Home Office Fraud Strategy 2026-2029

10 Mar 2026 02:56 PM

The Home Office has published its Fraud Strategy 20262029, outlining a multi-year plan to tackle fraud against individuals and businesses in the UK. The strategy recognises fraud as a rapidly evolving, technology-enabled crime that causes substantial economic harm and undermines trust in digital systems. It is backed by significant government investment and emphasizes collaboration between government, law enforcement, regulators, and industry. 

A key announcement is the creation of the Online Crime Centre (OCC)- a new £30+ million specialist disruption unit launching in April 2026. The OCC will bring together experts from government, police, intelligence, financial institutions, telecoms, and tech firms to share data, coordinate responses, and dismantle organised fraud infrastructure like scam networks and fraudulent online assets. techUK is part of the OCC's design and delivery group. 

Key Documents: 

• Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029: disrupting crime, supporting economic resilience and delivering justice 
• Home Office Announcement 

Strategic Objectives 

The strategy echoes techUK’s Anti-Fraud Report published last year, which urges stakeholders to focus on “collaboration, innovation, and stronger law enforcement capacity.” The strategy is structured around three core pillars with associated actions designed to prevent, disrupt and respond to fraud at scale:  

1. DISRUPT 

Focuses on stopping fraud at the source by making it harder for criminals to exploit technology and infrastructure. Key elements include:  

• Enhancing disruption capability through intelligence and proactive interception of fraud before harm occurs.  
• Targeting the abuse of telecommunications infrastructure (e.g., preventing SIM swap and spoofing) and online platforms, implicating tech sector partners in strengthened controls.  
• Collaborating with online intermediaries, financial platforms and service providers to share data and jointly block criminal activity at scale.  
• Establishing the Online Crime Centre as a public private data sharing hub to support joint interventions against online fraud.  

This pillar signals enhanced expectations around industry responsibilities for preventing the abuse of digital platforms and infrastructure, and highlights opportunities for partnership with government on technology led counter fraud initiatives.  

2. SAFEGUARD 

Aims to build resilience across society and business, reducing vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit. This includes:  

• Expanding awareness initiatives — including fraud prevention campaigns — that help individuals and organisations recognise and repel fraud.  
• Supporting specialist cyber resilience services and guidance for businesses to strengthen defences.  
• Focusing on targeted support for at risk populations and sectors.  

Industry input into resilience programmes and awareness raising efforts (e.g., sharing best practice tooling or threat intelligence) could improve outcomes for members and the wider UK ecosystem.  

3. RESPOND 

Addresses how victims and law enforcement respond when fraud occurs, emphasising victim centred services and justice outcomes:  

• Rolling out a streamlined national reporting system (“Report Fraud”) to modernise and simplify fraud reporting.  
• Introducing a Fraud Victims Charter to set minimum standards of care and support.  
• Strengthening law enforcement capabilities and promoting international collaboration to pursue fraudsters and improve criminal and civil sanctions.  

Better reporting frameworks and improved law enforcement responses can offer clearer pathways for industry to feed data and cases into official processes.  

Governance & Collaboration 

The strategy emphasises governance, accountability, metrics and partnership working across government, regulators, NGOs, law enforcement and industry. Industry engagement, including by tech firms, is expected to support delivery of outcomes and ongoing innovation in counter fraud tools and processes.  

What This Means for techUK Members 

• Shared responsibility & Collaboration expectation: There is a stronger government focus on working with technology platforms and service providers to disrupt fraud at scale via data sharing, reporting mechanisms and platform protections. Across telecoms, online platforms, and financial sectors, government is seeking active engagement on standards, reporting, and enforcement. 
• Metrics-driven accountability:  All three areas will see formal measurement of fraud prevalence and mitigation performance, highlighting the importance of data sharing and transparency. Initiatives such as the Online Crime Centre and national reporting infrastructure create potential for industry to contribute technical expertise, threat intelligence and automation.  
• Opportunity for engagement: Opportunities exist for technology providers to contribute to secure infrastructure, AI model resilience, fraud detection tools, and digital identity solutions. techUK are a member of the Joint Fraud Taskforces and OCC working groups – which are vital to ensure techUK members’ perspectives are incorporated into delivery plans and regulation.  

Next Steps: 

We invite members to join a Fraud Forum briefing on 20 March at 2:00pm, following the publication of the new Fraud Strategy. This virtual, members only session (held under the Chatham House Rule) will include a Home Office presentation on prevention, detection, and response priorities, followed by Q&A. Register to secure your place. For any queries, contact samiah.anderson@techuk.org. 

techUK will also be at the UN Global Fraud Summit in Vienna, where we are hosting a side event on Monday 17 March, 4:00–5:00pm, Room M6. Our session, “Successfully fostering collaboration across peers and public–private sectors in the fight against digital fraud,” will feature speakers from techUK, LexisNexis, and the Brazilian Confederation of Financial Institutions. Members attending the Summit are warmly encouraged to join.