December 2016
Focus on Fraud
Fraud is now the most common type of crime in England and Wales, almost equalling the combined total of all other offences Source: (Sky News 21.07.2016)
In the first set of official figures showing the true scale of the problem, the Office for National Statistics has revealed there were almost six million incidents of fraud and computer misuse in England and Wales in the year to the end of March 2016. A total of 3.8 million frauds were recorded by the Crime Survey for England and Wales and two million computer misuse offences, such as computer hacking, were reported. Questions on fraud and cyber-crime were added to the survey from October last year and show around one in 10 people are likely to have been the victim of fraud. Of the 3.8m fraud cases recorded in the crime survey, around half were cyber-related. Statisticians said the survey indicates that fraud is now the most common crime likely to be experienced by the general population, with people 20 times more likely to be a victim of fraud than robbery, and 10 times more likely to suffer fraud than theft.
Basic steps to help avoid cybercrime exposure Over the past year the NFIB, part of the City of London Police, disrupted 4,000 websites, bank accounts and phone lines, and helped prevent fraud to the tune of £369 million. The majority of fraud being referred by the NFIB affects the bank and credit card industry which over the past year has seen an increase of almost 10%. Always log out of your
computer when it’s not in use Never open an email attachment from an untrusted source Always report anything you feel is suspicious.
Payroll Fraud - Timesheets Jake, who worked in the financial department of an NHS health body, was not sure whether to bring his concerns to the attention of his supervisor. He was almost certain that the timesheet he was processing could not be right. When he did talk to his manager, a quick enquiry established that Jake was correct: the name of the authorising nurse was wrongly spelt. It also turned out that the nurse claiming the payment had stopped working at the hospital four months earlier. A counter fraud investigation quickly established that she was Copyright © Gateway Assure 2016 registered in England and Wales - MCH House, Bailey Drive, Gillingham, ME8 0PZ - Company number: 08232033