DEBATE PACK Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

Protecting consumers By Lorraine Conway Esme Kirk-Wade from online scams

Contents

1. Online scams 2 Summary 1.1 Background 2 1.2 Statistics 2 This pack has been prepared ahead of the debate to be held in Westminster Hall 1.3 Common online scams 3 on Wednesday 28 April 2021 at 4:05pm. The debate will be opened by Ruth 1.4 Covid-19 online scams 5 Edwards MP. 1.5 Victims of online scams 5 1.6 How to report an online scam 5 1.7 Can a victim get their money back? 6 1.8 Consumer protection initiatives 7 1.9 Government position 8 1.10 Select Committees 8 2. Media 10 2.1 Press releases 10 2.2 Articles and blogs 11 3. Parliamentary Business 13 3.1 Debates 13 3.2 Parliamentary Questions 13 3.3 Early Day Motions 19 4. Further reading 21

The House of Commons Library prepares a briefing in hard copy and/or online for most non-legislative debates in the Chamber and Westminster Hall other than half-hour debates. Debate Packs are produced quickly after the announcement of parliamentary business. They are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issue being debated and identify relevant briefings and useful documents, including press and parliamentary material. More detailed briefing can be prepared for Members on request to the Library.

www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

1. Online scams 1.1 Background Online scams come in many forms, and through different channels. Advances in technology have enabled scammers to become increasingly sophisticated in their online methods. For example, some copycat websites can look like official government sites, with the result that people pay more for services (e.g. renewing a passport or driving licence). emails can trick individuals into giving out their personal bank details. Although anyone can fall for a scam, vulnerable people (such as the elderly and those with learning difficulties or dementia) are especially susceptible. All scams should be reported to Action and to Trading Standards (via the Citizens Advice online portal). However, many scams go unreported due to the victim’s embarrassment or shame. This Westminster Hall Debate is predominantly concerned with online scams, but the following Library’s briefing paper may also be of interest: • Regulating online harms, (CBP 8743) (22 January 2021) • Junk mail, (CBP 5762) (11 April 2019) • Nuisance calls: unsolicited Sales and marketing, and silent calls, (CBP 6033) (15 March 2019)

1.2 Statistics Most online scams will appear in statistics as or fraud. The Office for National Statistics has analysed the “Nature of fraud and computer misuse in and : year ending March 2019” and has summarised the main points as follows: The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) shows that there were an estimated 3.8 million incidents of fraud in the year ending March 2019, with evidence of a rising trend that is also seen in other data sources. • While fraud victimisation showed little variation across different demographic groups, the likelihood of being a victim was generally lower in older age groups and greater in higher income households. • In 63% of fraud incidents, there had been no contact between the victim and the offender; the most common methods of contact were online or by email (14%) or by telephone (11%). • In 76% of fraud incidents, the victim incurred a financial loss and of these, the majority of victims (58%) lost less than £250. • Around one in seven (15%) fraud incidents were reported to Action Fraud or the police; the most common reason given for not doing so was that the incident was reported to financial authorities instead. Protecting consumers from online scams 3

The CSEW also showed there were an estimated 1.0 million incidents of computer misuse in the year ending March 2019, having fallen over each of the last two years. • Around one in five (21%) computer virus incidents resulted in access to files or data being lost and in around one in eight (12%) incidents, a demand for money to release files or data was made. • The majority of adults took precautions to keep safe online (for example, deleting suspicious emails without opening them) and the proportions of adults taking such precautions has risen.1 In addition, key statistics on the fraud and cybercrimes reported to Action Fraud are available in a new interactive” dashboard”. This is designed to allow users to quickly identify commonly reported fraud and cybercrimes, and filter by police forces in the UK where the victim lives. The data is updated each month.

1.3 Common online scams Online scams, where criminals use the to trick people into giving them money or personal information, come in many forms. Scammers might contact a victim via email, social media (Facebook, Twitter etc), or messaging services. Often, scammers will direct the victim to a fake website or trick them into downloading malware, which corrupts their computer. Some examples of common online scams are provided below. Phishing Phishing emails or social media messages try to trick a person into giving out personal information or bank details. Examples of phishing emails identified by ‘Which?’ include: • Security scams, which usually involves an unsolicited phone call supposedly from a ‘security expert’ offering to fix a person’s PC.

