Help Shape the Fight Against Fraud: Take Part in the Essex Fraud Survey

Posted on: May 7, 2025

Fraud is on the rise in Essex — with a 6.1% increase in offences over the past year, totalling 9,604 incidents and a staggering £68.5 million in losses.

Despite the scale of the issue, many residents still feel unsure or anxious about reporting fraud. In fact, Essex Police estimate that many people experience fraud at least once a month, yet most cases go unreported.

To help tackle this, the Multi-Agency Approach to Fraud (MAAF) has launched a new anonymous survey to understand public awareness and experiences of fraud and scams — whether or not you’ve been a victim. The goal is to better focus resources, improve prevention strategies, and ultimately reduce fraud across Southend, Essex, and Thurrock.

MAAF brings together key organisations including:

• Essex County Council

• Essex Police

• Essex Trading Standards

• Victim Support

• The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

We’re asking all Alliance members and partners to support this important initiative by sharing the survey widely — through your communications channels, networks, and with your communities. Every response counts.

🗓 Survey closes: 8 June 2025

🔗 Take the survey now: https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/equalities-and-partnership/fraud-survey

Councillor Mark Durham, who oversees Essex Trading Standards, said:

“Fraudsters are always looking at new ways to scam people to a point where it’s not always immediately clear when you’ve been a victim. This can make fraud a difficult crime to combat and means we have to constantly evolve our tactics. However, if enough people come forward and engage with our anonymous survey, we can get a better understanding of the issues faced and start stamping out what has become a rampant issue across the UK.”

If you’ve been affected by fraud or want to learn more, visit Essex Police.

Author: Emily Smith
Posted: 07/05/2025
Categories: News, Opportunities