Nearly a third of Brits have noticed a rise in white-collar crime in the last 12 months | #whatsapp | #lovescams | #phonescams

Nearly a third of Brits (31%) feel there has been a rise in white-collar crime in the last 12 months – but 14% wouldn’t bother to report any fraudulent activity to the police, research has found.

A survey of 2,000 adults found that three-quarters (74%) have been targeted by scam emails, while 68% have received scam phone calls or scam texts (57%).

But 69% admit they don’t fully understand what exactly a white-collar crime entails – and when it comes to reporting such incidents, nearly half (44%) wouldn’t know how to do so, or who to pass the information to.

And 59% believe that, even if they were to report an instance of white-collar crime to the police or relevant body, nothing would be done about it.

A spokesman for software company Medius, which commissioned the research, said: “The judicial system isn’t set up to deal with fraud, and for businesses there is huge amounts of money at stake.

“The best way to tackle white-collar crime is through prevention.

“For business owners, ensuring staff are trained up to spot fraudulent activity can be worth its weight in gold, and save huge headaches.”

Of those who have been targeted by scams, 51% have been asked to make a payment, and four in ten were asked about their bank details.

Another 38% were asked to pay an invoice or bill, while just over one in 20 (6%) were asked to divulge sensitive company information.

The study found people who use emails or messaging at work are more likely to simply delete the email, than report it as spam (35% vs 32%).

The results also showed a huge 86% of adults would like to see more white-collar criminals held accountable for their crimes – as over half feel this type of activity is often treated more leniently than other offences.

And 28% would like to see sentences “much longer” than what they normally are, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Nearly half (48%) also worry that the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI), along with a reduction in human involvement, will lead to more issues in future.

Medius’ spokesman added: “AI is having an impact on almost all areas of life, and we’re really only at the beginning of what those issues could be.

“From the entertainment industry to journalism to the justice system, everyone is scrambling to keep up.

“AI could be a hugely powerful tool for criminals, so it’s important workplaces stay on top of the latest developments, and make sure staff are up to date as well.”