Frauds totalling £23m reported in Northern Ireland in 13 months

The woman received a scam phone call and then was contacted online by fake police officers

Frauds causing total losses of £23.1m were reported to police in Northern Ireland over the last 13 months, according to the PSNI.

There were 5,412 reports of fraud between December 2022 and 15 January 2024.

Sums ranging between £5,000 up to almost £250,000 were taken by criminals from people's bank accounts.

Other commons frauds during the period included investment scams and "romance scams".

In one recent report, a man reported losing £12,000 after being befriended by a woman on WhatsApp who, over time, convinced him to make several transfers of money.

"One of the biggest losses reported to police in 2023 was by a person who lost £200,000 as a result of an impersonation scam," Ch Supt Gerard Pollock said.

"This case, like many frauds, are committed at distance, with criminals using phones, social media, emails and text messages."

He added: "Behind each of these reports, is a person or a business owner who have been cheated by criminals and had their money stolen.

"It can be a lifetime of savings or years of building a business.

"Not only can there be a significant financial hit, but this type of crime can also be really traumatic and emotionally distressing."

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Ch Supt Pollock said criminals will constantly change how they present their scam to lure people in and swindle them.

People should not feel pressured or rushed by timelines when asked to transfer money or hand over personal details and should verify who it is they are communicating with on another phone line if possible, Ch Supt Pollock added.

Anyone who has been the victim of a scam should report it to their bank and to the police by calling 101 or online.