# Investment fraud victims ‘losing more than £25,000 on average’

By Dr Rasha Kassem — 2026-09-23

As a new campaign highlighting the warning signs of investment fraud has been launched by the National Crime Agency (NCA), following reports that cases of investment fraud has increased, Dr Rasha Kassem, senior academic and leader of the Fraud Research Group at Aston University, believes targeted public-awareness campaigns are required to reach the groups most exposed to fraud.

She said: “Investment fraud is not a new crime; it has existed in different forms for generations. What changes is the method of delivery. Criminals have adapted to new technologies, moving from traditional cold calling and boiler-room operations to social media, cryptocurrency, sophisticated websites, online advertising and increasingly convincing digital impersonation. The underlying techniques, however, remain familiar: building trust, creating urgency and exploiting the prospect of attractive financial returns.

“The 37 per cent increase in reported cases should therefore be seen not simply as a warning to individual investors, but as evidence of a wider challenge requiring a coordinated response.

“Advising consumers to ‘be cautious’ is no longer enough. People are operating in an environment where fraudulent investment opportunities can look remarkably credible. We need sustained, targeted public-awareness campaigns that explain specific warning signs, reach groups most exposed to these approaches, and evolve as criminal methods change.

“There also needs to be greater emphasis on what happens after someone becomes a victim. Losing £25,000 or more can have consequences far beyond the immediate financial loss, including severe emotional distress, damaged confidence and vulnerability to further approaches from criminals offering supposed recovery services.

“Effective victim support should therefore combine practical financial and reporting assistance with appropriate emotional support and clear guidance about the risk of repeat victimisation. Prevention, disruption and victim care should be treated as complementary parts of the response rather than placing the burden primarily on consumers to protect themselves.”

Canonical: https://experts.pressassociation.com/expert/110/views/e13eb1dcf865267d