Victims of fraud across the UK will be told to contact the Home Office agency Action Fraud rather than their local force from 1 April. The government says this will create a central record which can then be used to combat the most serious criminals. The police will only respond to fraud directly if an immediate response is needed via a 999 call. Critics of the new system say this means only major fraud cases will now be investigated.

Rule changes
The new guidelines show that an immediate police response can only be expected if the victim needs immediate help and dials 999. Otherwise they will have to contact the Home Office agency Action Fraud. The National Fraud Authority, another Home Office unit which runs Action Fraud, will then decide which cases the police will investigate. Steven Harrison, chief executive of the National Fraud Authority, said this was a much more efficient way of tackling this sort of crime:..........Read more here