• Government scams, whereby fraudsters send convincing emails that pretend to be from a government agency, such as HM Revenue and Customs. The scammers ask the potential victim to provide their bank details, usually by clicking on a link.

• Trusted organisations, whereby scammers contact a person claiming to be their bank or other trusted organisation (such as PayPal, Amazon or Ebay). The scammer will claim the victim’s account has been compromised and ask them to verify their security details to keep the account open. Usually there is a link in the message that directs the victim to a fake website (which can look exactly like the real organisation’s site) where they will be asked to log in. This gives the scammer the victim’s account details and passwords, enabling them to access his/her bank account or account.

1 Office for National Statistics, “Nature of fraud and computer misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2019 – Summary of the various sources of data for fraud and computer misuse and what these tell is about victims, circumstances and long term trends ”, [online] (accessed 22 April 2021) 4 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

Computer virus online scam A scammer contacts the potential victim by email urging them to follow a link or open an attachment. If the victim acts on this instruction, and clicks on the link or attachment, it releases a virus which attacks the victim’s computer, effectively enabling the scammer to access the computer and scan it for private data. Copycat websites Some private companies set up websites deliberately designed to look like official Government sites and then charge people for services that are available directly from the Government either at no cost or for a much lower fee (e.g. renewing a driving licence or passbook). It is not unlawful to provide reviewing and forwarding services, but businesses should make it clear on their websites that they are not affiliated to the Government and that people will be paying extra for this service. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) may investigate misleading websites and, if there is evidence of wrongdoing, impose sanctions. In some cases, phishing emails, instant messaging, or posts on social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) direct a potential victim to a copycat site. To facilitate the deception, scammers will create duplicates of government websites (e.g. DVLA, HMRC, Passport Office). Some scams involve sending an email purporting to be from HMRC saying a tax refund is due, the recipient is then instructed to click on a link to a fake website where their is harvested. Stranded traveler emails A potential victim receives an unexpected email supposedly from a “poor” person who is stranded abroad due to some sort of disaster (e.g. an accident, mugging or ill health), and asks them to help by sending money. To make the email appear more believable, the scammer will hack into email accounts and send the help messages to people on their address list, in effect, the message appears to be from a friend. Online relationship scams A person is befriended on a social networking or dating site. Once the scammer has gained the victim’s trust, they ask for money, supposedly to help get them out of a difficult situation. It is a form of extortion using “emotional blackmail”. Health scams A person responds to an email or online advert thinking they are purchasing some miraculous pain relief tablets or other medicines. Having parted with their money, the item is not what it seems (e.g. it is a placebo or of poor quality) or is never delivered. scams The scammer advertises on social media a “legitimate” job acting as a “money transfer agent, all the person has to do to earn a fee is provide their bank details. The scammer then uses the victim’s bank details for purposes. Protecting consumers from online scams 5

1.4 Covid-19 online scams Scammers have been quick to exploit the current pandemic for financial gain. For example, a Covid-19 vaccination scam involves sending a phishing text message telling the recipient that they are eligible to apply for the vaccine, it links to a fake NHS page which then asks for their personal information (name, address, date of birth etc) and for bank or details. Other Coronavirus-themed phishing emails deliberately play on the fears of people. Some pretend to be from the NHS and contain links that, if clicked, give the scammer access to sensitive personal information (e/g. passwords, email logins and banking details). There are online shopping scams where people order PPE equipment (such as protective face masks or hand sanitiser) that are never delivered or fake testing kits or “cures” for the virus. People who are vulnerable or isolated at home are particularly susceptible to these scams.

