Online shopping fraud cases in the UK have increased by 20% compared to last year, leading to a loss of £56 million. A Freedom of Information investigation by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the alarming scale of online shopping fraud in the UK. This revelation comes at a time when Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is set to highlight the issue in the southwestern region.
In 2023-24, a total of 68,082 online shopping fraud cases were reported across the UK, resulting in victims losing over £56 million. This is a 20% increase compared to the previous year, when losses from online shopping fraud were less than £47 million.
According to a press release issued by the War London, the average loss for each affected individual in 2023-24 was £827, which is an 18% increase from £700 in the 2022-23 financial year. This means that an average of £154,000 was lost every day due to online shopping fraud.
Approximately £9 million in losses were recorded by the Metropolitan Police, while around £7 million in losses could not be linked to any specific police force. The Liberal Democrats have sharply criticized the previous Conservative government, arguing that it failed to adapt to the changing methods of fraud, which has led to an increase in online fraud in recent years.
The party is now calling on the government to introduce a new plan to tackle fraud, which includes the establishment of an online crime agency to coordinate efforts to eliminate online fraud across the country.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey MP said that criminals are targeting vulnerable people on a large scale through online fraud, but the previous Conservative government preferred to sit back and allowed these fraudsters to operate freely. He added that people have lost incredibly large sums of money to online fraudsters and that immediate and effective action is needed to stop them. The Liberal Democrats are urging the government to set up a new online crime agency to eliminate fraud, bring these notorious criminals to justice, and help the police focus on keeping communities safe.
