UK Finance Says 4 Million Fraud Cases Stole £423 Million via Card Scams in 2025
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 21
UK Finance Says 4 Million Fraud Cases Stole £423 Million via Card Scams in 2025
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 21
Summary
4 million fraud cases were recorded last year, UK Finance said, as it highlighted stolen bank details, romance scams and fake investment offers as common routes used by criminals.
£423 million was lost through remote-purchase fraud tied to stolen card details, often harvested through "Hi Mum" texts, missed-delivery links and calls pressuring victims to reveal one-time passcodes.
Romance-scam victims are sending an average of 10 payments before realizing the relationship is fake, while investment scams increasingly use AI-generated celebrity endorsements and cloned voices to create urgency.
Protection advice centered on typing official web addresses instead of tapping links, never sharing OTPs, reverse-searching dating-profile photos, and checking firms on the FCA register before investing.