Fraud almost doubles since 2019

Responding to the Scottish Government’s recorded crime statistics, which show that fraud has almost doubled since 2019, with 51% of recorded frauds estimated to have been cybercrimes in 2022-23, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:  

“These figures point to cybercrime driving a sharp rise in crimes of fraud. With so much of our lives now online, we need to be alert to the fresh opportunities that this creates for criminals.  

“This alarming rate comes at a time when people are already experiencing financial hardship amid a biting cost of living crisis; that situation is made many times worse by fraudsters looking to take advantage.    

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to enhance support for Police Scotland so that fraud teams have the tools, time and expertise to pursue crimes properly. More broadly, we need to see greater investment in our justice system to deal with backlogs, cut crime and boost public confidence.”