30 November 2006

The Benefits Fraud Inspectorate has published the 2006 CPA results for benefit services in single-tier authorities.  In all 104 councils were rated as having ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ services while 12 were judged to provide a ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ benefits service.  Nottingham City Council were among those rated excellent, which Stoke on Trent City Council were rated poor.  Nottingham’s portfolio holders for housing benefit, David Trimble said “benefits is a service to the most needy people in the city and as such, it is a council priority.  Full results can be found at www.bfi.gov.uk  MJ magazine
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29 November 2006

A bill which would end trial by jury in complex fraud cases has cleared its first parliamentary hurdle, despite opposition.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6195852.stm

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27 November 2006

A businessman jailed in 2004 for a major VAT fraud has been ordered to pay back more than £1m by a judge.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6191084.stm

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27 November 2006

The wife of a former Isle of Man chief minister is to appeal against her convictions for fraud, it has emerged.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/isle_of_man/6188650.stm

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27 November 2006

A worker was tricked into giving her pin number to a woman claiming to be form Kent Police and then had £500 withdrawn from her bank account.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6189740.stm

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26 November 2006

The Serious Fraud Office has carried out a series of raids in Barcelona as it investigates an alleged multimillion pound international shares swindle, which is said to have defrauded British investors.  For the full story log on to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmstandard/frame.html?in_bottom=http:%2F%2Fwww.thisismoney.co.uk%2Fnews%2Findex.html%3Fin_page_id%3D2&in_page_id=1804

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22 November 2006

Eight people have been arrested as part of an investigation into a gang which has been staging bogus road accidents.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6173468.stm

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20 November 2006

Devon & Cornwall trading standards officers are warning against fraudulent scams after 15 separate case cost victims £300,000 in Cornwall along.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6166942.stm

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20 November 2006

A Pebbles man claimed his dead brother had no dependents in order to cash in his £12,650 insurance policy.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/6166046.stm

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20 November 2006

Financial crime in the UK stemming from Nigeria involves “billions of pounds” but not enough is being done to stop it a report has concluded.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6163700.stm

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17 November 2006

A former DUP mayor of Coleraine has been jailed for four months for electoral fraud.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6159006.stm

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14 November 2006

The Identity and Passport Service, the agency due to introduce national ID cards, has postponed indefinitely a much simpler IT project to allow people to apply and pay online for passports, despite making a “significant investment” in the system.  Last week the Prime Minister Tony Blair renewed his support for ID cards and responded to those who question whether the IT will work by praising the technology that supports the issuing of passports.  But Computer Weekly has learned that the Identity and Passport Service is running more than a year behind schedule on an online passport system that is far simpler than the ID cards scheme and costs less than one hundredth of its price. Computer Weekly magazine  
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16 November 2006

East Herts DC has been cleared by an independent investigator of fraud in running a swimming pools contract.  The investigator was called in after Unison made complaints surrounding the leisure contract awarded to Aspire in summer 2005.  MJ magazine
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15 November 2006

Many complex fraud trails could soon be tried without a jury, with the government introducing such a bill for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6150514.stm

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14 November 2006

An ex MP has been arrested and released on bail by police investigating allegations of financial irregularities at a psychiatric hospital in Norfolk.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/6146846.stm

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10 November 2006

Up to £8bn in means-tested benefits are not claimed annually the Department for Work & Pensions said this week.  Combined with figures for non-take-up of tax credits, it means that £130m in means-tested payments are not claimed.  Public Sector magazine 
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9 November 2006

Up to £8bn in means-tested benefits are not claimed annually, the Department for Work and Pensions said, combined with figures for non-take-up of tax credits, it means that £13bn in means-tested payments are not claimed.  Public Finance magazine
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9 November 2006

An inquiry has been launched at JobCentres across Surrey and Sussex after a client claimed he was able to overhear other users’ security details.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/6131600.stm

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8 November 2006

Beware all potential fraudsters, don't go trying it on in Caerphilly.  Last week Caerphilly CBC successfully proved in court that a man who claimed he had hurt his elbow after tripping over a pothole had, in fact, been injured in a fight.  The only disappointment for head fraud buster Dayton Griffiths was that the bogus claimant received a suspended sentence.  LGC magazine
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8 November 2006

The Department for Work and Pensions lost an estimated £2.7m of benefits payments to fraud and errors last year, a National Audit Officer report says.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6128408.stm

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7 November 2006

Health Minister Paul Goggins has told the BBC he is deeply concerned about the eight year delay in stopping a dentist, who has now been struck off for fraud and malpractice, from working in Northern Ireland.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6126298.stm

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7 November 2006

A businessman who was at the centre of a fraud involving a cancer fundraising company has been jailed for 18 months.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6124584.stm

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7 November 2006

Ten people have been arrested as part of an investigation into a gang which has been staging bogus road accidents.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6124472.stm

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7 November 2006

Online card fraud leapt by 55% in the first six months of the year while theft by card at shop bills plunged thanks to chip and pin, new figures show.  For the full story log on to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmstandard/frame.html?in_bottom=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisismoney.co.uk%2Fcredit-and-loans%2Fidfraud%2Farticle.html%3Fin_article_id%3D414415%26in_page_id%3D159

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7 November 2006

A surge in “phishing” in the first half of 2006 has produced a sharp rise in the amount of money being lost to online banking fraud.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6122116.stm

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6 November 2006

Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he will push on with ID cards, insisting that as with CCTV and DNA the issue is one of “modernity” not civil liberties.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6120220.stm

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6 November 2006

Fraud claims about a dentist struck off for serious professional misconduct are being examined by police.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6121126.stm

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5 November 2006

Postbags containing personal documents that could easily be used by thieves to steal consumers’ identities are being left unattended in the porches of ordinary houses, care homes and hotels for hours at a time by Royal Mail; and there is evidence that criminals are well aware of the practice.  It comes at a time of mounting concern about identity theft, which costs the economy £1.7bm a year and is the country’s fastest-growing crime.  For the full story log on to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmstandard/frame.html?in_page_id=1&in_bottom=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisismoney.co.uk%2Fcredit-and-loans%2Fidfraud%2Farticle.html%3Fin_article_id%3D414387%26in_page_id%3D159%26ct%3D5

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4 November 2006

The manager of Boston United, round guilty of tax fraud but spared jail, will keep his job, the club’s chairman has confirmed.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/6116660.stm

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4 November 2006

Cash machine crime has risen despite leading banks investing millions of pounds in anti-skimming technology. 
For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6115974.stm
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3 November 2006

A man belonging to a family-led gang which pulled off a £3m fraud over two years has been convicted.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6115270.stm
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3 November 2006

Kim Woo-Choong, the founder of Daewoo Group, has lost his appeal against a conviction for embezzlement and fraud, but has had his jail sentence cut.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6112528.stm

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2 November 2006

The former boss of Computer Associates has been sentenced to 12 years and fined £4.2m for his role in a giant fraud at the US software giant.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6111536.stm

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1 November 2006

A cancer charity conman has paid back £210,000 from the proceeds of his crime, a court has heard.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6105488.stm

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1 November 2006

Most people know that you should not throw away letters or bills that contain your personal information.  For the full story log on to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6102694.stm

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