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Online Scams: Consumer Protection

28 April 2021

Lead MP

Ruth Edwards

Responding Minister

Victoria Atkins

Tags

Crime & Law EnforcementEconomyScience & Technology
Word Count: 4117
Other Contributors: 2

At a Glance

Ruth Edwards raised concerns about online scams: consumer protection in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

Edwards asked for an update from the Minister on how the Government proposes to tackle online financial harms. She wants to know if financial harms will become part of the Online Harms Bill as requested by the FCA, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and Which?. If not, she seeks details of what they plan to do instead. Additionally, she requested a timetable for action.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Opened the debate
Last year, Ruth Edwards's constituents lost £30,000 to a clone scam. She cited Action Fraud figures showing that in the year up to June 2020, 85% of all fraud was cyber-enabled and reports of clone scams increased by nearly 30% between March and April last year. Victims lost more than £78 million to clone scams in 2020, with an average loss of about £45,000 per victim. She highlighted the emotional distress caused by these scams, noting that many victims are not compensated. The impact on individuals can be devastating, such as when scammers target a person's fears or hopes and take advantage of them to transfer large sums of money.

Government Response

Victoria Atkins
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Ghani. The Government recognise the scale and impact of fraud on victims, noting that it accounted for over a third of all estimated crime in the year ending September 2020. The Minister highlighted three key areas for tackling fraud: prevention, catching criminals responsible, and supporting victims. Prevention efforts include the National Cyber Security Centre's suspicious email reporting service which has led to more than 5.5 million reports, with over 41,000 scams and 81,000 websites taken down. The Minister mentioned working closely with industry to develop fraud charters and initiatives like the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit and telecoms company partnerships. Regarding the online safety Bill, ongoing discussions are taking place on its scope. Tomorrow, my noble Friend Baroness Williams of Trafford will meet tech companies to discuss preventing fraud and protecting the public. The Government are committed to legislative and non-legislative approaches, including a new framework for a fraud action plan to be published later this year. They aim to give law enforcement tools to tackle fraudsters and protect vulnerable individuals, while also working with the financial sector to promote reimbursement consistency across the board.
Assessment & feedback
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.