The UK is joining forces with the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to strengthen international efforts to tackle global fraud networks and online scams.
At the Five Country Ministerial in Sydney, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and her Five Eyes counterparts backed a package of UK-led measures designed to improve cooperation between governments, law enforcement agencies and industry in the fight against fraud.
The measures come as organised crime groups become increasingly sophisticated, using international communications networks, digital platforms and financial systems to target victims across borders.
Under the new plans, the five countries will strengthen intelligence-sharing to help identify and disrupt fraud operations operating across multiple countries, including scam centres. Governments, law enforcement and industry will also work together to shut down the accounts, services and communications channels used by criminals to target victims and move the proceeds of fraud.
Recommendations aimed at strengthening action by industry against online scams and financial crime will also be developed with telecommunications providers, technology companies and financial institutions.
The work will focus on identifying vulnerabilities in systems and services that criminals exploit to target victims and transfer illicit funds. Greater cooperation between the public and private sectors is intended to help identify emerging threats more quickly and make it harder for organised crime groups to profit from fraud.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: ‘Fraud is a scourge on our society, ruining lives and costing victims billions of pounds every year.
‘Criminal gangs don’t respect borders, so our response can’t be restricted by them. By deepening international co-operation and working more closely with industry, we can track down fraudsters, disrupt their operations, and better protect the public.
‘Together, we must make it harder for criminals to profit from fraud and easier to bring them to justice.’
Five Eyes partners also backed increased international support for the UK-backed INTERPOL Global Fraud Taskforce.
The taskforce brings together law enforcement agencies, governments and industry to map organised fraud networks, develop intelligence and identify links between criminal groups operating in different countries.
It will also support international operations aimed at disrupting fraud networks and bringing those responsible to justice.
The Government said the agreement reflects the increasingly international nature of fraud, with criminal networks able to operate across borders and exploit weaknesses in different countries’ systems.
The UK has positioned itself as a leading international voice on tackling fraud, which remains one of the fastest-growing forms of crime.
Earlier this year, the Government committed £250 million through its new Fraud Strategy to strengthen law enforcement capabilities, tackle scams at their source and improve support for victims.
The Five Eyes agreement is intended to build on those efforts by making international cooperation a central part of the response to fraud and ensuring criminals face greater difficulty operating across borders.
Photo: Growtika
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