Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will undertake an investigation into reports that Action Fraud call handlers are coached to tell callers to that helpline that they are talking to police officers.

This Government is determined to crack down on fraudsters and it is vital that victims have the confidence to come forward and know that their case will be dealt with properly.

The allegations concerning Action Fraud Contact Centre staff behaviour, reported recently in The Times articles, raises serious concerns. The Home Secretary has asked the City of London Police to set out how they intend to respond to these allegations. I will closely monitor the response and the performance of Action Fraud.

Action Fraud is the national reporting service for fraud and cyber crime. It receives reports from the public via its call centre and its website, however the operational response to fraud, including decision to investigate, remains with individual forces.