A Cumbrian MP has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s anti-fraud champion.
Simon Fell, who has been the MP for Barrow and Furness since 2019, will be responsible for driving collaboration between the Government, law enforcement and the private sector to help block fraud, which accounts for 40 per cent of all crime in the United Kingdom.
A central part of the voluntary role will be overseeing the implementation of the Online Fraud Charter, which was agreed with 12 of the world’s biggest tech companies last month.
Commitments within the charter include verifying new advertisers, quickly removing fraudulent content and increasing the levels of verification on peer-to-peer marketplaces. These will be rolled out over the next six months.
Before his election, Mr Fell worked for Cifas, an industry leader in fraud prevention, for nine years. He most recently served as its director for external affairs.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “I am delighted to welcome Simon to his new position, which is at the very heart of our efforts to protect the public from fraud.
“His proven track record will allow us to build on our recent successes.”
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Simon to his new post as the government’s new Anti-Fraud Champion.
“I’m confident that he’ll build on the excellent work done by Anthony Browne MP, and am certain his proven experience will help the government deliver on the vital work we are doing to protect the public and stop fraudsters in their tracks.”
Mr Fell said: “Fraud is an insidious crime that is too common and which profoundly harms those affected.
“We have to turn the tide, and I look forward to working with ministers, industry, law enforcement, and civil society to strengthen our response and better protect society from this crime.”
