GMP joins fight against fraudsters

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Today (Monday 1 February), Greater Manchester Police is supporting the official launch of Action Fraud, a national reporting centre.

Led by The National Fraud Authority (NFA), Action Fraud provides a single point of contact for members of the public to report fraud and gain vital crime prevention advice.

The Action Fraud call centre is based in Manchester.

Fraudsters cost the UK over £30 billion each year and target individuals and businesses alike. Everyone is potentially at risk.

The National Fraud Authority recently described fraud as a 'silent crime', with little focus being placed on fraud victims. Action Fraud aims to redress this balance and places the focus on victims, who can phone a national call-centre to report fraud, get crime prevention advice or gain access to victim support.

Detective Inspector Neal Colburn, of GMP's Economic Crime Section, said: "Greater Manchester Police is proud to continue being at the forefront in the fight against fraud.

"Action Fraud has been taking calls from victims since October last year and already it is proving its worth.

"Action Fraud will support victims, help prevent fraud and better enable Greater Manchester Police to investigate crime by giving us access to national intelligence.

"By working together, Action Fraud and GMP will be able to offer a better level of service to the public."

Dr. Bernard Herdan, Chief Executive of the NFA, said: "Action Fraud is at the heart of our strategy to make the UK a more hostile environment for fraud. The vital information it provides to the police through the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), will help tighten the net on fraudsters."

Action Fraud data from GMP, as well as all other British police forces, will be transferred to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and analysed to identify patterns in fraud offending. This intelligence may later be used to form the basis of police investigations.

If individuals or business operators have been a victim of fraud in the last 12 months and want to report a fraud, they are encouraged to call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or Textphone 0300 123 2050.