Debate contribution: Tackling Scams and Improving Public Protection

Debate contribution by Mr Patsy McGlone on 9 December 2025.

MLA

Mr Patsy McGlone

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

9 December 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Tackling Scams and Improving Public Protection

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5296437

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The SDLP welcomes the motion and the opportunity to discuss the growing threat of scams and how the Executive can improve public protection and support for victims right across the North. In 2024, the PSNI received more than 5,200 reports of fraud, with a loss of around £19 million. The National Cyber Security Centre reported that almost £12 million was lost to online shopping fraud across the UK over last year's festive season. The PSNI figures cover a wide range of scams and amounts of money lost, from hundreds of pounds lost to ticket scams to hundreds of thousands of pounds lost to impersonation and investment scams. We all know about those. We all know individuals who have sought our advice. In fact, in some instances, we have been surprised by the individuals who were taken in by those offers. It is true that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. Each fraud leaves behind a victim of financial loss, often with emotional and psychological damage. Those responsible are mostly organised criminal groups operating not just cross-border, as in across this island, but internationally. It makes little sense for the motion to refer to "cross-border criminal activity" and not call for greater cooperation with an Garda Síochána. Indeed, there is a case for improving the already close working relationship between the Police Service in the North and an Garda Síochána to tackle the organised criminal groups involved in scams on this island. There already is a cross-border policing strategy, with a focus on tackling crime and preventing harm, roads policing and road safety, community policing and major emergency management. Obviously, that strategy is primarily about the cross-border area, but there is no reason why it should be limited in the geographical sense when the criminal activity is not. The criminal gangs deliberately target the isolated and vulnerable, but anyone can fall victim to their scams. They are increasingly sophisticated in their operations. They have the technology and the time to create elaborate fictions to ensnare the unwary. It makes fascinating watching on social media some evenings to see how the gentleman — I think that he is from here — turns the tables on those individuals and hacks into their systems, and when the previously unwary become very wary, and when the tables are turned, the scammers do not particularly like it. In some countries, there are literally thousands of dedicated scammers and cybercriminals targeting the citizens of other countries with romance, investment, pyramid, shopping and identity fraud. There is also evidence that, having been scammed once, victims' details have been sold on to other groups as potential targets for future scams. Given the level of fraud reported here and the financial cost to individuals and business, more could and should be done. The European Union has taken the initiative against some types of cross-border fraud, and there has been some action by Interpol. However, there has been limited interest elsewhere in combating truly cross-border fraud on an international scale. Therefore, the SDLP supports the call for the Minister of Justice, working with Executive colleagues, to bring forward a coordinated, cross-departmental strategy to strengthen prevention and improve detection and enforcement in this area. The public can only benefit from enhanced data sharing between agencies and financial institutions, from the delivery of a more effective public awareness campaign or campaigns and from better support for the victims of scams.

Those benefits will be greater still if delivered on an all-island basis, across these islands and internationally.

594 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:09 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification