Cases rise as fraudsters take advantage of Covid-19 impact - claim
The Midlands saw a significant increase in the volume and value of major fraud cases in the first half of 2021 as courts reopened and operations resumed, new analysis reveals.
The region 's courts heard 27 cases with a combined value of £20 million during the first half of the year, compared to just eight cases during the same period in 2020, with a value of £9.6 million.
The majority of the action was in the East Midlands, as its courts heard over half (14) of the Midlands region 's total cases, accounting for £12.6 million in value - compared to just £5.6 million and four cases in 2020.
In the West Midlands, however, while the volume of cases more than tripled from 4 in 2020 to 13 in 2021, the value almost doubled from £4 million to £7.6 million.
While most of the region 's cases involved fraudsters targeting the general public (10 cases) and commercial business (9 cases), it was those targeting the Government ( £6.3 million) and general public ( £6.8 million) which resulted in the highest value of losses.
The data also showed a steep increase in the number of fraud cases committed by employees and professional criminals.
Julie Bruce (pictured), forensic director at KPMG in the Midlands, said: “There 's no doubt in my mind that fraudsters have and will continue to take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic and they are increasingly becoming more sophisticated in their attacks.
“It 's interesting that we 're seeing significantly more cases with high values in the East Midlands than the West.
“However, this could be due to the hefty backlog of cases that the region 's courts are still battling to get through. With that in mind, what we 're seeing currently could be just the tip of the iceberg.
”Typically whenever there are periods of challenge and uncertainty, you do see a spike in fraudulent activity.
“Many of us now rely heavily on tech and devices, due to the shift in work and life over the last 15 months, so it 's vital for both individuals and organisations to remain vigilant and take the necessary steps to protect their data and cash from fraudsters. ”
The number of alleged fraud cases being heard in UK courts in the first half of 2021 has almost doubled compared to the same time in 2020, as UK courts saw continued recovery in the system following Covid-19 lockdowns.
Figures from KPMG UK 's Fraud Barometer released today found 151 alleged fraud cases were heard in the first six months of the year, as courts used a mix of virtual and face-to-face sessions to start the catch up with the backlog created by Covid-19 restrictions.
Government figures stated in June this year that at the end of Q1 2021 there were over 59K outstanding cases for Crown Courts and just under 400K for magistrates ' courts.
The Barometer figures, which record alleged fraud cases - not including online fraud - with a value of over £100,000, saw the total value of alleged fraud reaching UK courts in the first half of 2021 fall significantly (70 per cent) year on year, standing at £139.1 million.