Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the review criteria by which Report Fraud make a decision on whether to refer the report of fraud to a police force to consider an investigation.

Report Fraud is the new national reporting service for fraud and for cyber crime operated by City of London Police. Reports submitted to Report Fraud are considered by the service’s National Crime Analysis Service and evaluated to assess the information available which could assist an investigation.

Where there is enough evidence available and a viable lead, the case is sent to the appropriate police force or other law enforcement partners to consider whether enforcement activity should take place.

Whilst the HO will provide oversight of the service and its performance to ensure an appropriate standard of service for the public, City of London Police are operationally independent and the Home Office does not have any authority over decisions on whether to refer a report of fraud to police force to consider an investigation.

Report Fraud are unable to disclose the thresholds they use as this would give criminals information which would allow them to be confident of evading justice.