A fraud squad is a police department which investigates
fraud
In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...
and other economic crimes, the largest of which in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
is run by the
City of London Police
The City of London Police is the territorial police force#United Kingdom, territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle Temple, Middle and Inner Temple, Inner Temples.
The for ...
.
City of London Police
This unit is responsible for policing London's and the UK's main financial hub, as part of the City of London Police Economic Crime Department (ECD) It investigates what could be described as traditional fraud offences such as banking frauds; insurance frauds; investment frauds; insider dealing frauds; advance fee frauds and Internet frauds, amongst others. Each team is headed by a
Detective Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...
who take it in turn on a weekly basis to act as the "Duty Squad" and they form the immediate response to any calls received concerning new fraud cases.
The Fraud Squad is a specialist area, usually a part of the
Specialist Investigation Department, where officers are normally transferred from general detective duties with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Some officers will be nominated to work on specific cases for the
Serious Fraud Office (SFO), they will also provide assistance and advice on policing matters to the SFO and Financial Services Authority.
The City of London Police has recruited accountancy specialists directly into its
Special Constabulary, and these officers primary duties are assisting in complex fraud investigations.
Economic Crime Department (ECD)
The Fraud Squad is part of the City of London Police Economic Crime Department (ECD) which also consists of:
* Cheque and Credit Card Unit
* Money Laundering Investigation Unit
* Financial Investigation Unit
* Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit
* Fraud Desk
* Financial Intelligence Development Team
Ministry of Defence Police
The
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force#United Kingdom, special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are ...
(MDP) also maintains a sizeable Fraud squad within its CID. This squad investigates serious fraud and corruption offences against the
Ministry of Defence. Because of the scale of the MoD's annual budget, even a very small percentage lost to criminal activity has the potential to be a considerable sum.
The MDP's Fraud Squad works with procurement officers and the MoD Defence Fraud Analysis Unit (DFAU) in delivering fraud awareness and prevention advice across the MoD. The MDP Fraud Squad is one of only four in the UK accredited to deliver this nationally accredited fraud training for the MDP, Home Office Forces and
Service Police.
Isle of Man Financial Crime Unit
The Financial Crime Unit is a multi-agency unit, consisting of
Police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
and Customs Officers, Police Support Staff and other Government Departments such as Internal Audit and HM Attorney General’s Chambers.
The FCU's remit covers:
*prevention of financial crime
*detection of financial crime
*investigation:
**serious financial crime
**money laundering
**terrorism financing
The unit is made up of three teams:
*The Financial Intelligence Team which receives Suspicious Activity Reports which are submitted by the financial sector
*The Overseas Assistance Team which deals with all International Letters of Request or other assistance procedures provided for through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties
*The Investigations Team which deals with all investigations
Other fraud investigators
Department for Work and Pensions
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions (accessed 20/12/06)
/ref>
In the year 2004-2005 benefit thieves stole around £900 million.
The DWP targets benefits fraud and benefit theft, which includes:
* non notification of that claimant is now living with a partner
* non notification of that claimant is receiving other benefits
* non notification by the claimant of savings or not declaring the right amount
* claiming for children who have left home
* non notification of that claimant has started work, or about any earnings
* non notification of that claimant has inherited money
* non notification of that claimant is going abroad, living abroad, or has changed address.
NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA)
The National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
Counter Fraud Authority is a special health authority charged with identifying, investigating and preventing fraud and other economic crime within the NHS and the wider health group. https://cfa.nhs.uk/
Formed on 1 November 2017 under section 28 of the National Health Service Act 2006. It replaces its predecessor NHS Protect, which was part of the NHS Business Services Authority.
Other bodies
* Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA; ) is the organisation of the Government of the United Kingdom, British government responsible for maintaining a database of drivers in Great Britain and a Vehicle register, database of vehicles f ...
(DVLA)
* Financial Services Authority
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) was a quasi-judicial body accountable for the regulation of the financial services industry in the United Kingdom between 2001 and 2013. It was founded as the Securities and Investments Board (SIB) in 1985 ...
(FSA)
* UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office
The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
)
* Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
* Local Authority Investigation Officers Group (LAIOG)
* National Anti Fraud Network (NAFN)
* Royal Mail
Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...
Security Service ( Post Office Investigation Department - POID)
* Identity and Passport Service (IPS) UK Passport Authority
* Universities & Colleges Admission Service (UCAS)
* Serious Organised Crime Agency
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom which existed from 1 April 2006 until 7 October 2013. SOCA was a national law enforcement agency with Home Office sponsorship, e ...
(SOCA)
* National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) – Republic of Ireland
References
{{Specialist units of the United Kingdom police
Fraud in the United Kingdom
Fraud organizations
Types of police unit of the United Kingdom
City of London Police