Fraud rises to its highest level in 12 years (but they’re stealing less each time)
The number of reported cases of fraud rose four per cent to 546 in 2014, its highest figure in more than 12 years, according to research by accountancy giant BDO.
But the research also found that the average value of fraud fell 34 per cent during the year, from £2m in 2013 to £1.3m in 2014, while the average value of fraud fell 31 per cent, to its lowest value since 2003. So that's, er, encouraging.
BDO's FraudTrack, which examines fraud cases over £50,000, identified two frauds – a film tax evasion case, and a money laundering operation at a bureau de change – which made up almost a third of all reported crimes in 2014. Stripping those two out, the average value of thse left over was £900,000, a fall of more than half since 2013.