The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, has announced a new plan to tackle scams and make it easier for people to protect themselves from fraudsters.
The plan includes banning SIM farms, which can send thousands of texts in one go, and working with Ofcom to stop spoof calls that trick people into thinking they’re speaking to legitimate businesses. Cold calls on all financial products will also be banned.
The government will also launch a National Fraud Squad led by the National Crime Agency and the City of London Police to bring fraudsters to justice.
The UK’s intelligence community will be used to identify and disrupt fraudsters overseas, and payments will be delayed where banks suspect fraud.
The plan also includes investing £30 million in a new reporting centre and working with tech companies to introduce one-click reporting. Victims will be offered tailored support through the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit.
