Anti-fraud minister Lord Hanson told The Mirror the Government will go all-out to tackle ‘scam compounts’ which are cheating British victims out of billions of pounds each year
Labour’s anti-fraud chief has said a new crime squad will use AI to shut down overseas “scam compounds” responsible for ripping off unsuspecting Brits.
Lord Hanson warned international criminals that if they steal from victims in this country: “We will come for you.” The Home Office minister said the Online Crime Centre, which will launch in April, will take down large-scale operations using technology to cheat British famlies.
Officers will remove scam websites and block messages sent out to millions of people each year in a bid to deal with the fraud epidemic. Vowing to take the fight directly to criminals, Lord Hanson said: “Industrial scale ‘scam compounds’, operating from South East Asia, West Africa and beyond are targeting British families at the click of a button.
“Call centres where scripts are written, scams are perfected and victims are treated as profit margins. Criminals have been working across borders for years. It’s time we did the same.”
READ MORE: Yvette Cooper calls out Tony Blair as she defends PM over Donald Trump rantREAD MORE: Kids could be handcuffed during deportations as ‘terrifying’ plans spark fury
Speaking ahead of the Government’s long-awaited fraud strategy being published on Monday, he said: “We will deploy AI to spot fraud patterns faster.
“We will stop suspicious bank transfers before money leaves your account. We will even use scam-baiting chatbots to trick fraudsters into exposing themselves – while we gather the intelligence needed to bring them to justice.
“But this fight is not only about disruption. It is also about decency.” He said the new fraud squad – which brings together experts from policing, GCHQ, banks, mobile networks and tech giants – will shut down websites, phone numbers and accounts at scale.
It is estimated that one in 14 Brits and a quarter of businesses are victims of fraud each year, costing the economy over £14billion annually. Lord Hanson is set to travel with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna, which starts on March 16.
In a warning to organised criminals, he said: “We will relentlessly pursue new agreements with countries from where British citizens are being targeted. Because if you steal from hardworking Brits, we will come after you.
“The same technology criminals have exploited will now also be turned against them.” The Government will plough £250million into fighting fraud over the next five years.
And the new unit will be backed by over £30million in funding, the Home Office confirmed. A new fraid Victims Charter will set out national standards on how everyone preyed on by scammers should be treated.
This will ensure rules on response times, minimum standards of care and consistent advice on reimbursement and recovery are available.