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<p>We do not hold information on the cost of any industry initiatives to counter phone
scamming however Ofcom, the police and landline providers are currently working together
to reduce the time a caller can stay on the line which makes it much more difficult
for criminals to exploit phone lines for fraudulent purposes.</p><p>Telephone companies
and industry bodies work in a number of ways to combat phone scamming, often in collaboration
with law enforcement agencies, such as the City of London Police who run the National
Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). The NFIB partners with a number of telecommunications
companies and industry wide organisations, including Ofcom to reduce the impact of
this crime.</p><p>This Government takes this issue very seriously and is working with
partners across industry and law enforcement to raise awareness and improve the overall
response to fraud, including those committed over the phone. This includes work with
national and local partners to reduce the likelihood of individuals becoming a victim,
or repeat victim, such as our current campaign with Avon and Somerset Police and Neighbourhood
Watch aimed at the vulnerable elderly. Through Action Fraud, we also provide information
on the latest threats and protective advice.</p><p>The Fraud Act 2006 established
for the first time a single offence of fraud. It makes no distinction in the method
used to commit fraud and as such captures fraud committed over the telephone as well
as fraud committed in other ways. We keep the effectiveness of legislation under review
and have no current plans to make alterations to the Fraud Act.</p><p>Law enforcement
partners, such as the Economic Crime Command of the National Crime Agency and the
City of London Police, the lead force for Fraud are engaged in various operations
with international connections. For example, the National Crime Agency recently collaborated
with the City of London Police on Operation RICO, a major investigation against organised
crime groups engaged in investment fraud often conducted over the phone. A coordinated
international day of action in February resulted in 110 arrests in the UK, USA, Spain
and Serbia, and the seizure of significant assets and cash.</p><p> </p>
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