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After attending the event organized by the Fraud Female Forum and TIPS Network on 21 May 2025, Lucie Tauveron reflects on the involvement of female clients in the financial crime sector.
The event discussion began with a striking statistic from the ACFE’s 2024 report: in the UK, women are responsible for only 25% of reported fraud cases, with male perpetrators outnumbering female perpetrators nearly three to one. This figure is particularly notable when compared to the United States and Canada, where women account for 38% of fraud cases. The disparity prompted me to consider what drives the minority of UK women who do commit fraud. Are their motivations different from their male counterparts - and from women in North America? What social, economic, or institutional factors might account for this transatlantic difference?
Interestingly, the panel members unanimously expressed surprise at the reported figure, noting that it seemed disproportionately high based on their professional experience. Each recalled working on only a small number of cases involving women under investigation for fraud or corporate crime. This disconnect between lived experience and statistical reporting raises important questions about perception versus reality in the field.
One plausible explanation for the panel's surprise at the data could lie in the nature of the cases they have typically worked on. If their experience has predominantly been in high-value or complex fraud proceedings, then it is possible that the majority of defendants they encountered were male. This would align with broader trends in corporate leadership, where men still dominate senior positions. Furthermore, high-profile fraud cases that receive media attention or regulatory scrutiny tend to disproportionately feature male perpetrators, reinforcing the perception that fraud is a predominantly male domain.
The second question posed to the audience focused on the primary motivating factors for women involved in financial crime proceedings. Attendees were given four potential options, and the overwhelming consensus in the room was that women often appear in the role of co-conspirators, typically drawn into the scheme by a principal male offender. This reflects a common pattern seen in many cases, where women become implicated through personal or emotional connections, rather than initiating fraudulent activity themselves.
An example of this dynamic was evident in the Portsmouth Crown Court ruling on 22 May 2025, where Emma O’Shea was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud. O’Shea, a businesswoman from Southsea, was described during the trial as an “easy target” who was manipulated by her then-boyfriend, Dean Ryan. Ryan orchestrated a staged burglary at her home and convinced her to file a fraudulent insurance claim for £350,000.
One striking case involving a female perpetrator of fraud is that of Ryley Cruz (also known as Tanya Rowe). In his judgment in R. v Cruz (Ryley), His Honour Judge Tabor QC detailed the facts of the case, which spanned from March 2013 to June 2016 and resulted in 15 counts of fraud. Cruz's deceptive conduct included producing false payslips, feigning terminal illnesses, and falsely claiming to be a qualified barrister. Moreover, her methods, such as feigning terminal illness and assuming professional identities (like pretending to be a barrister), may reflect gendered strategies of fraud. Female offenders are sometimes more likely to exploit emotional manipulation or social trust, particularly in personal or caregiving roles, which can make their crimes harder to detect.
As more women advance to senior management positions within the financial sector, it will be important to observe whether this increased access to power influences trends in female involvement in fraud. Traditionally, the underrepresentation of women in white-collar crime has been linked not only to ethical or behavioural differences, but also to structural limitations. Increased access to positions of power may change the nature and prevalence of financial crimes committed by women, potentially narrowing the gap seen today between genders. This shift also calls for a more nuanced understanding of how gendered strategies (such as emotional manipulation) may evolve in parallel with women’s growing presence in roles of authority and influence.
