Frauds

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is looking at potential legislative measures to help reduce levels of fraud, error and debt in the benefits system, as set out in the May 2022 policy paper, 'Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System'.

The findings from the 'British Social Attitudes Survey' have now been published from a recent DWP survey which aimed to understand public perceptions of fraud, error and debt in the benefits system along with exploring the acceptability of proposed new powers to help inform future policy development.

Fifteen Hertfordshire residents have been scammed when applying for fake jobs.

The 15 victims reported losses of more than £79,000, with one Waltham Cross resident losing £37,400.

https://www.thecomet.net/news/23887056.15-herts-residents-lose-79-000-job-application-scammers/

A fraudster who faked having terminal cancer and scammed a vulnerable couple out of £230,000 to pay for her "lavish" lifestyle has been jailed.

Haydee Daniel, 55, was described by detectives as having "no remorse" after taking advantage of a couple with a sick child.

A notable far-right activist known for his campaign against “illegal” migrants has received a suspended prison sentence due to his role in a major fraud scheme. This scheme duped numerous individuals, many of whom vulnerable, out of large sums of money.

https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/86005/prominent-voice-of-wales-activist-sentenced-in-major-fraud-case/

The Pensions Ombudsman has upheld a complaint against Embark after it failed to prevent identity fraud which cost a client £20,000.

The complainant, identified in the ruling as Mr N, alleged Embark accepted fraudulent email instructions to withdraw £20,000 from his Sipp account in May 2019 and that he incurred a financial loss as a result.

https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2023/10/25/embark-told-to-pay-out-for-failing-to-prevent-20k-fraud/

Laura Suter, head of personal finance at AJ Bell, comments on UK Finance’s fraud report for the first half of 2023:

“So-called authorised push payment fraud has hit its highest levels on record, with the number of cases rising by 22% in the past year. More than 116,000 cases were recorded in the first half of this year, as scammers ramped up their efforts. However, the silver lining to this is that the amount returned to victims hit its highest rate. Of the money lost, 64p in the £1 was returned to victims, following the introduction of the voluntary code of conduct introduced by the industry, but it remains that a third of losses are not reimbursed and have to be footed by the individual.

More than half a billion pounds was lost to fraud in the UK over the first half of the year, while the number of authorised scams jumped by more than a fifth, according to new data.

Criminals stole £580 million through authorised and unauthorised fraud over the first six months of 2023, UK Finance revealed.

Holidaymakers have been warned against making fraudulent travel insurance claims ahead of the half term break this week.

What’s known as ‘opportunistic fraud’ makes up 85% of all travel insurance scams and is descried as when people who aren’t involved in organised crime attempt to make a fast buck with a fake claim.

Police are warning the public about a scam where fraudsters pose as online retailers, after a 90-year-old almost lost thousands of pounds.

Courier fraud - where a fraudster phones their victim and claims to be from their bank, the police or a company - is on the rise in the North East, officers from the Economic Crime Unit have said.

Online grocery retailers are being hit by a triple whammy of fraud as the cost of living crisis bites, according to a new report from Ravelin.

A key risk factor for most merchants in the sector is the rise of friendly fraud, which includes chargebacks, promotions and policy abuse by retailers’ own customers.

https://londonlovesbusiness.com/retailers-hit-by-growing-fraud-during-cost-of-living-crisis/