Public Sector

Last month, a series of fraud investigations in the borough has seen four council-owned properties returned to Harrow Council – saving more than £350,000 of tax payer money.

https://harrowonline.org/2023/12/20/harrow-fraud-council-diverts-350000-as-four-properties-recovered/

Powys County Council has been accused of seeking to cover up irregular purchases made by a headteacher with taxpayers’ money for a barn he was converting into Airbnb accommodation.

https://nation.cymru/news/council-accused-of-trying-to-cover-up-school-fraud/

Just two per cent of Covid fraud tip-offs are being investigated, the government has admitted.

Around 98 per cent of claims phoned into the government’s coronavirus fraud hotline are not being actively pursued, ministers have said.

Serious failures in governance and financial management found at Harlech Community Council according to the report in the public interest issued today by the Auditor General for Wales.

https://businessnewswales.com/fraud-at-community-council-highlights-importance-of-cyber-security-processes/

Side hustles. Second jobs. Whatever you call them, they've soared in popularity in recent years.

https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2023-11-29-fraud-watchdog-hunts-remote-staff-secretly-working-two-full-time-jobs

LONDON (Reuters) - The value of suspected fraud flagged by lenders across emergency state-backed loans granted to struggling businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic has increased by 7% to 1.8 billion pounds ($2.3 billion), government figures showed on Tuesday.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/suspected-fraud-uk-covid-loans-145049926.html

The UK Government’s National Fraud Initiative is looking into a number of local authority employees who have been caught ‘moonlighting’ while they were supposed to be working from home for the council. The NFI considers this a form of fraud because it is seen as working multiple contracts without the knowledge of employers and contrary to their terms of employment. Multiple contract working is seen as fraud when people who are paid to work full time, split their days between two or more employers without their knowledge.

https://workplaceinsight.net/council-employees-working-from-home-are-committing-fraud-with-second-job/

A cash-strapped council will spend up to £350,000 on an investigation into potential fraud in its housing department.

https://www.farnhamherald.com/news/council-probe-into-potential-housing-department-fraud-to-cost-taxpayers-ps350000-651772

Wakefield Council’s anti-fraud investigators have identified overpayments for housing benefits, council tax support and Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) claims.

A report says officers have been involved in 23 cases since April this year.

The Treasury and the Cabinet Office have refused MPs' request for intelligence on fraud and corruption across government to be published, saying it could lead to more fraud.

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/government-refuses-to-publish-fraud-intelligence-arguing-it-could-show-how-attacks-could-be-executed