1.5 Victims of online scams People of all ages and from all walks of life can be the victim of a scam. It is often thought that older people are the most likely to fall for scams, but while this does happen, other age groups can be just as likely to be taken in. people are often too embarrassed to admit they have fallen for a scam. Scammers with target anyone. People are especially vulnerable to “get- rich-quick schemes” if they are in a difficult situation, such as coping with redundancy. For example, there are online training scams which specifically target people hoping to improve their employment chances, but the scam defrauds them of their money instead. Scammers also target people struggling on benefits by offering to help them apply for interest-free government loans. Once in receipt of the victim’s personal details the scammers use them to apply for an advance loan of universal credit which the scammers take. The victim is left in debt. Although anyone can fall for a scam, vulnerable people are more likely to be targeted. Older people and people with mental health problems, learning difficulties or dementia are especially susceptible to scams.

1.6 How to report an online scam If a person suspects that a fraud has been committed, they should report the incident to Action Fraud. Action Fraud is the UK’s national crime reporting centre, investigating cases of fraud. It gathers information on scams and passes it onto the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau for analysis by the police. Whilst not every report results in a police investigation, it does add to the general body of intelligence on how scams work and who may be perpetrating them. If a victim of a scam has lost money, the can also be reported to their local police. If the victim of a scam has lost money using their credit or debit card, or has sent money through an account transaction, they should immediately notify their bank or payment provider. The quicker they do 6 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

this, the greater the chance of recovering their money. The bank or payment provider can also put in place additional security measures. A victim of a phishing email should report the incident to the internet service provider that sent the email. They may be able to close the account that the scammer was sending from. The Information Commissioner’s Office is responsible for taking enforcement action against organisations that persistently ignore their obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Further information is available on the ICO website. Finally, victims of an online scam can seek advice from Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline. If appropriate, Citizens Advice may refer the case on to Trading Standards and action may be taken against a rogue trader.

1.7 Can a victim get their money back? Individuals who have been scammed do not always get their money back, especially if they have parted with cash or made a bank transfer or if the scammer is located abroad. The various possibilities are summarised below, obviously much would depend on the exact circumstances: • Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (as amended), a credit card company is jointly and severally liable for any breach of contract or misrepresentation by the trader. However, for section 75 to apply the good or service bought must have cost over £100 and not more than £30,000. Section 75 might be useful where goods or services never materialise, and the trader has disappeared.

• If an individual has bought a good or service with a debit card, they may be able to ask their card provider to reverse the transaction using chargeback. The chargeback scheme applies to all debit card transactions including goods costing less than £100, although exact rules may vary between the various networks. It is important to note that chargeback is not enshrined in law but is part of Scheme Rules, which participating banks subscribe to.

• If a victim of an online scam has made a bank transfer (authorising the transfer of money into another bank account) than they should contact their bank immediately. The bank can try and recover the funds, although this may be difficult.

• If the victim of a scam has paid for an item online using PayPal, and the item is never sent, they may be covered by PayPal Buyer Protection, but there are exceptions. For example, some online scams involve the scammer setting up a fake payment page using PayPal branding, to gather the victim’s bank details.

• If a victim of an online scam sends money via wire payment service (such as MoneyGram, PayPoint and ), it is Protecting consumers from online scams 7

unlikely they will be able to get their money back. All these services provide advice on how to avoid fraud and scams.

• If an unauthorised transaction has been made on a person’s card then they may be able to recover the money from their bank. The Payment Services Regulations 2009 and the Banking Conduct of Business rules place obligations on banks and building societies to provide a refund in certain circumstances.

