Online fraud has increased faster than police forces can respond to it.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Online fraud has increased faster than police forces can respond to it.
What problems does this create? How can these problems be solved?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
The prompt hands you the key: fraud is outpacing enforcement. That means solutions built on more police will not scale, because the crime is cross-border, automated and enormously high in volume. The strongest answers shift responsibility to the institutions that sit in the payment path — banks, platforms and telecoms — because they are the only actors positioned to stop it at scale.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then signpost: the problems are structural unenforceability and a victim burden that is under-reported; the solutions must move liability to the intermediaries.
Body 1 — Problems — jurisdiction and volume make prosecution impossible, and shame plus victim-blaming suppress reporting, which distorts the response.
Body 2 — Solutions — make banks and platforms liable for reimbursement, introduce friction at the moment of payment, and prosecute the small number of enablers rather than the many perpetrators.
Conclusion — Since detection cannot scale, prevention has to be built into the systems the money passes through.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
334 words
Instances of online fraud are growing at a pace that police forces are struggling to match. Nevertheless, certain measures could be introduced to address this escalating problem.
The most damaging consequence of this trend is the severe financial hardship inflicted on victims, many of whom lose substantial savings within moments through scams such as fraudulent investment schemes or fake online marketplaces. To clarify, unlike traditional theft, online fraud can be conducted remotely and anonymously across international borders, making it exceedingly difficult for local law enforcement to trace perpetrators or recover stolen funds even with international cooperation. Beyond financial loss, victims frequently experience profound psychological distress, including anxiety and diminished trust in digital services, which can discourage vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly, from engaging safely with essential online banking or shopping platforms altogether. Small businesses are also frequently targeted, and the resulting losses can be severe enough to force some of them to close entirely.
To combat this problem, governments should establish specialised cybercrime units equipped with the technical expertise and international cooperation agreements necessary to pursue fraudsters operating across borders. Banks and financial institutions should also be required to implement more robust verification systems, such as multi-factor authentication, to prevent unauthorised transactions before they occur. In addition, public awareness campaigns could educate particularly vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, on how to recognise common fraud tactics, thereby reducing the pool of susceptible victims. Technology companies should further be held accountable for removing fraudulent advertisements and accounts from their platforms promptly and consistently. International cooperation between national police forces is equally vital, since many fraud networks deliberately operate across several jurisdictions to evade prosecution. Courts should also be granted the resources needed to prosecute these cases swiftly, rather than allowing backlogs to discourage victims from reporting fraud at all.
To conclude, the rapid rise of online fraud causes severe financial and psychological harm that outpaces current policing capacity, yet specialised cybercrime units, stronger verification systems and targeted public education could considerably curb this growing threat.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a problem and solution question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Introduction — paraphrase that online fraud is rising faster than police can respond, and note that measures could address the problem.
Body 1: Body 1 — explain the problems: victims suffer severe financial loss from cross-border scams that are hard to trace, and also experience psychological distress that discourages safe use of online banking and shopping.
Body 2: Body 2 — explain the solutions: governments should create specialised cybercrime units with international cooperation, banks should adopt multi-factor authentication, public campaigns should educate vulnerable groups, and platforms should remove fraudulent content promptly.
Conclusion: Conclusion — briefly summarise that online fraud causes serious harm faster than policing can respond, but specialised units, stronger verification and education could curb the threat.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
online fraud
criminal deception carried out over the internet
Instances of online fraud are growing at a pace that police forces are struggling to match.
fraudulent investment schemes
fake investment offers designed to steal victims' money
scams such as fraudulent investment schemes or fake online marketplaces.
law enforcement
police and other agencies responsible for enforcing the law
making it exceedingly difficult for local law enforcement to trace perpetrators or recover stolen funds.
psychological distress
mental suffering such as anxiety or fear
victims frequently experience profound psychological distress, including anxiety and diminished trust in digital services.
cybercrime units
specialised police teams focused on internet-based crime
governments should establish specialised cybercrime units equipped with the technical expertise.
multi-factor authentication
a security process requiring more than one form of verification to log in
implement more robust verification systems, such as multi-factor authentication.
unauthorised transactions
payments or transfers made without the account holder's permission
to prevent unauthorised transactions before they occur.
public awareness campaigns
organised efforts to inform the public about an issue
public awareness campaigns could educate particularly vulnerable groups.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
How do I use a phrase from the prompt to shape my answer?
Take it literally and follow the implication. "Faster than police forces can respond" means enforcement cannot scale, which immediately eliminates "more police" as a solution and points towards prevention. Prompts often contain the thesis if you read them closely.
Should I mention victim-blaming?
It is a strong inclusion because it connects to policy: shame suppresses reporting, under-reporting distorts resource allocation. Presented as a causal chain rather than a moral complaint, it earns its place in the problems paragraph.
Is proposing a change in strategy better than proposing more resources?
Usually, yes. "Target the small number of enablers rather than the many offenders" shows analysis of where leverage lies. Calls for more funding are the default answer on this question type and rarely distinguish an essay.
