Fraud Intelligence

The law enforcement approach to fraud in England and Wales must change, says a new report from independent UK think tank the Police Foundation.

One of the United Kingdom's hastily pulled-together schemes to assist businesses during the Covid-19 crisis is believed to have been abused to the extent of £1.88bn, flagged by lenders as suspected fraud. Paul Johnson and Stephanie Williams of Peters & Peters discuss legal tools and sample cases in a colossal enforcement exercise.

Companies that come forward after discovering misconduct by staff or associated persons involving fraud or corruption are assured of a warm welcome by the UK Serious Fraud Office - with prosecution most likely deferred, insists director Nick Ephgrave. But will the agency's charm offensive, accompanied by published guidance on its approach, prove sufficient encouragement? Megan Curzon, Matt Davies, and Richard Sallybanks of BCL Solicitors weigh the factors for and against putting in that call.

With the UK's FTPF offence poised to commence in September, multinational businesses with fraud investigations face a heightening of conflicts between the requirements imposed by the new regime and data privacy laws. Jonathan Armstrong of Punter Southall Law discusses relevant caselaw and how to navigate the legal pinch points.

Fraud techniques that have been around for hundreds of years are being repurposed in the artificial intelligence era. Robert Newcombe of Church Court Chambers discusses historic as well as recent scams and asks: are we ready for the use of agentic AI in fraud?

Gung-ho teens to confused elders, there is no demographic immune to the scammers, who are organised as never before Keith Nuthall discovered from firsthand accounts at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) global fraud conference.

Efforts are already underway to remove approximately 10,000 companies involved in illicit activities after the UK's beneficial ownership information registrar identified more than 30 entities incorporating tens of thousands of companies linked to illegal activity, the UK government has claimed.