Frauds

Travellers looking to book their Hajj pilgrimage this year are being warned against deals that seem too good to be true. The Civil Aviation Authority's campaign is working to protect travellers after an increasing trend in the sale of illegal or fake package deals. In the worst cases, these illegal vendors have been prosecuted and imprisoned.

https://www.caa.co.uk/News/UK-Civil-Aviation-Authority-warns-Hajj-travellers-about-unlawful-travel-agents/

Procurement fraud is widespread in the UK and the country lags behind many countries in its detection capabilities, new research from SAS claims.

A report by analytics software provider SAS warned today that the UK is a procurement fraud “capital” – with almost a third (31 percent) of businesses subjected to contract bid rigging and 43 per cent to duplicate invoices.

https://www.cbronline.com/news/procurement-fraud-sas

Roger William Bessent, a Lancashire-based accountant who acted as a trustee and administrator to workplace pension schemes, has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.

https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2019/04/01/pension-fraudster-sent-to-prison/

A man who claimed to have been displaced by the Grenfell Tower fire has been convicted of fraud and sentenced to five years in jail after racking up more than £47,000 worth of food and hotel bills.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/london-south/news/man-who-claimed-be-grenfell-tower-resident-jailed-over-ps47000-fraud

Kamlesh Bassi (58) has today (29 March 2019) been convicted of seven counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of supplying a prescription-only medicinal product. She was found guilty following a trial at Warwick Crown Court.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/west-midlands/news/woman-who-posed-doctor-and-targeted-elderly-people-convicted-fraud

Essex Police have started the campaign, Operation Signature which will help to identify and support vulnerable victims of fraud across the country.

https://bjournal.co/sussex-police-issue-initiative-to-help-vulnerable-victims-of-fraud/

Fraud cost the convenience retail sector £9 million in 2018 – equivalent to £194 per store in the UK, according to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) trade body.

A man has appeared in Court after admitting fraud and food safety offences.

Almost two thirds (73 per cent) of UK businesses believe that fraudsters who carry out payments fraud are now ‘ahead of the industry’, according to the third annual Business Fraud Report from Vocalink, a Mastercard company.

http://www.lpportal.eu/content/editorial/articles/industry-focus/fraudsters-are-ahead-game/