Cumbria police have held a conference with economic experts to share the best ways of protecting people from fraudsters.
The force hosted the event so professionals could share the latest advice and tactics to tackle this type of offending.
Representatives from other police forces and financial institutions discussed the ever-evolving threats from fraud, with a view to helping deter and catch offenders.
People attending represented organisations including the Cheshire, Greater Manchester, North Wales, Lancashire, City of London and Merseyside police forces, as well as the Home Office and financial bodies.
Detective Superintendent Ian Hussey, who oversees the work of Cumbria police’s economic crime unit, opened the conference, held at the Learning and Development Centre at the force’s headquarters, near Penrith.
Det Supt Hussey said: “Fraud and economic crime is something that can touch anyone.
“Whether it is identity theft, a business falling victim to a scam or someone losing money in an online fraud, these crimes can have huge consequences.
“People can sometimes be reluctant to report due to embarrassment because they believe have been ‘scammed’ or ‘taken in’ by the fraudsters.
“But people should know that anyone can be a victim of economic crime, from any walk of life, and fraudsters operate in a professional manner designed to deceive.”
Fraud and economic crimes are a concern for police forces across the UK.
Examples include scam texts, fraudsters cold-calling by phone to prey on vulnerable people, efforts to defraud people online and bogus tradespeople targeting homes door-to-door.
The conference focused on the experiences of different agencies and the best ways to stop frauds happening.
Det Supt Hussey added: “Fraud is ever evolving, with offenders exploiting the latest trends or technology.
“This means sharing the best ways of stopping fraud and learning from each other is a good way of preventing fraud and protecting people from falling victim in the first place.”
Cumbria police offers an online toolkit to help people minimise their risk of falling victim to fraud at www.cumbria.police.uk/police-forces/cumbria-constabulary/areas/campaigns/campaigns/fraud-prevention-toolkit/
