UK unveils fraud review

LONDON – An ongoing UK cross-government review of fraud set for release in April 2006 will investigate the scale and costs of fraud throughout the UK. The Fraud Review will identify available data and gather further data on prevalence and trends of fraud offences, the economic costs of fraud and the current government response to fraud. The review will include analysis on emerging issues and patterns in fraud such as global sharing of bank data by personnel at Indian call centres.

According to the attorney general Lord Goldsmith QC: "Modern technology allows fraudsters to commit bigger and more widespread crimes, often of global proportions. Every year it costs the UK economy the equivalent of £230 for every person in the UK. It cuts across multinational corporations and is embedded in terrorism, human trafficking and drug smuggling. It also affects individuals through credit card fraud and ID theft."

Fiona MacTaggart, parliamentary under-secretary at the Home Office, says