1.8 Consumer protection initiatives From time-to-time, Trading Standards have joined with Citizens Advice to operate “Scam awareness” campaigns. The aim being to increase awareness and to provide people with practical advice on how to avoid being scammed. The Action Fraud website also highlights the latest scams based on reports from the public. Various charities and consumer organisations publish advice online. For example, “Age UK” has published guidance on avoiding scams, “Staying safe online”. The consumer body Which? has started an online petition to “stamp out scams”, demanding that banks and businesses do more to protect consumers. Scams involving false investment opportunities are common and devastating when they involve the life savings of elderly individuals. The main regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has a statutory objective of “securing an appropriate degree of protection for consumers”. It seeks to do this in many ways; through consumer information/education programmes such as the ScamSmart scheme and the active investigation and prosecution of suspect activity. A new voluntary industry code came into force on 28 May 2019 to help victims who are tricked by “authorised push payment” (APP) scams. This is where people are tricked into transferring money, perhaps because they think they are paying a bank, a business or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This code sets a new criterion to judge whether customers caught by “authorised push payments” should be reimbursed. In effect, a victim who is a customer of a signatory firm will be fully refunded, if they meet the standards expected of them. However, a victim who has been “grossly negligent” will not be reimbursed. The code only covers transfer between UK accounts; overseas accounts are not covered. The Payment Systems Regulator has ruled the code should be voluntary rather than mandatory, but most high street banks have signed up to this code. In addition, a separate name-checking service, called “confirmation of payee”, works by making sure the name of the account someone is sending money to matches the name they have entered. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) required the UK’s six biggest banking groups (which are involved in about 90 per cent of bank transfers) to put the measures in place by 31 March 2020. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recently launched the “Suspicious Email Reporting Service”, with the aim of quickly shutting down harmful websites and scams. The NCSC website states that as of 8 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

31 March 2021, the number of reports received stand at more than 5,500,000 with the removal of more than 41,000 scams and 81,000 URLs.

1.9 Government position On 21 April 2021, in written answer to a PQ asked by Bob Blackman on what steps the Government plans to take to give online platforms a legal responsibility for preventing and removing content that leads to pension scams from their sites, Caroline Dinenage (Minister of State for Digital and Culture (DCMS)) said: The growth and scale of online pensions scams, and online fraud more broadly, is deeply concerning. The Government is working tirelessly with industry, regulators and consumer groups to tackle fraud. We are also considering additional legislative and non- legislative solutions to effectively address the harms posed by all elements of online fraud in a cohesive and robust way. My Department is considering how online advertising is regulated through its Online Advertising Programme. This work will look at ensuring that standards about the placement and content of advertising are effectively applied and enforced online to reduce consumers’ exposure to harmful or misleading advertising. This work will look at the role advertising can play in enabling online fraud and help inform our future efforts to tackle it. We will be consulting on this issue later this year. On 13 April 2021, in written answer to a PQ asked by Stephen Timms about internet fraud, Kevin Foster ( Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department) said that the Government is seeking to expand membership of the Joint Fraud Taskforce to involve a wider network of stakeholders in fraud prevention activity. He also said: We are also considering other routes to ensure the public are safe from all forms of online fraud, including legislation. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is leading efforts on the Online Advertising Programme which will consider further regulation of online advertising to tackle harms including fraud.

1.10 Select Committees The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Financial Crime and Scamming was launched in October 2017. The stated aim of the APPG is to challenge the response to fraud from law enforcement, government, and the public, private and charity sectors. It is also intended to act as a channel for expert briefings on financial crime and scamming to parliamentarians. On 6 January 2021, the Work and Pensions Select Committee heard oral evidence from the Pensions Regulator, the City of Police, the FCA and the National Economic Crime Centre as part of its inquiry into the impact of pensions freedoms and the protection of pension savers. The Committee heard evidence on the scale of pension scams. All those who gave evidence considered that the true extent of pension scamming is likely to be higher than the £30 million reported by Action Fraud as having been scammed from individuals over the last three Protecting consumers from online scams 9

years. The FCA said that Google and Facebook were acting too slowly in curbing online scams and other measures may have to be considered.2

2 “FCA: social media must do more against online scams”, Money Marketing, 6 January 2021, [online] 10 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

2. Media 2.1 Press releases UK Finance Criminals exploit Covid-19 pandemic with rise in scams targeting victims online 25 March 2021

Action Fraud Fake DPD messages lead to over £200,000 in losses since June 17 December 2020

UK Finance Consumers warned of online scams ahead of Black Friday 12 November 2020

Action Fraud Over £16 million lost to online shopping fraud during lockdown, with people aged 18-26 most at risk 19 June 2020

National Cyber Security Centre Public urged to flag coronavirus related email scams as online security campaign launches 21 April 2020

Pensions Regulator Scam victims lose more than £1m each to fraudsters 28 January 2019

HM Revenue & Customs Record number of fake HMRC websites deactivated 30 June 2018

Financial Conduct Authority FCA warns of increased risk of online investment fraud, as investors lose £87k a day to binary options scams 29 January 2018

Protecting consumers from online scams 11

2.2 Articles and blogs

Please note: the Library is not responsible for either the views or accuracy of external content.

