To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of financial fraud have taken place in each of the last five years involving credit card cheques; and what the total value was in each year. (75899)

The available information relates to recorded offences of cheque and credit card fraud and is published in Table 2.04 of “Crime in England and Wales 2004-05”. A copy of this table is available at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1105chap2.xls

The Home Office does not collect data on the total value involved. Statistics provided by the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) on financial losses were also published in section 4.6 of the volume referred to above. These are available on the website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1105chap456.pdf