The UK government has published a new fraud strategy for 2026 to 2029, announcing the establishment of an Online Crime Centre set to begin operations in April 2026.
Backed by over GBP 30 million in dedicated funding, the centre will bring together specialists from government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks, and major technology firms to coordinate action against fraud.
The strategy comes as fraud affects one in 14 adults and one in four businesses in the UK, costing the economy over GBP 14 billion annually. Additionally, more than two-thirds of scams are estimated to originate from abroad, with organised operations identified across Southeast Asia, West Africa, Eastern Europe, India, and China.
Coordinated disruption and cross-sector intelligence sharing
The Online Crime Centre will focus on identifying and shutting down the accounts, websites, and phone numbers that organised crime groups rely on, including blocking scam texts, freezing criminal accounts, and removing fraudulent social media profiles. By consolidating intelligence from public and private sector participants into a single operational picture, the centre aims to disrupt fraud networks at source rather than responding to individual incidents.
The broader strategy allocates GBP 250 million over three years and outlines the use of artificial intelligence to identify emerging fraud patterns, intercept suspicious bank transfers, and deploy scam-baiting tools to gather intelligence on criminal networks. Law enforcement will also be supported in pursuing international cooperation, building on existing agreements with Nigeria and Vietnam that have already resulted in arrests and the dismantling of scam compounds.
A new fraud victims charter will establish national standards for victim support, including minimum response times, consistent reimbursement guidance, and a dedicated network of police protection officers targeting fraud hotspots.
Lloyds Banking Group noted it is the first organisation to provide funding towards the Online Crime Centre, stating its technology prevented GBP 1 billion of attempted fraud from reaching customers in the previous year alone. NatWest Group, Nationwide, VodafoneThree, Meta, and Google have each expressed support for the initiative, with the Communications Crime Strategy Group, comprising BT/EE, Sky, TalkTalk, Tesco Mobile, Virgin Media O2, and VodafoneThree, also endorsing the centre's formation.