Government to consult on online fraud measures FT Adviser, 23 April 2021

Government to consult on online fraud measure ‘later this year’ Money Marketing, 22 April 2021

Britain to crackdown on online fraud after LCF collapse Reuters, 21 April 2021

The Work and Pensions Committee is right to be alarmed over online pension scams The Independent, 29 March 2021

Tech giants must be stopped from aiding and abetting online scams The Telegraph, 27 March 2021

GCHQ takes down 2,000 online scams as criminals target public during lockdown The Telegraph, 21 April 2020

Scam victims to be refunded by banks BBC, 28 May 2019

Scam victims to be reimbursed under new code: has your bank signed up to protect you? Which?, 28 May 2019

Banking code to protect victims tricked into transferring money to fraudsters The Independent, 28 May 2019

I replied to a genuine bank tweet and lost £9,200 to a fraudster The Observer, 28 May 2019

Beware of cloned ISAs: scammers are pushing fake savings plans online The Times, 12 May 2019

TSB pledges to refund fraud victims BBC,15 April 2019

Beware caller ID: it may not be your bank, it could be a fraudster The Guardian, 30 March 2019 12 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

The latest scams and ways to avoid them The Times, 30 March 2019

Payment scam victims more likely to be reimbursed BBC, 1 March 2019

I got a phishing email that tried to blackmail me – what should I do? The Guardian, 17 January 2019

Will victims of now get a better chance of justice? The Guardian, 25 August 2018

For sale: your Netflix account details — and the key to a successful identity scam The Times, 4 March 2018

Think you can spot scammers? Just 9% of Britons really can The Guardian, 22 January 2018 Protecting consumers from online scams 13

3. Parliamentary Business 3.1 Debates Westminster Hall debate: Online scams HC Deb 10 November 2020 | vol 683, cc357-363WH

Westminster Hall debate: Telephone and online scams HC Deb 4 June 2019 | vol 661, cc1-20WH

Backbench business debate: Scamming: Vulnerable Individuals HC Deb 8 September 2016 | vol 615, cc507-530

3.2 Parliamentary Questions Fraud: Internet Asked by: Karin Smyth (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of online fraud during the covid-19 outbreak. Answering member: Kevin Foster | Home Office The Government is aware fraudsters are exploiting the pandemic to commit opportunistic crimes such as fraud. We are regularly monitoring the number of cases being reported to the police and these – at present- remain very low. Despite a difficult fiscal backdrop, as part of the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed a further £63m to the Home Office to tackle economic crime, including fraud. This is in addition to funding the Home Office commits each year to the National Crime Agency, National Economic Crime Centre and police forces, including the City of London Police as the national lead force for fraud and the operator of the Action Fraud and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau services. Our efforts to tackle online scams have been ramping up, including working with the National Cyber Security Centre to establish a new Suspicious Email Reporting Service which was launched in April 2020. This service allows the public to report potential scams safely and effectively. As of 28 February 2021, the number of reports received stand at more than 5,000,000 with the removal of more than 36,000 scams and 71,000 URLs. The best way to deal with these scams is for the public to be well- informed on how to protect themselves. We have launched a gov.uk page containing easy-to-follow steps for people to spot potential and the steps they can take to avoid them. It also signposts advice and support to those who may unfortunately have fallen victim. This page can currently be found here: 14 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19- fraud-and-cyber-crime. We continue to encourage anyone who has been a targeted by a scam to report it. Action Fraud is the central police reporting point for all victims of fraud and can be contacted by phone on 0300 123 2040 or through their website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting- fraud-and-cyber-crime 19 Apr 2021 | Written questions | House of Commons | 175912

