Briefs

computerweekly, Ian Grant, 04 Oct 2007

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) is using data mining technology to identify the social networks and "trade routes" used by fraudsters who are costing the UK an estimated �3.5bn a year.

This emerged from a Soca briefing today on a "day of action" that saw police in the UK, US, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and Nigeria swoop on suspected fraudster gangs.

Most of the suspects are using internet e-mail and telephone to "mass market" scams to targeted vulnerable people. Most scams known as advance fee frauds, worth an estimated �340m a year in the UK, are distributed using e-mail spam.

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Colin Woodcock, senior manager for Soca's 40-strong fraud crime techniques unit, said data mining was very big in Soca. It found the technology very useful in identifying links between suspects.

Evans added it helped to identify bottlenecks in the fraudsters' trade routes. By attacking these, police could reduce fraudsters' activity quickly.

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