New figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal the highest estimated fraud incidents since data collection began in 2017.
Fraud incidents across England and Wales jumped by nearly a third to 4.2 million in the year ending March 2025, according to new data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. The figures show a 31% increase from 3.2 million incidents recorded in the previous year – marking the highest level since the ONS began collecting this data in 2017.
The Scale of Financial Losses
Of the 4.2 million fraud incidents, 3.0 million involved actual financial losses to victims. Yet the data suggests a silver lining for many affected households: banks and financial institutions fully reimbursed victims in 2.1 million of these cases. That means roughly two-thirds of fraud victims who lost money eventually got it back.
The surge was driven primarily by two categories of fraud. Bank and credit account fraud rose 30% to 2.4 million incidents, while consumer and retail fraud climbed 23% to 1.1 million incidents. These increases pushed overall CSEW headline crime up 7% to 9.4 million incidents.
The Reporting Gap
Despite the scale of fraud affecting households, the ONS data reveals a concerning pattern in victim behaviour. Only one in eight fraud offences were reported to police or Action Fraud – the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
This low reporting rate contrasts sharply with police-recorded fraud offences, which totalled 1.2 million in the year ending March 2025 – just a 1% increase compared with the previous year. The gap between survey estimates and police records highlights how many fraud victims never engage with official reporting systems.
Methodology and Context
The Crime Survey for England and Wales operates as a face-to-face survey of people aged 16 and over in households across England and Wales, measuring crime experiences including fraud since March 2017. The survey didn’t collect data for the years ending March 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19 disruptions, making the current figures chiefly significant for tracking post-pandemic trends.
Computer misuse incidents – a related category of cybercrime – actually fell 32% to 692,000 incidents in the same period. This decline suggests fraudsters may be shifting tactics rather than simply expanding their overall criminal activity.
Statistical Challenges
The Office for Statistics Regulation has previously noted that statistics production hasn’t fully kept pace with fraud evolution, especially rise in “other fraud” categories that don’t fit traditional classifications.
Cifas referrals – reports from financial institutions about suspected fraud – rose 10% during the same period, providing additional evidence of increased fraudulent activity beyond what victims directly report to police.
Source: @ONS
Key Takeaways
- Fraud incidents hit 4.2 million in England and Wales, up 31% year-on-year to March 2025
- Banks fully reimbursed victims in 2.1 million out of 3.0 million cases involving financial losses
- Only one in eight fraud offences get reported to police or Action Fraud
What This Means for Kent Residents
Kent households face the same heightened fraud risks reflected in these national statistics, with the county’s residents included in the Crime Survey data showing this 31% surge. The low reporting rate of one in eight incidents means many Kent victims likely aren’t engaging with Kent Police or Action Fraud, potentially missing out on support and investigation opportunities. Residents should use the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign resources to protect themselves and report any incidents to Action Fraud online or Kent Police’s non-emergency line to help build a clearer picture of local fraud patterns.