £23m

Advance fee scam cases reported

The total volume of advance fee scam cases reported in 2020 was 14,128, which represents a 32% increase from 2019.
Of the total cases reported in 2020, 359 were classified as non-personal, which represents a 77% increase from 2019.
In 2020, the total value of reported advance fee scam cases was £23.0 million, which represents a 34% increase from 2019.
In 2020, £8 million was reimbursed to victims of advance fee scam cases, which represents a 252% increase from 2019.
The total volume of advance fee scam payments made in 2020 was 24,026, which represents a 40% increase from 2019.
Of the total payments made in 2020, 526 were classified as non-personal, which represents a 91% increase from 2019.
In 2020, the value of non-personal advance fee scam cases was £1.1 million, which represents a 13% decrease from 2019.
In 2020, the value of personal advance fee scam cases was £21.9 million, which represents a 38% increase from 2019.
In 2020, £7.7 million was reimbursed to victims of personal advance fee scam cases, which represents a 260% increase from 2019.

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