DON'T waste your time walking down the street worrying about getting mugged or having your handbag snatched - it's fear of fraud that should be occupying the public consciousness, says the temporary commissioner of the City of London Police.

Identity theft, credit card misuse and phishing mean that people are more likely to become victims of fraud than to suffer any other crime, Mike Bowron tells Police Review (Aug 25). "No one is walking down the street in fear of being embezzled. I am saying they ought to," he says.

It's not just the public who don't take fraud seriously; Bowron says that "a lot" of police forces do not see it as a priority and that it is "not a subject that has traditionally excited cops …

"But there is an underlying issue here. We are seeing more and more evidence of fraud being used to finance terrorism. Now it is getting serious."

Bowron welcomes the Attorney-General's fraud review, which is currently out for consultation. It suggests that the City force could play a major part in creating a national centre of excellence for fraud investigation.

No word though on whether the centre would use the innovative investigation technique pioneered by inquiry teams at a station in South Yorkshire. In a separate story, Police Review reports that officers are posting written invitations to suspects asking them to come into the station for questioning.

In one month, 65 suspects received letters; 35 of them attended appointments and there were 21 sanction detentions - where a person is convicted, cautioned or reprimanded - as a result.

Paul Stillings, the temporary inspector who came up with the idea, says it helps to reduce officers' workloads and can suit the suspects as well. "Most people do not want to see an officer at their door. They would rather come down to the station and get it sorted.

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