Virgin Media O2 has revealed that an average of only 84 fraud convictions occur annually per police force, prompting the telecom company to call on the government to elevate fraud as a key police focus.
In the previous year, Virgin Media O2 successfully intercepted and prevented over £250 million in suspected fraudulent transactions aimed at its customers. Over the last two years, its investigative unit has prepared 34 police-compliant evidence packages.
Despite its confidence in the cases, which are supported by a team of former police officers, the company has only been informed of two successful prosecutions.
One notable investigation involved a two-year effort to build a case against a criminal gang targeting consumers in the UK. The team established connections among hundreds of fraud cases totaling £250,000 and collaborated with law enforcement to compile thorough evidence. However, the case has since stalled with no charges filed.
When victims report fraud, they are advised to reach out to Action Fraud, a center operated by the City of London Police. Ideally, cases are evaluated and forwarded to the appropriate police force for further investigation.
However, in reality, only 6 percent of the cases reported to Action Fraud were escalated to other police forces for investigation last year. This organization has faced criticism and has been labeled as “not fit for purpose” by the House of Commons justice committee. Plans for its replacement with an enhanced service have experienced multiple delays.
Under the leadership of former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the past Conservative administration issued a fraud strategy aimed at reducing fraud by 10 percent. This plan included the establishment of a National Fraud Squad composed of 400 specialists targeting complex fraud cases.
Nevertheless, Virgin Media contends that the current approach is inadequate, pointing to the Crime Survey for England & Wales, which identified 3.1 million fraud incidents just last year.