£40,000 in cash seized and six arrested following national fraud crackdown

Officers from Staffordshire Police have been working to support Operation Henhouse, the fourth national operation that has resulted in £7.5 million being seized and more than 400 arrests across the UK in February. 

Fraud is the most prevalent crime in the UK, causing long-lasting emotional, psychological and financial harm to residents across England, Wales and Scotland. 

It accounts for around 41 per cent of all crime reports and costs more than £6 billion each year in England and Wales. 

As part of the national enforcement, Staffordshire Police have arrested six people, carried out two voluntary interviews, seized £39,656 as part of a single investigation and issued one cease and desist notice. 

Detective inspector Kerry Skingle, from the Staffordshire Police Major and organised crime department, said: "Not only is fraud the most prevalent crime in the country, it’s also a crime that has a significant effect on the many victims involved.

“We’re proud to be supporting such a substantial national effort to robustly target the criminals preying on local people for their own financial gain. 

"We’ve been able to take significant steps in Staffordshire to protect potential victims and to identify those responsible for these damaging and debilitating crimes."

If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, you can get more information on what to do from the Staffordshire Police website.