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14 August 2026 / Jonathan Fisher KC
Issue: 8174 / Categories: Opinion , Practice areas , Fraud , Criminal
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Fraud in the digital age

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© Paul Clarke
Jonathan Fisher KC on why the UK has an opportunity to lead the global fight against digital fraud

Fraud is running out of control. 40% of all criminal offences committed today are fraud-related, and of those, 70% involve technology. With a background in financial crime law, I have seen first-hand how fraud affects people’s lives, as well as the systemic weaknesses in how it is addressed. So, when I was asked by the government to conduct an independent review into the area, I understood the scale of the responsibility. My review, ‘Fraud in the Digital Age’, has now been published and sits alongside its counterpart, ‘Disclosure in the Digital Age’, published in March last year.

No silver bullet

The overarching purpose of my review is to drive down incidents of fraud. To do that, three main processes need to be improved: detection, investigation and prosecution.

Meanwhile, all of this must be considered within the context of the digital age. Technology facilitates the commission of fraud on a scale

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Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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