FRAUD is increasingly becoming a part of daily life, with the number of victims across Essex hitting new highs with victims across the county losing a staggering £2.3 million in 2021 alone.
Internet fraud can take place in many forms, whether it is romance fraudsters, crypto currency scams, phishing emails or copycat government websites, it is now more important than ever that residents are aware and are “fraud savvy”.
In 2021, there was a significant jump in reported cases in Essex with 234 victims coming forward, losing £2.3 million – an average of £9,800 each – although it is widely believed that romance fraud is significantly under-reported.
In a bid to combat the rising number of fraud cases, Essex Police have three fraud prevention co-ordinators working across Essex whose aim is to prevent frauds from happening by educating people about the signs of fraud, and to help safeguard vulnerable victims who may be susceptible to further attempts to trick them out of money or personal information.
“It is surprisingly easy to fall victim to even simple frauds because we are so busy in our daily lives,” fraud prevention co-ordinator Tammy Blest said.
“If we don’t stop to read or listen to something properly and look out for the signs to tell us whether something is genuine or not then it is far more likely that we will be tricked out of parting with our hard-earned cash or giving away valuable personal information.
“So we urge everyone to Take Five to stop fraud – that’s five minutes to think about whether the request is genuine or to consult a family member or friend. It’s OK to say no and only a criminal will try to rush or panic you.”
Essex Police, in partnership with victim support, is one of only three police forces to run a support group for victims of dating and romance fraud.
The fraud prevention co-ordinators refer people who have fallen victim to this intensely personal crime and work with them to help them rebuild their lives.
Caroline Plakhtienko, one of Essex Police’s fraud prevention co-ordinators, said: “People who fall victim to any kind of fraud initially blame themselves, feeling stupid that they succumbed to being tricked and they can also feel a sense of shame.
“But most fraudsters are incredibly clever and they play on people’s emotions when they are vulnerable, whether that be loneliness or simply being in a rush.
“We should all talk about this type of crime more so that victims feel confident to come forward and report crimes, so we can investigate them and try to prevent other people being conned, and more confident to talk about them so others can learn from their experiences. This can also help them move on.”
Fraud prevention co-ordinators have developed good working relationships with partner agencies and charities to promote effective fraud prevention, raise awareness of current scams, provide general crime prevention advice and point the public in the direction of further advice and support.
They regularly give talks various societies, Women’s Institutes, University of the Third Age groups and disability organisations, together with visits to sheltered housing complexes, markets, summer fetes, libraries and anywhere they feel the public will gain some benefit from their knowledge and expertise.
