Convictions for fraud at record low

Police have warned that criminals are exploiting "soft justice" as fraud convictions have fallen to a record low. Convictions dropped 15,500 in 2010 to 9,000 in 2018, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Additionally figures from 43 police forces suggest that the proportion of succesful convictions has fallen by 5% from 21.9% to 15.9%.

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) use a computer system, known within police circles as the "Brain", rejected 243,000 potential fraud matters, of the 293,000 reported. The suggestion being that the Brain decided that the chances of a succesful prosecution were unlikely and recommended that action was not warranted.

Of the 50,000 reports that led to court action less than one in six generated a conviction. 

Police Authorities have blamed cutbacks which require that they prioritise "high harm offences" involving violent crime at the expense of fraud matters.

Currently the average jail term for fraud offences stands at 18.9 months (2018), as opposed to robbery leading to conviction terms of 49.2 months, drugs offences of 36.1 months and both criminal damage and arson leading to imprisonment terms of 29 months.

Should you require legal advice regards a crime or fraud matter please do not hesitate to contact us.

GV Hale & The Johnson Partnership

Doncaster Crime Solicitors