UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – National Crime Agency and Law Society warn of rising home sale scams, with average losses of £82,000, urging stronger protections in the legal sector.
As reported by The Independent, a new campaign warns of scams targeting homebuyers, diverting payments in property deals, with imposters causing average losses of over £80,000.
Scammers are targeting property sales, diverting and rerouting funds intended for legitimate home purchases. Criminals manipulate homebuyers into transferring property funds to illegal accounts instead of the legitimate recipients.
How are homebuyers losing £82k to payment fraud?
The NCA and Law Society launch a joint campaign targeting solicitors and conveyancers to raise awareness about increasing fraud risks. This effort is being run alongside the Home Office’s Stop! Think Fraud scheme.
The goal of the campaign is to warn people to verify payment details, as emails can be intercepted or redirected. It urged people to ensure payment details are correct before transferring money.
What did Action Fraud figures reveal about home sale scams?
Action Fraud data revealed 143 incidents of home sale payment diversion between April 2024 and March 2025, with victims facing average losses of £82,000.
The figures show the majority of victims were aged 40–49, with 32% in that group and 27% aged 30–39, making the average age lower than for many other frauds.
What did Nick Sharp say about rising property payment frauds?
Nick Sharp, deputy director of fraud at the National Economic Crime Centre in the NCA, stated,
“Payment diversion fraud is one of the highest harm types of fraud experienced by victims, and when it manifests during a property purchase transaction, it has a huge impact on those who fall victim.”
He said,
“Average losses when this happens during a property sale are more than £80,000 – that is a life changing sum to lose for most people – but it also does enormous harm to the trust and faith that people place in the legal and financial systems that they rely on.”
Mr Shap stated,
“That is why the NCA is actively targeting and disrupting the criminal networks behind payment diversion fraud through investigations and intelligence sharing with international partners. However, prevention remains equally as important as disruptions.”
He added,
“This campaign with The Law Society represents a vital part of our strategy – by raising awareness and strengthening defences within the law sector, we can significantly reduce opportunities for criminals to succeed. Solicitors and conveyancers are the first line of defence in protecting both themselves and their clients from becoming victims.”
Key statistics about payment diversion fraud
Real estate payment diversion caused average losses of £82,000 per incident, with 143 UK reports from April 2024 to March 2025, and first-time buyers were three times more at risk.
The NCA classifies this as a high-harm crime. Business Email Compromise is cited by 63% of organizations as the main method for payment fraud, with wire transfers most targeted.
Overall, 71% of organizations have fallen victim to email-based payment fraud, according to the 2025 AFP survey.
Duties of the National Crime Agency
- NCA tackles serious crime and tracks top offenders.
- It targets high-risk criminals and focuses on the most harmful organised crime groups.
- The agency provides advanced capabilities to law enforcement partners.