Fraud Strategy 2026–2029

TLT picks out the key points you shouldn't miss...

What’s this about?

The Home Office has published the UK Government’s Fraud Strategy 2026–2029, setting out a three‑year plan to combat fraud against individuals and businesses. The strategy introduces a tougher, more coordinated national approach built around Disrupt, Safeguard, and Respond, with major investment in intelligence, technology and victim support.

Our Head of Risk and Financial Crime, Ben Cooper says...

“Fraud continues to evolve at pace, fuelled by sophisticated technologies and cross‑border criminal networks. What stands out in this strategy is the scale of ambition: the Government is throwing real weight behind intelligence‑led disruption, sharper regulatory tools, and a victim‑first system. Clients should be ready for heightened expectations around data sharing, operational resilience and counter‑fraud governance.”

The points not to miss...

A strategy built around three core pillars

The Fraud Strategy revolves around a new model structured around three pillars: Disrupt, Safeguard, and Respond. Each pillar includes operational commitments, investment programmes and regulatory expectations.

1. Disrupt: Cutting fraud off at the source

The Government intends to make the UK a “harder place for criminals to operate” by directly targeting the platforms, tools and technologies that enable fraud. Key measures include:

‍The launch of a new Online Crime Centre (OCC) – a £30m+ public–private intelligence and disruption hub bringing together government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, telecoms networks and major technology firms to identify and dismantle fraud at scale. ‍
Targeting online, telecoms and financial infrastructure more aggressively to prevent spoofing, SIM swap attacks, fraudulent web assets and criminal use of digital services. ‍
Expanded focus on crypto enabled fraud, with the strategy acknowledging digital assets as a “growing risk” and calling for more systematic use of blockchain analytics. ‍
Future FCA regulation of cryptoasset financial activities, requiring firms to obtain authorisation and comply with FCA rules from 2027.

This marks a step change in expectations: organisations across tech, telecoms, payments and financial services should anticipate increased requirements around data sharing, fraud monitoring infrastructure, and rapid response incident protocols.

2. Safeguard: Strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability

The Safeguard pillar centres on protecting individuals and businesses through clearer public guidance, more proactive policing and direct support to vulnerable groups. The strategy includes:

‍Expansion of the national ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign, improving awareness at scale across consumers and businesses. ‍
Sector specific cyber resilience and fraud resilience guidance for organisations, with increased support for high risk sectors. ‍
Enhanced tools to reduce vulnerabilities, including closer engagement with industry on platform safety, identity verification, and financial flow monitoring.

For clients, this means internal fraud resilience programmes - particularly around customer interaction, digital onboarding, payments and operational controls - will need refreshing to reflect the new national standards.

3. Respond: Improving victim support and enforcement outcomes

The Respond pillar focuses on giving victims clearer rights, faster assistance and more consistent remedies, while strengthening the justice system’s capacity to pursue offenders. Plans include:

‍A new Fraud Victims Charter (2027) introducing minimum care standards, response times, and consistent reimbursement guidance. ‍
Dedicated PROTECT police officers to support the most vulnerable, installing preventive measures such as call blocking devices and doorstep safety interventions. ‍
New civil and criminal tools, including judge only trials for the most complex fraud cases, and expanded civil recovery powers to reclaim money for victims. ‍
Strengthened international collaboration, with INTERPOL, Europol and a new Global Fraud Taskforce planned by 2029.

This reflects a shift toward faster operational response and more direct accountability across the fraud response ecosystem.

Increasing attention on technology enabled fraud

Across the strategy, the Government underscores that fraud has moved from opportunistic crimes to industrialised, technology enabled operations, pointing to:

AI enabled social engineering attacks and large scale investment scams.
Cross border networks operating at industrial scale - three quarters of fraud is estimated to originate overseas.
Criminal abuse of social media, messaging platforms, mobile infrastructure and online marketplaces.

This reinforces why the strategy leans heavily on partnership with technology platforms and data rich businesses. Those sectors should expect increased regulatory engagement and clearer obligations under future legislation.

What this means for you

1. Expect more demanding regulatory and operational requirements

Firms - especially in financial services, payments, telecoms and tech - should anticipate increased expectations around:

Fraud monitoring technologies
Data sharing with public sector partners
Controls against impersonation and platform misuse
Crypto related compliance (from 2027)

2. Strengthen internal fraud resilience programmes

Compliance, risk and operational teams should begin mapping internal frameworks against the themes of Disrupt, Safeguard and Respond.

3. Prepare for enhanced governance and reporting

Boards and senior managers (including SMFs) should anticipate heightened security of fraud-risk leadership, resourcing and oversight.

4. Build or update victim-assistance procedures

Given the forthcoming Fraud Victims Charter, customer-facing teams will need updated processes to ensure consistent response, remedy and communication.

Conclusion: A strategy with real teeth

This strategy is not merely a policy paper - it signals a shift toward coordinated, intelligence led national action, backed by new institutions, international partnerships, regulatory expansion and a clear message that the private sector will play a central role.

For organisations across financial services, technology and digital infrastructure, the regulatory and operational environment around fraud will tighten significantly through 2026–2029.

At a glance...

Publication link	Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029 - GOV.UK
Published date	9 March 2026
Who has published it?	Home Office
Publication type	Policy paper
Any key dates?	FCA cryptoasset authorisation rules from 2027; Global Fraud Taskforce by 2029; Fraud Victims Charter in 2027.
What's it relevant to?	Economic crime, fraud prevention, financial services, telecoms, platforms, regulatory compliance

This publication is intended for general guidance and represents our understanding of the relevant law and practice as at March 2026. Specific advice should be sought for specific cases. For more information see our terms & conditions.

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