KPMG's biannual report identifies fraud trends across the UK in the first six months of the year.
Key points insofar as Scotland is concerned are that:
- Although the total value of fraud cases appearing in the Scottish courts was £1.2m, the value of fraud cases had fallen in comparison with the same period last year.
- That picture was consistent with the picture across the UK generally, with the value of alleged fraud in court in the first half of 2019 being more than £319m which was down from £345m in the same period in 2018.
- KPMG also reported a 57% increase in the number of "account takeover" cases in court at the mid-point in the year, in which hackers and scammers obtained personal data allowing them to take over bank and credit card accounts. Last week, we reported on the Banking Protocol, a joint initiative between the police, banking institutions and Trading Standards which aims to intervene before fraud is completed. To read our update, please click here.
- The key takeaway is KPMG's report on the growing commercialisation of cyber-crime, with perpetrators advertising their services on the dark web.
Advice and support
Our Corporate Crime and Investigations team has expertise in supporting and advising clients on a range of fraud and financial services fraud issues. This encompasses investigations and engaging with Police Scotland and Crown Office, as well as preparation for and representation of clients in court proceedings.
Contributor
Paul Marshall
Partner
