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21 May 2025

Did you know that fraud is the UK’s most prevalent crime? While the number of fraud instances has been falling in the past couple of years, it remains top of the crime list. Every day, people across the UK are charged with committing fraud of some kind. 

One explanation for why fraud is so common — it accounts for more than 40% of all reported crime in the UK — is that it covers such a large area of the UK legal system. While ‘fraud’ may be the umbrella term for a certain type of crime, a closer look shows that there are many, many different types of fraud crimes, including:

• Investment fraud
• Tax fraud
• Immigration fraud
• Credit card fraud

In this post, we’ll run through some of the most common types of fraud for which people can be charged.

Are you being investigated or charged with fraud? Get in contact with ABV Solicitors today by calling 0344 587 9996, and begin building your defence. 

Investment Fraud

Investment frauds, often called boiler room frauds, are usually complex and large in scale, and typically involve a lot of people. These types of fraud occur when someone encourages another individual to make an investment in stocks, real estate, commodities, or other investments using dishonest information. In some instances, the defendant may be accused of making up the investment opportunity entirely.

At ABV Solicitors,  our fraud lawyers have successfully defended many clients accused of committing investment fraud. If you’ve been accused of investment fraud, then get in touch with our fraud solicitors today. 

Fraud by False Representation 

You may have heard of the term ‘fraud by false representation,’ which is a common charge that a criminal lawyer has to deal with. As with fraud itself, fraud by false representation is a broad term that can be applied to many different types of crimes. If the person accused of doing something dishonest for financial gain — say, saying they’re eligible for a social benefit even though they’re not — then it’s fraud by false representation.

Most people are notified that they’re under investigation for committing fraud by false representation before they’re charged. If you receive a notification asking you to attend an interview under caution regarding a fraud-related matter, then it’s important to get in touch with a defence lawyer. Our team of 24 hour solicitors is available around the clock, ensuring you can have peace of mind that professional help is always within reach. 

Insurance Fraud

Insurance fraud is a common form of ‘fraud by false representation.’ This crime involves making deceptive insurance claims or intentionally committing damage (to themselves, property, vehicles, and so on) with the intention of then claiming money from the insurance company. 

For instance, someone may be accused of insurance fraud if they make a false claim, exaggerate a claim, or intentionally plan an event with the hope that it’ll be viewed as a legitimate incident. If you’ve been arrested for insurance fraud, you’ll be taken to a police station for an interview under caution. It’s at this point that you should reach out to one of our criminal solicitors. Though you’ll have the option of working with a police-nominated solicitor, it’s best to work with a solicitor who has specific expertise in working with fraud cases.

Immigration Fraud

Immigration fraud refers to any illegal activity that is conducted with the intention of bypassing the UK’s immigration legal frameworks. An example of immigration fraud would be someone getting married to a non-national for the sole purpose of granting them a visa, or working in the UK with a valid work visa.

The complexity of immigration cases means that it’s not uncommon for innocent parties to be caught up in immigration fraud cases. If you or a loved one is arrested on suspicion of committing immigration fraud, then it’s vital that you get in touch with the immigration fraud lawyers here at ABV Solicitors as soon as possible. Our team of fast-acting solicitors can be with you as soon as possible. 

Tax Fraud

You’ll likely have heard of tax fraud, which is a common type of tax fraud that can often make the news. Because of the complexity of the UK’s tax rules, it’s possible for individuals and businesses to unwittingly commit tax fraud — yet even though it was not intentional, they can still end up in trouble with the authorities.

Though there’s usually a documented, data-backed paper trail that can “prove” that an individual or business committed tax fraud, that doesn’t mean that the defendant will be found guilty. There are a wide number of defences that expert tax fraud lawyers can use that can result in a successful outcome, including that the error was accidental, was based on incorrect information, or that the prosecution broke the law when building the case. 

SFO Cases

SFO cases refer to investigations made by the Serious Fraud Office, which deals with cases relating to bribery, corruption, and large-scale fraud. The above-mentioned investment fraud would fall into the umbrella of crimes that the SFO deals with, as would banking fraud, corporate fraud, and mortgage fraud. The majority of SFO cases are targeted at businesses, though high net worth individuals can also be subject to SFO investigations. If you’ve been targeted by the SFO, then get in touch with experienced fraud lawyers to put together the best possible case. 

What To Do If You’re Accused of Fraud

We’ve summed up some of the most common forms of fraud above. So, what do you do if you’ve been told that you’re being investigated for fraud, or if you’ve been arrested and taken to the police station for questioning? 

Whatever the circumstances, we encourage you to get in touch with an experienced fraud lawyer. Here at ABV Solicitors, our team of fraud lawyers has extensive expertise in assisting with all kinds of fraud cases. Before you speak to the police, or indeed take any steps whatsoever, pick up the phone and give us a call. Our team of criminal solicitors can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 0344 587 9996.