In this same period, the unit has disrupted seven organised crime groups and recovered 8,651 stolen card numbers. In addition, over £122,000 of compensation was returned to victims following the confiscation of criminal assets by the DCPCU.
Glyn Whittick, Temporary Detective Chief Inspector of the DCPCU, said “The DCPCU continues to successfully target the criminal gangs responsible for fraud and bring them to justice. An estimated £25m of fraud has been prevented and 26 fraudsters have been convicted. This is a testament to the hard work of our officers and staff, who work closely with the banking industry to identify and prosecute fraudsters.”
“Criminal gangs are increasingly sophisticated and taking advantage of new technologies to commit fraud online. But through close cooperation between law enforcement and the industry, we can stay one step ahead and ensure there is no place for fraudsters to hide.”
Katy Worobec, Managing Director of Economic Crime at UK Finance, said “The finance industry continues to take action on all fronts to protect customers from fraud, and supporting the DCPCU provides us with another invaluable weapon in this fight. By working together across the industry, government and law enforcement agencies we can ensure fraudsters are caught and punished. The continued success of the DCPCU is a fantastic example of this kind of collaboration in action.”