Fraudsters swipe almost £2 million from Brits in coronavirus scams

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'Criminals continue to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to defraud innocent members of the public,' says Action Fraud
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Some £2 million has been lost to coronavirus-related scams across the UK since the outbreak began, the national cyber crime reporting centre has found.

Fraudsters have been tricking individuals and businesses with a range of different ploys over the past few months, according to Action Fraud.

The majority of reports relate to online scams where victims have ordered hygiene equipment.

Unsuspecting shoppers have ended up paying for protective face masks or hand sanitiser that don’t even exist.

Action Fraud has received 678 reports of scams across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with total losses so far hitting £1,866,550.

There have been 2,747 reports of phishing.

"Criminals continue to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to defraud innocent members of the public," the state-run body said.

Such frauds currently make up between three and five per cent of all reports it currently receives.

Action Fraud is run by City of London Police, working alongside the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which is responsible for assessment of the reports and to ensure they reach the right place.

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