Fraud: Internet Asked by: Karin Smyth (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional resources she plans to allocate to law enforcement agencies to ensure effective action against people perpetrating online fraud. Answering member: Kevin Foster | Home Office The Government is aware fraudsters are exploiting the pandemic to commit opportunistic crimes such as fraud. We are regularly monitoring the number of cases being reported to the police and these – at present- remain very low. Despite a difficult fiscal backdrop, as part of the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed a further £63m to the Home Office to tackle economic crime, including fraud. This is in addition to funding the Home Office commits each year to the National Crime Agency, National Economic Crime Centre and police forces, including the City of London Police as the national lead force for fraud and the operator of the Action Fraud and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau services. Our efforts to tackle online scams have been ramping up, including working with the National Cyber Security Centre to establish a new Suspicious Email Reporting Service which was launched in April 2020. This service allows the public to report potential scams safely and effectively. As of 28 February 2021, the number of reports received stand at more than 5,000,000 with the removal of more than 36,000 scams and 71,000 URLs. The best way to deal with these scams is for the public to be well- informed on how to protect themselves. We have launched a gov.uk page containing easy-to-follow steps for people to spot potential frauds and the steps they can take to avoid them. It also signposts advice and support to those who may unfortunately have fallen victim. This page can currently be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19- fraud-and-cyber-crime. We continue to encourage anyone who has been a targeted by a scam to report it. Action Fraud is the central police reporting point for all victims of fraud and can be contacted by phone on 0300 123 2040 or through their website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting- fraud-and-cyber-crime Protecting consumers from online scams 15

19 Apr 2021 | Written questions | House of Commons | 175913

Fraud: Internet Asked by: Stephen Timms (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to tackle user-generated or non-paid-for content on online platforms that leads to scams or fraud. Answering member: Kevin Foster | Home Office Fraudsters have shown they can and will exploit any vulnerability to commit their crimes, including through the use of technology and the internet. We are working with law enforcement and industry to close down these vulnerabilities. Last year, the National Cyber Security Centre launched the Suspicious Email Reporting Service which has already led to tens of thousands of harmful websites and scams being shut down. We are also seeking to expand membership of the Joint Fraud Taskforce to involve a wider network of stakeholders in our fraud prevention activity. We are also considering other routes to ensure the public are safe from all forms of online fraud, including legislation. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is leading efforts on the Online Advertising Programme which will consider further regulation of online advertising to tackle harms including fraud. 13 Apr 2021 | Written questions | House of Commons | 174716

Fraud: Internet Asked by: Stephen Timms (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the growth in the number of scams facilitated by content hosted on online platforms through adverts or user-generated content in the last twelve months. Answering member: Kevin Foster | Home Office Fraudsters have shown they can and will exploit any vulnerability to commit their crimes, including through the use of technology and the internet. We are working with law enforcement and industry to close down these vulnerabilities. Last year, the National Cyber Security Centre launched the Suspicious Email Reporting Service which has already led to tens of thousands of harmful websites and scams being shut down. We are also seeking to expand membership of the Joint Fraud Taskforce to involve a wider network of stakeholders in our fraud prevention activity. We are also considering other routes to ensure the public are safe from all forms of online fraud, including legislation. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is leading efforts on the Online Advertising Programme which will consider further regulation of online advertising to tackle harms including fraud. 16 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

13 Apr 2021 | Written questions | House of Commons | 174717

Internet: Fraud Asked by: Debbie Abrahams (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulatory framework governing the responsibility of online platforms, including search engines and social media sites to protect their users against scam content on their sites. Answering member: Caroline Dinenage | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport We are deeply concerned about the growth and scale of online scams. My officials work closely on this matter with other government departments, including the Home Office as the government department responsible for tackling fraud, as well as with industry, regulators and consumer groups. Through an ongoing programme of work, the government is considering additional legislative and non-legislative solutions to effectively address the harms posed by all elements of online fraud in a cohesive and robust way. Within my department, the Online Advertising Programme will be considering further regulation of online advertising to tackle harms including fraud. The government will launch a public consultation on measures to enhance how online advertising is regulated in the UK this year. 09 Mar 2021 | Written questions | House of Commons | 161765

