Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to encourage partnership working between local authorities, police, health and social care and voluntary sector services to address the problem of scams and fraud against more vulnerable older people.

The Government takes fraud extremely seriously. The Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, published in 2013, places a strong focus on protecting those most at risk. The Home Office works with the City of London Police to help police forces to understand better who is vulnerable to fraud in their areas, and to work with local partners including the voluntary sector to help protect vulnerable people from the threat from fraud. This has included specific targeted activity with the vulnerable and the elderly, for example, a public campaign.

The Care Act 2014 also places a new statutory requirement for all local areas to have a Safeguarding Adults Board, comprised of the police, the local authority and Clinical Commissioning Group to protect the most vulnerable in their communities from all forms of harm, including financial harm.

We are also working closely with Financial Fraud Action UK and the British Bankers Association who have issued advice to consumers on telephone scams. This includes helping consumers know when they may be a target to these fraudsters, and advice on what information should never be shared, e.g. PIN number.