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FOI 1129-25 Motor Fraud Scams 2023 2024

Request to Northamptonshire Police

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I have heard of a scam where scammers pose as potential buyers, visit a car in person, distract the seller and sabotage the car to ask for the car at a lower price. I have seen that Surrey Police have mentioned this as part of their April 2024 Newsletter:

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.surrey.police.uk%2Fpolice-forces%2Fsurrey-police%2Fareas%2Fcampaigns%2Fcampaigns%2F2024%2Ffraud-newsletter---april-2024-edition%2F&data=05%7C02%7CFreedomOfInformation%40northants.police.uk%7C71987eb23be14523b71f08dd2f4212ae%7Cbf91f36fab8945038c3f04a029f837d3%7C0%7C0%7C638718683031633421%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=XccYxjpZZtEUiYA%2BNg1%2FpG6TgUmc2rYQ1ha6fiOaDjg%3D&reserved=0


Please may you provide me with:

1) Is the above type of scam something your force have seen reports of during 2024 (1st January 2024 - 31st December 2024)?

2) How many cases of this type of fraud were reported to your force, between:
a) 1st January 2024 - 30th June 2024
b) 1st July 2024 -31st December 2024
(if you are not able to provide figures between this window, please provide 1 year stats for the 2024 year, or 1 year and the date range they apply for)

3) Therefore, have you seen an increase/decrease in this type of fraud in the year 2024 compared to the previous year? (1st January 2023 - 31st December 2023 vs 1st January 2024 - 31st December 2024)?

4) How many cases of motor fraud were reported to your force between:
a) 1st January 2024 - 30th June 2024
b) 1st July 2024 - 31st December 2024
(if you are not able to provide figures between this window, please provide 1 year stats for the 2024 year, or 1 year and the date range they apply for)

5) Therefore, have you seen an increase/decrease in motor fraud in the year 2024 compared to the previous year? (1st January 2023 - 31st December 2023 vs 1st January 2024 - 31st December 2024)

Response

Please be advised that we have had to perform a manual search via multiple systems in an attempt to trace the information requested. This is because it is very specific with regard to how the alleged fraud was committed compared with how we record these offences. This response is therefore our best attempt at providing you with the information you have requested.

Question 1 & 2
Northamptonshire Police has conducted searches and established that between 1st January and 31st December 2024, there were 2 reports of this type of fraud.

Question 3
Northamptonshire Police recorded no reports of this type of fraud from 1st January and 31st December 2023, therefore we conclude that there has been an increase in this type of offence.

Question 4
There were 14 instances of motor fraud reported to Northamptonshire Police between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024.

Question 5
There were also 14 instances of motor fraud reported to Northamptonshire Police between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2023, therefore we conclude no change when comparing years.