‘Harmless’ fraud soars in UK amid cost of living crisis

Growing numbers are giving false information to obtain money, new study shows

A growing number of people are committing fraud such as cheating on their council tax or trying to reclaim money on lost gambling bets, research has found.

The cost of living crisis has led to a rise in “first-party fraud” where people give false information, or misrepresent themselves, in order to make money, according to the fraud prevention service Cifas.