Internet: Fraud Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the potential merits of expanding the scope of the proposed Online Safety Bill to tackle online scams and fraud. Answering member: Caroline Dinenage | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Home Secretary are jointly responsible for the online harms programme. The government has set out its position on the scope of the online safety bill in the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper. The government is committed to tackling online scams and fraud. We are working tirelessly across government and with industry, consumer groups, law enforcement and regulators to pursue fraudsters, close down the vulnerabilities they exploit and make sure people have the information they need to spot and report scams. 22 Feb 2021 | Written questions | House of Commons | 152524 Protecting consumers from online scams 17

Fraud: Internet Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Lab) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle online scams during the covid-19 outbreak. Answering member: James Brokenshire | Home Office The Government recognises the serious risks presented by online scams and fraud and are committed to tackling fraudulent activity online. Fraudsters will use any hook, including Covid-19, to commit these terrible crimes and we must therefore remain vigilant to any risks and vulnerabilities. We are working collaboratively across government to reaffirm messages to the public setting out how they can protect themselves from fraud and stay safe online. This is why we launched a gov.uk page targeted at coronavirus-related fraud and . The page includes easy-to-follow steps for people to better protect themselves as well as signposting all relevant advice and tips and can currently be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid- 19-fraud-and-cyber-crime. As well as this, we continue to work alongside law enforcement to ensure the public has the protection and advice needed to shield themselves from online crimes. We continue to encourage anyone who has been a targeted by a scam to report it. Action Fraud is the central police reporting point for all victims of fraud and can be contacted by phone on 0300 123 2040 or through their website: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud. We have also worked with the National Cyber Security Centre to recently establish a Suspicious Email Reporting Service. This service allows the public to report potential scams safely and effectively and to date, has led to the removal of 22,192 scams. Members of the public can forward suspicious emails to this address: [email protected] 14 Dec 2020 | Written questions | House of Commons | 126102

Covid-19: Online Fraud Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Con) 5. What discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on tackling online fraud during the covid-19 outbreak. (902917) Answered by: John Whittingdale | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport The Government are concerned about online fraud and are very much aware that criminals and fraudsters are attempting to exploit the concern around covid-19. My officials have been working closely with the Home Office, as well as with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency, throughout the covid-19 outbreak. We have published official Government advice to help the public to stay 18 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

safe and secure online, and we launched the new Cyber Aware campaign in April, offering the public online security advice. Stuart Anderson Pre-covid, local councillors in Tettenhall Regis in Wolverhampton launched online and social media training for over-65s. What is my right hon. Friend going to do to upskill those with little or no online skills? John Whittingdale I am happy to join my hon. Friend in congratulating the councillors in Tettenhall Regis on that initiative. It is absolutely right that during this crisis, more and more people have been carrying out tasks such as shopping, banking and keeping in touch online. We are very much aware that it has now become all the more essential to tackle the digital divide that already existed. The Government are funding the future digital inclusion programme to give people the skills that they need to participate in this increasingly digital world. Since 2014, the programme has supported more than 1.4 million adult learners to develop their basic skills. We have also delivered a £400,000 digital inclusion innovation fund, which is designed to tackle digital exclusion among older and disabled people. 04 Jun 2020 | Oral question | House of Commons | vol 676, cc987-8

Internet: Fraud Asked by: David Simpson (DUP) To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department issues to (a) retailers and (b) consumers to raise awareness of the threat of online scams. Answering member: Andrew Griffiths | Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy There is guidance on how to spot and avoid scams available to retailers and consumers from organisations including Citizen’s Advice, Trading Standards, banks, UK Finance, Action Fraud, and the FCA. In addition, we are currently in the first week of Scams Awareness Month (SAM) – an annual campaign which BEIS supports bringing together organisations nationally and locally to take a united stand against scams and fraud. The campaign which runs until the end of June aims to raise awareness with both consumers and business about all types of scams – online, telephone, mail and at the doorstep – with a focus on encouraging victims to speak up and report to the appropriate authorities. In the 2017 campaign last July over 360 organisations participated reaching over 1/3rd million consumers face to face and offline and saw a 17 percent increase during the campaign in people accessing online advice about scams through the Citizens Advice website. We hope to increase on those numbers this year. 13 Jun 2018 | Written questions | House of Commons | 149987 Protecting consumers from online scams 19

