2024 Publications

Fraud is at epidemic levels in the UK, and it is becoming increasingly more organised and sophisticated. The picture is no different amongst organisations involved in recruitment.

The Better Hiring Institute and its collaborators have defined Hiring Fraud as any fraud committed during the hiring process; this may be committed by an individual against an organisation, or committed by an entity against a work seeker.

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Driven through the work of the Counter Fraud Function, everyone involved in public services must play their part in transforming the way the public sector is protected from fraud. From helping departments to manage fraud risks, to taking effective action and pursuing fraudsters where fraud does occur, we as government will continue to collectively fight fraud against the public purse.

The Counter Fraud Functional Strategy for 2024-2027 should drive efforts and set out where the Function will go but noticeably the strategy is currently underwhelming, has no measurable objectives, with few ideas on how fraud can actually be reduced and there are no commitments to spending!

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On 18 March 2024, the Sentencing Council published a response to the third annual consultation on miscellaneous amendments to sentencing guidelines, and made changes to a number of the sentencing guidelines. Relevant to MFF members, the Council was made aware of a potential difficulty in sentencing cases where there is little or no financial harm but a high level of non-financial impact on the victim. As a result the fraud guideline will be amended from 1 April 2024 to give increased recognition to the impact on victims in circumstances where there is no or limited financial loss with the wording: "Serious detrimental effect on the victim whether financial or otherwise (including emotional and psychological harm)".

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The government has introduced new ‘failure to prevent offences’ for bribery and fraud, and two facilitation of criminal tax evasion offences (in the UK and abroad) since 2010, and in 2023 legislated for a major reform of the underlying rules for holding corporations to account. But as the number of corporate offences have grown, there has been little corresponding focus on ensuring the legislation for holding senior executives to account is fit for purpose. Without further targeted reforms, it is unlikely the new corporate offences will be accompanied by an upswing in senior executive accountability.

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With an apparent absence of any resource or funding commitments, and with some actions arguably dependent on funding rather than strategy, possibly the most effective action will be improving the way in the which agencies work together effectively to tackle these five lines of action to tackle serious and organised crime:

•           In-country: with increased impact against the highest-priority organised crime groups operating in and against the UK, in particular increased impact against fraud and economic crime, including illicit finance and cybercrime.

•           UK Border: to disrupt organised immigration crime.

•           International: the disruption of high-harm organised criminals overseas, with improved information and intelligence sharing internationally, linked to wider government development goals.

•           Technology and capabilities: ensuring the best intelligence and data collection, analysis, and investigative capabilities are in place to identify and disrupt organised criminals.

•           Multi-agency response: ensuring all public and private sector partners are working together as effectively as possible with the right capacity, skills, structures and tasking processes.

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