Criminals stole £33.6m from West Yorkshire fraud victims in just one year

Fraud victims across West Yorkshire lost more than £33m in a single year, according to the latest police data.
By Georgina Morris
Published 17th Mar 2020, 11:45 BST
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Statistics published by Action Fraud reveal there were 23,781 reported frauds in the county between April 2018 and March 2019, an increase of 17.4 per cent on the previous year.

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The total sum lost by those victims - both individuals and businesses - stood at £33.6m, a figure that was almost a third higher than recorded in the previous 12 months.

The Yorkshire Evening Post's Stop The Scammers campaign aims to raise awareness of scams and how to detect them.The Yorkshire Evening Post's Stop The Scammers campaign aims to raise awareness of scams and how to detect them.
The Yorkshire Evening Post's Stop The Scammers campaign aims to raise awareness of scams and how to detect them.
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Just over a third of reports (34 per cent) were made by individuals, with the rest (66 per cent) being made by businesses.

What were the most common types of fraud affecting businesses?

The most common offences by number of reported frauds were:

1. Cheque, plastic card and online bank accounts (66 per cent)

2, Application fraud (21 per cent)

3. Telecom industry fraud (seven per cent)

The most common offences by total sum lost were:

1. Lender loan fraud (£1.7m)

2. Corporate employee fraud (£1.4m)

3. Mandate fraud (£1.2m)

Also in crime: Five ways you can support our Stop The Scammers campaign

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What were the most common types of fraud affecting individuals?

The most common offences by number of reported frauds were:

1. Online shopping and auctions (26 per cent)

2. Other advance fee fraud (21 per cent)

3. Cheque, plastic card and online bank accounts (11 per cent)

The most common offences by total sum lost were:

1. Other financial investment (£5m)

2. Cheque, plastic card and online bank accounts (£3.8m)

3. Mandate fraud (£1.4m)

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