Internet: Fraud Asked by: Andrew Percy (Con) To ask the Minister for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to improve awareness among older people of internet scams. Answering member: Mr Ben Wallace | Home Office The Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign is designed to help encourage the public to protect themselves from fraud and scams, providing advice on specific protective behaviours including around phishing. The campaign was developed jointly by industry, Government experts and the Joint Fraud Taskforce. Take Five has partnered with a number of organisations including Neighbourhood Watch, National Trading Standards and Age UK to ensure awareness is raised amongst older people. 20 Feb 2018 | Written questions | House of Commons | 127198

3.3 Early Day Motions Authorised Fraud Compensation That this House welcomes the publication of the Authorised Push Payment (APP) Scams Voluntary Code due to come into effect on 28 May 2019 to protect customers from APP fraud; notes that during the first half of 2018 consumers lost £92.9 million due to APP scams; further notes that this has caused significant loss and financial instability for individuals and families; commends the banks that have signed up to the code including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group - which includes Bank of , Halifax, and Lloyds Bank - Nationwide, RBS - which includes NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland - and Santander; further commends TSB for going further for their customers by promising to refund those who have been victims of APP fraud; urges all other banks to follow their example; further challenges all banks to backdate the compensation to historic cases of APP fraud; calls on the Government to make the Authorised Push Payment Scams code mandatory for all banks; and further calls on the Government to demand banks provide compensation for customers who have fallen victim to APP fraud in the past and pledge to compensate those who will in the future. 20 May 2019 | House of Commons | 2401 (session 2017-19) Primary sponsor: Tim Farron (Lib Dem) Number of signatures: 20

Friends Against Scams That this House supports National Trading Standards' campaign, Friends Against Scams, which seeks to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams; understands that scams affect the lives of millions of people across the UK and that postal, telephone and doorstep scams are often targeted specifically at disadvantaged 20 Number CDP 2021/0064, 23 April 2021

consumers or those in periods of vulnerability; further supports National Trading Standards' aim to achieve 1 million Friends Against Scams by 2020 in order to tackle the lack of scams awareness by providing information about scams and those who fall victim to them in our communities, as well as highlighting the impact of scams and helping people recognise the signs that someone might be at risk in their community; is deeply concerned by the National Trading Standards Scams Team estimate that such scams cost UK consumers between £5 billion and £10 billion annually; recognises that 98 per cent of those who participated in Friends Against Scams training would recommend the awareness session to other people; and applauds the excellent work of National Trading Standards' Friends Against Scams campaign to ensure that UK consumers are better protected against scams 23 Jan 2018 | House of Commons | 841 (session 2017-19) Primary sponsor: Patricia Gibson (SNP) Number of signatures: 21 Protecting consumers from online scams 21

4. Further reading

UK Finance, Criminals exploit Covid-19 pandemic with rise in scams targeting victims online, 25 March 2021

UK Finance, Criminals exploit Covid-19 as fraud moves increasingly online, 23 September 2020 David Buil-Gil, Fernando Miró-Llinares, Asier Moneva, Steven Kemp & Nacho Díaz-Castaño, Cybercrime and shifts in opportunities during COVID-19: a preliminary analysis in the UK, European Societies, 23:sup1, S47-S59, DOI: 10.1080/14616696.2020.1804973, 11 August 2020 Action Fraud, Over £27 million reported lost to crypto and forex investment scams, 21 May 2019 Which? £27 million lost to Bitcoin and other investment scams, 21 May 2019 Age UK, Avoiding scams Smart ways to protect yourself, June 2018 Bournemouth University, Security Minister joins forces with BU to fight financial scamming, 12 June 2018 Bournemouth University, How loneliness in older people makes them more vulnerable to scams, 24 July 2017 Age UK, Only the tip of the iceberg: Fraud against older people – Evidence Review, April 2015 Action Fraud, Online fraud, (undated) Metropolitan Police, Online fraud and cybercrime, (undated) NI Direct, Avoid online fraud, (undated) Europol, Take control of your digital life. Don’t be a victim of cyber scams!, (undated) Which?, Internet Scams, (undated) All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Financial Crime and Scamming

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