City of London Police welcome new framework strengthening the fight against fraud
City of London Police has welcomed the introduction of the newly revised PEEL framework, which for the first time places specific emphasis on how police forces respond to the growing threat of fraud.
Published by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, it will assess police effectiveness, efficiency, and legitimacy from 2025 to 2027.
Latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show fraud increased by 33 per cent, to around 4.1 million incidents, in the year ending December 2024.
City of London Police, the national policing lead for fraud, said fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, with an estimated £219 billion lost each year.
Deputy Commissioner Nik Adams said: “We welcome this important development, which highlights the increasing significance of how law enforcement addresses fraud – a crime-type that accounts for 50 per cent of all reported offences.
“This renewed focus brings greater accountability on police forces to not only manage fraud threats within their communities, but also to deliver meaningful outcomes for victims – something that lies at the heart of our mission.
“We are working closely with forces and partners across the UK to strengthen our collective response, enhance investigative capabilities, and build the necessary capacity to meet the scale of the challenge.”
He added: “Our commitment is clear: to provide the best possible service to victims, continually improve their experience, and maximise opportunities for law enforcement and its partners to reduce harm and prevent fraud.
“As part of this effort, and in recognition of the need to meet rising demand, we are developing a new, enhanced service for reporting and analysing fraud. This will allow us to better harness data and technology in support of our mission.
“We are actively engaging with local and regional forces to further improve access to this system, which represents just one part of our wider commitment to innovation and collaboration in the fight against fraud.”