Serious Fraud Office

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a UK government department responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious or complex fraud, bribery, and corruption. It operates independently and focuses on cases with significant financial impact or public interest.

Communication Overview

Total releases

Number of press releases published by this department during the last 12 months, based on publicly available announcements.

Avg per month

Average number of press releases published per calendar month over the last 12 months. This smooths short-term fluctuations in publishing activity.

2.2

Avg word count

Average length of published press releases, measured in words. Calculated only for months where content was published.

416

Avg readability

Average Flesch Reading Ease score across all published press releases. Higher values indicate plainer English. Scores are indicative only and vary by subject matter.

32.8

Friday PM releases

Percentage of press releases published after 3pm on Fridays, relative to the department’s total output during the period.

Single-release items

Estimated proportion of announcements published once, without a closely related follow-up release during the same period. This is based on similarity of titles and timing.

100%

Metrics are descriptive only and indicate publication patterns rather than intent or impact.

Releases per month

Based on publicly published press releases (last 12 months)

63 articles

Showing 1-30

SFO returns £400,000 to victims of global email fraud

Thursday, 08 January 2026

Nine fraud victims to be compensated 24 years after the crime following innovative SFO technique....

Read More → press_release

SFO Security Head Awarded OBE in New Year Honours

Monday, 29 December 2025

Serious Fraud Office Head of Departmental Security Unit receives OBE....

Read More → news_story

Serious Fraud Office and Five Eyes on foreign bribery indicators

Monday, 22 December 2025

International taskforce releases indicators to help businesses and professionals detect corruption...

Read More → press_release

SFO to secure over £900,000 from?fraudster David Kennedy

Thursday, 18 December 2025

Former Axiom Legal Financing Fund manager ordered to repay millions to investors. ...

Read More → press_release

Report Fraud: New service from City of London Police

Thursday, 04 December 2025

How to report cyber crime and fraud is changing....

Read More → news_story

SFO secures conviction in international aircraft fraud

Monday, 01 December 2025

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured the conviction of the director of AOG Technics....

Read More → press_release

Refreshed guidance to evaluate corporate compliance

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Serious Fraud Office publishes updated guidance for corporates setting out transparently when, why and how it will evaluate a compliance programme....

Read More → press_release

SFO announces investigation into $28 million crypto scheme

Thursday, 20 November 2025

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) launches first major cryptocurrency investigation into suspected fraud. ...

Read More → press_release

SFO to move to Canary Wharf

Tuesday, 18 November 2025

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will move to a new home next year....

Read More → news_story

Serious Fraud Office prosecutor wins economic crime award

Monday, 10 November 2025

SFO case controller recognised at Tackling Economic Crime Awards....

Read More → news_story

Public appeal for information on timeshare scheme

Friday, 24 October 2025

SFO expands ongoing fraud investigation into suspected organised crime network selling timeshare services....

Read More → press_release

Response to Supreme Court judgment

Friday, 10 October 2025

A statement by the Serious Fraud Office on R v Hayes and R v Palombo....

Read More → news_story

SFO secures £1.1 million with first Unexplained Wealth Order

Tuesday, 09 September 2025

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) secures first Unexplained Wealth Order following sale of Lake District property....

Read More → press_release

Serious Fraud Office’s counsel rates increase from 1 September

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

We are pleased to announce that counsel rates will increase from the start of September....

Read More → news_story

SFO charges six in complex pension fraud investigation

Thursday, 24 July 2025

Suspected criminality involves £75 million invested into storage units....

Read More → press_release

SFO freezes over 10K in crypto assets from Arena TV’s CEO

Friday, 18 July 2025

SFO has frozen £10,865.76 in Bitcoin and £289.30 in USDC (value at the time of freezing) in cryptocurrency belonging to Arena TV's CEO, Richard Yeowa...

Read More → press_release

SFO and DOJ affirm commitment to joint working to tackle crime

Friday, 27 June 2025

The Director of the Serious Fraud Office met with the Head of the Criminal Division at the US Department of Justice this week....

Read More → press_release

SFO cracks down on corruption through international alliance

Thursday, 26 June 2025

UK Serious Fraud Office joins global anti-corruption alliance to combat cross-border corruption....

Read More → press_release

SFO's top accountant awarded OBE in King’s Birthday Honours

Thursday, 12 June 2025

The Serious Fraud Office is delighted to announce that Nick Stroud, Head of Forensic Accountancy, has been awarded an OBE in the King's Birthday Honou...

Read More → news_story

SFO investigates alleged multi million pound council fraud

Monday, 02 June 2025

Serious Fraud Office announces investigation into Rockfire Investment Finance Plc...

Read More → press_release

SFO charges global aircraft parts supplier with fraud offence

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala is charged with fraudulent trading as part of an SFO investigation into a company that sold parts for aircraft engines....

Read More → press_release

SFO opens European data centre bribery investigation

Friday, 23 May 2025

The SFO today searched five properties and made three arrests as it announced a new multi-million pound international bribery investigation. ...

Read More → press_release

UK insurance broker charged with failure to prevent bribery

Thursday, 01 May 2025

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today accused a UK insurance broker of failing to prevent international bribery....

Read More → press_release

SFO sets out route for businesses to avoid prosecution

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has today launched new guidance for corporates about self-reporting, co-operation and Deferred Prosecution Agreements (...

Read More → press_release

Serious Fraud Office sets out next steps in ambitious plan

Thursday, 03 April 2025

The SFO has published its plan for the year ahead focusing on using new tools, enhancing its intelligence capacity and with domestic and international...

Read More → news_story

UK, France and Switzerland announce new anti corruption alliance

Thursday, 20 March 2025

UK, France and Switzerland announce new alliance to tackle bribery and corruption threat? ...

Read More → press_release

Initial findings of our e discovery review

Monday, 03 February 2025

Our Interim Director of Legal Services Matthew Wagstaff provides an update on our ongoing review of our use of e-discovery software....

Read More → news_story

SFO secures first Unexplained Wealth Order in £100m fraud case

Friday, 17 January 2025

Today the SFO secured its first UWO as it seeks to recover a Lake District property believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of a £100m fraud...

Read More → press_release