Article: published on 3 November 2025

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New figures from UK Finance show that in the first half of 2025, criminals stole a staggering £629.3 million through scams and payment fraud. That's up 3% on the same period in 2024, when around £611 million was taken.

The data shows fraud remains one of the UK's biggest financial threats, with over 2 million reported cases between January and June this year, a rise of 17%. On average, victims lost around £300 per case.

Two-thirds of all fraud began online, while 17% started over the phone. Smaller amounts came from email scams or other methods, but fraud isn't confined to the internet: £40 million was stolen in shops using stolen cards, and £12.8 million was withdrawn from cash machines.

To break these numbers down further and explain what criminals are targeting, Rip Off Britain's Louise Minchin joined BBC Morning Live in the studio.

Despite these worrying figures, banks did manage to prevent £870 million worth of attempted fraud through security systems, blocking around 70% of all cases.

In unauthorised fraud, where criminals gain access to your account or card, 98% of victims were reimbursed by their banks, however, in authorised push payment (APP) fraud, where victims are tricked into sending money themselves, only around 62% had their money returned. That still leaves more than £100 million lost for good.

The most common type of scam was the purchase scam. This is where someone pays upfront for goods or services that never arrive, often after seeing adverts or posts on social media.

Pam, a viewer who got in touch with Morning Live, said:

"I recently ordered a birthday present for my granddaughter. It didn't arrive, and when I tried to contact the company, I was sent automated emails. The reviews were fake, and I later found many people had the same experience."

Over 80,000 people fell victim to similar scams in the first half of 2025, losing a combined £53 million.

Louise's advice:

"If you pay by credit card, you're protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for purchases between £100 and £30,000. Debit card users can request a chargeback within 120 days, and payment providers such as PayPal offer their own buyer protections. Payment service providers refunded about 75% of purchase scam losses this year."

Investment scams were the second most common, with almost 6,500 cases but losses totalling nearly £98 million. Targets lost an average of £15,000 each.

One viewer, Janet, told us she lost thousands after being duped by a fake trading platform that later demanded more payments to "fix" supposed issues with her account.

Louise's advice:

"Investment scams often appear convincing because they promise guaranteed high returns or use complex-sounding investments like cryptocurrency to gain credibility.

Be cautious of anyone who offers a "risk-free" investment, pressures you to act quickly, or contacts you out of the blue. Legitimate investment firms do not cold call."

Romance fraud continues to devastate lives, with nearly 3,000 cases and losses of more than £20 million in the first half of the year. Victims lost an average of £6,500 each.

Jeanette wrote to Morning Live about her daughter, who met a man on a dating app. He gained her trust, accessed her phone, and manipulated her into transferring thousands of pounds.

Louise's advice:

"These scams often start with affection and quickly turn to financial requests, framed as emotional or medical emergencies. Many fraudsters claim to be overseas, avoid video calls, and isolate victims from friends and family.

Former detective Rebecca Mason made a film for Morning Live on this topic on the 27th June. You can watch that back on iPlayer"

If you've been targeted by scammers, contact your bank immediately by calling 159 and report it to Action Fraud, external

Get in touch on Whatsapp or by email

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