Crime and Policing

The UK public agency involved in the fight against corruption, fraud and bribery has been through a difficult period, beset by delays and increasing demands on its time. The organisation has set out a five-year strategy.

The UK Serious Fraud Office, has reportedly launched a review of its past and present cases after finding problems with software used in evidence disclosure. The SFO has also set out its five-year strategy, showing that it intends to use new powers and tools to crack down on alleged wrongdoers.

The alleged crimes include high-value fraud and drug offences with incidents spanning the North East, Lanarkshire and Glasgow.

Four men and a woman have appeared in court charged in connection with involvement in serious organised crime across Scotland after an elderly man was defrauded out of more than £100,000.

https://news.stv.tv/scotland/five-appear-in-glasgow-and-aberdeen-courts-after-elderly-man-defrauded-out-of-more-than-100000

The Serious Fraud Office’s strategy, launched on 18th April 2024, sets our organisation’s direction, shaping our values, approach and goals over the next five years.

https://www.sfo.gov.uk/2024/04/18/serious-fraud-office-strategy-2024-2029/

‘LabHost’, a service that was set up in 2021 by a criminal cyber network, enabled the creation of ‘phishing’ websites designed to trick victims into revealing personal information such as email addresses, passwords and bank details.

Users were able to log on and choose from existing sites or request bespoke pages replicating those of trusted brands, including banks, healthcare agencies and postal services.

A nationwide fraud crackdown led by City of London Police saw 438 people arrested and £19m seized.

The month-long Operation Henhouse was hailed by officers as resulting in a “record” number of arrests, with a 52 per cent increase on the previous year.

An £80,000 Porsche and a £70,000 BMW have been seized by Lancashire Police and the North-West Regional Organised Crime Unit, following a national crackdown on fraud.

The National Crime Agency said that more than 400 people were arrested during the crackdown, which was coordinated by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police.

UK Police crack down on fraud, arrest hundreds of suspects and seize millions in assets as part of Operation Henhouse.

In a concerted effort to combat the growing amount of fraud across the UK – the vast majority of which takes place online – law enforcement agencies, including Police Scotland, have made significant strides in a UK-wide operation called Operation Henhouse, resulting in the arrest of over 400 suspects and the seizure of £19 million in cash and assets.

TWO million pounds worth of assets have been frozen, and 15 arrests have been made as part of a month long intensification period in February 2024 under Operation Henhouse, led by the Serious Economic Crime Unit within Essex Police.

Essex Police’s Economic Crime Unit investigate offences which include romance scams, online market place scams, rogue traders, investment scams, bribery and corruption.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a new investigation into an alleged £76m fraud involving luxury care homes.

The anti-fraud agency raided two sites in St Leonard’s, Dorset, and Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and made three arrests today.

The investigation into the UK registered property developer, the Carlauren Group, which collapsed into administration in November 2019.

The Home Secretary has hailed a pledge by world leaders to unite to fight fraud as a “massive step forward” in efforts to crack down on the crime.

The agreement was signed as representatives from governments of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership – the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – as well as those from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and South Korea attended a summit in London.