The Serious Fraud Office’s new director, Richard Alderman, has reiterated his desire to get involved with consumer fraud, despite calls to concentrate on corporate fraud.

Former SFO director Ros Wright and forensic experts have argued that he should focus on the high-value public interest cases of fraud and corruption.

Alderman, writing in this week’s Accountancy Age, said he is keen for the SFO to be associated with pursuing ‘boiler-room and advance-fee frauds’. He argues these cases should be ‘equally prominent on our radar’ and the SFO’s skills in detection, prosecution and compensation would be valuable.

Alderman refers to his desire to build ‘closer relationships with intermediaries such as the accountancy institutes’ to mount joint initiatives combating fraud.