Over £37m lost in 13 months as Surrey Police ranks fourth for fraud in the UK
Fraud has quietly become one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK, creeping into every corner of daily life from fake delivery texts to convincing investment schemes.
Reports have surged in recent years, with millions of pounds disappearing into the hands of criminals who are becoming bolder and more sophisticated by the month. With so many Britons at risk, it raises the question that many might not have considered. But have you ever wondered which UK areas face the highest levels of fraud?
Only over a 13 month period, a staggering £2.33 billion was reported lost to fraud, illustrating just how widespread the threat has become. From online shopping scams to phone-based impersonation cons, offenders are exploiting digital habits and busy lifestyles, often catching victims completely off guard. The latest breakdown of fraud hotspots not only reveals where scammers are striking most often, but also where the financial fallout is hitting residents hardest.
A new study by LEI Register delved into the issue by analysing 13 months of data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, covering November 2024 to November 2025. The research examined every police force area in the UK, adjusting the figures per 1,000 residents so that more populated regions could be fairly compared to those with smaller communities. The study looked at total fraud reports, average losses per 1,000 people and overall financial harm to create a clear representation of how fraud affects the country region by region.
Surrey takes fourth place with 4.77 reports per 1,000 people, logging 5,751 reports overall. Losses are estimated at £37.5 million, with residents losing an average of £31,095 per 1,000 people. Surrey is known for its high household incomes and proximity to London’s financial sector, which can make residents appealing targets for fraudsters who frequently impersonate banks, government authorities or energy companies. The area’s strong digital engagement may also create additional opportunities for online scams to slip through unnoticed.
Metropolitan Police, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire take the top three places in the fraud ranking, collectively reporting tens of thousands of cases and hundreds of millions of pounds in losses. London alone leads with 5.54 reports per 1,000 residents, while Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire follow with strong showings across both report volume and financial harm. Dyfed Powys steps into the spotlight as fifth place, recording 4.70 reports per 1,000 residents, particularly notable for a rural force.
Bedfordshire, Thames Valley and Nottinghamshire then continue the trend in sixth to eighth place respectively, each dealing with increasing digital scams affecting households and businesses alike. Kent occupies ninth position with over 8,000 reports, and West Midlands concludes the top 10 with some of the highest total losses outside the capital.
The full list of the UK areas with the highest fraud reports:
| Rank | Police force | Number of fraud reports per 1000 residents | Number of fraud reports | The amount lost to fraud (£) | The average amount lost to fraud per 1,000 people (£) |
| 1 | Metropolitan | 5.54 | 48,762 | 470,000,000 | 53,433 |
| 2 | Northamptonshire | 5.16 | 4,065 | 82,700,000 | 105,066 |
| 3 | Hertfordshire | 4.85 | 5,827 | 40,000,000 | 33,308 |
| 4 | Surrey | 4.77 | 5,751 | 37,500,000 | 31,095 |
| 5 | Dyfed Powys | 4.70 | 2,426 | 7,300,000 | 14,147 |
| 6 | Bedfordshire | 4.63 | 3,270 | 20,100,000 | 28,454 |
| 7 | Thames Valley | 4.50 | 11,351 | 59,200,000 | 23,481 |
| 8 | Nottinghamshire | 4.40 | 5,044 | 20,300,000 | 17,712 |
| 9 | Kent | 4.32 | 8,030 | 43,300,000 | 23,299 |
| 10 | West Midlands | 4.28 | 12,500 | 72,300,000 | 24,775 |
| 11 | Essex | 4.26 | 7,931 | 41,300,000 | 22,165 |
| 12 | Greater Manchester | 4.23 | 12,127 | 102,400,000 | 35,685 |
| 13 | Cumbria | 4.14 | 1,638 | 106,700,000 | 269,361 |
| 14 | Cambridgeshire | 4.13 | 3,708 | 20,300,000 | 22,626 |
| 15 | Sussex | 4.05 | 6,916 | 34,600,000 | 20,253 |
| 16 | Dorset | 3.99 | 3,115 | 17,100,000 | 21,884 |
| 17 | Lincolnshire | 3.97 | 3,058 | 12,000,000 | 15,596 |
| 18 | Wiltshire | 3.94 | 2,943 | 16,700,000 | 22,356 |
| 19 | West Yorkshire | 3.94 | 9,259 | 93,000,000 | 39,567 |
| 20 | Norfolk | 3.89 | 3,573 | 18,600,000 | 20,251 |
| 21 | North Wales | 3.84 | 2,641 | 8,900,000 | 12,954 |
| 22 | Lancashire | 3.84 | 5,881 | 30,600,000 | 19,972 |
| 23 | Warwickshire | 3.84 | 2,298 | 14,400,000 | 24,035 |
| 24 | Hampshire | 3.82 | 7,652 | 139,000,000 | 69,438 |
| 25 | Staffordshire | 3.80 | 4,318 | 21,600,000 | 19,016 |
| 26 | Cheshire | 3.78 | 4,146 | 24,100,000 | 21,950 |
| 27 | Derbyshire | 3.74 | 3,958 | 16,600,000 | 15,690 |
| 28 | Suffolk | 3.73 | 2,846 | 12,700,000 | 16,637 |
| 29 | Leicestershire | 3.72 | 4,173 | 33,800,000 | 30,154 |
| 30 | Avon & Somerset | 3.70 | 6,461 | 50,500,000 | 28,939 |
| 31 | Devon & Cornwall | 3.65 | 6,550 | 39,600,000 | 22,088 |
| 32 | South Yorkshire | 3.52 | 4,841 | 17,800,000 | 12,947 |
| 33 | Merseyside | 3.50 | 4,987 | 20,100,000 | 14,118 |
| 34 | South Wales | 3.50 | 4,596 | 18,000,000 | 13,696 |
| 35 | Gwent | 3.44 | 2,022 | 8,200,000 | 13,939 |
| 36 | Gloucestershire | 3.40 | 2,198 | 17,300,000 | 26,760 |
| 37 | West Mercia | 3.40 | 4,428 | 26,600,000 | 20,415 |
| 38 | Humberside | 3.29 | 3,084 | 15,400,000 | 16,439 |
| 39 | North Yorkshire | 3.27 | 2,683 | 16,400,000 | 19,988 |
| 40 | Durham | 3.03 | 1,907 | 7,900,000 | 12,547 |
| 41 | Cleveland | 2.97 | 1,692 | 6,400,000 | 11,225 |
| 42 | Northumbria | 2.80 | 4,048 | 391,600,000 | 270,502 |
| 43 | Police Scotland | 1.95 | 10,682 | 38,300,000 | 6,989 |
| 44 | PSNI | 1.92 | 3,645 | 35,700,000 | 18,758 |
| 45 | Guernsey | 1.19 | 76 | 1,800,000 | 28,085 |