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Cost of internet fraud crime tackled

Published on 1 Feb 2010 under category: legal

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will launch the initiative 'Scamnesty' today (February 1st) to address the rocketing costs of internet fraud crime.

New research for the OFT has found that one in eleven adults had responded to a scam at some point – a third of whom lost money.

Around half of those (49 per cent) have lost more than £50 in total, with five per cent losing more than £5,000.

Scams Awareness Month aims to highlight the growing crime by getting consumers to drop off scam mailings into designated Scamnesty bins or boxes at local libraries and public areas across the country.

Email scams can be sent to an online 'bin' on the Consumer Direct website.

The organisations working in partnership with the OFT want to raise awareness of the devastating impact that internet fraud crime can have on families and individuals.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Victim Support, said: "Scams can have a devastating impact on people's lives. Stigma or embarrassment can wrongly make victims think they are to blame and discourage them from reporting these crimes or seeking help."

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