THE gambling addict son of a man who was gunned down outside an Edinburgh casino was today locked up after he admitted carrying out a one million pound scam.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard Antony Demarco, 37, borrowed money he could not repay which resulted in his father being shot..... continued

Marketing fraud is big business as criminals net £3.5bn in UK

02 Jun 2010

MILLIONS of Britons are being targeted by organised criminal gangs using the latest mass marketing techniques to defraud them of an estimated £3.5 billion a year.

Police and campaigners yesterday urged victims of scams not to stay silent but to report their experiences as part of an international day of action aimed at raising awareness of fraud..... continued

OAP handed over bankcard in scam

11 Apr 2010

Police are warning about a bankcard scam after an Edinburgh OAP was tricked into handing over her card and Pin number to a bogus bank official.

The 83-year-old woman gave her card to a man who visited her home in Orchard Brae after she was duped in an earlier phone call..... continued

Police make fraud crackdown raids

04 Mar 2010

More than £2m could be seized following a crackdown on money laundering and fraud in Edinburgh and East Lothian.

Lothian and Borders Police said £2.3m in assets was "identified for potential seizure" under the Proceeds of Crime Act after police raids on Wednesday..... continued

Fraudscape: report depicts the UK’s fraud landscape in 2009

02 Mar 2010

CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, today releases Fraudscape: a 48-page report that lays bare the frauds recorded by the 265 CIFAS Members during 2009..... continued

Scam watch: Phantom flats and money transfers to landlords

15 Feb 2010

Tenants who are searching online for a room or property to rent have been warned to watch out for money transfer scams involving "phantom" flats..... continued

Internet fraud targeted by new team

15 Feb 2010

A new team is being created to tackle online fraudsters operating in Britain amid a failure to secure any conviction under existing measures.

The "cyber enforcement team" will be set up as part of a £4.3m investment by the government over three years to tackle internet and e-mail cons..... continued

Scams affect one in 10 Britons, says OFT

01 Feb 2010

Almost 10% of adults - more than 4m people - in Britain say they have responded to a scam in their lives, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has said..... continued

Fraud losses 'cost the UK £30bn a year'

28 Jan 2010

Fraud - including scams, online theft, insurance cheats and tax fraud - costs the UK £30bn a year, according to an official estimate.

The National Fraud Authority (NFA) has calculated the figure for the first time and said it equated to £621 per adult in the UK..... continued

Record £1.3bn fraud committed to end the 'naughty Noughties'

25 Jan 2010

A RECORD £1.3 billion of fraud was committed in the UK last year, capping a decade described as the "naughty Noughties" in a closely-watched study published today.

KPMG Forensic's fraud barometer also reveals that fraud in Scotland remained above £20 million for the second year running..... continued

Survey shows drop in fraud value

25 Jan 2010

Fraud cases worth more than £20m went before the Scottish courts last year, down by £4m on the previous year, according to new figures..... continued

OAP loses £24,000 in lotto scam

18 Jan 2010

An elderly woman from the Aberdeen area has been cheated out of £24,000 in a Euromillions scam, police have said..... continued

Related article: Lottery Fraud

Edinburgh court clerk admits £130,000 fraud

13 Jan 2010

A sheriff clerk who was branded "the classic conman" is facing jail after admitting defrauding the Scottish Court Service of £130,000 over three years.

Graeme Wilson, 29, faked signatures on jury members' expenses forms and wrote himself blank cheques in the names of imaginary doctors billing the court..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

White-collar fraud up by 76%

11 Jan 2010

More than £2bn went missing in 2009 from businesses and the public sector, a survey by accountancy firm BDO shows.

Reported fraud smashed the £2bn barrier for the first time last year and could top £5bn within a couple of years with managers uncovering more theft as they clamp down on costs and cashflow in the recession..... continued

City gambling addict jailed for £7k fraud

06 Jan 2010

A CATCH Me If You Can-style thief has been jailed for two years for fraudulently withdrawing more than £7,000 from a string of bank accounts in just five days.

Gambling addict Kevin Greenhill, 29, looked up his victim's personal details through the general registry so when security questions were put to him he was able to answer them..... continued

2009 2009

Council hit by e-mail scam

30 Nov 2009

CITY council staff have been targeted by bogus tax e-mails.

The e-mails, claiming to be from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, ask for staff to contact them about tax refunds..... continued

Related article: Phishing

'Laughing fraudster' jailed for conning banks out of more than £8m

18 Nov 2009

A fraudster who impersonated bank staff to steal more than £8 million before ringing his victims and laughing at them was jailed for nine years yesterday. Frageand Naseem, 32, used a variety of accents to trick staff at high street banks into allowing him to transfer money from a host of leading companies..... continued

Shark Karus in business with jailed accountant

26 Oct 2009

A DISGRACED solicitor, who has been jailed for embezzling £400,000 from a pensioner's estate, was formerly the business partner of a finance director convicted of his own £100,000 fraud..... continued

Phishing nets a major rise in online fraud

13 Oct 2009

THE number of people falling victim to online banking scams is soaring as fraudsters switch their attention from bank cards to the internet.

Much of the rise is due to increased exploitation of security weaknesses in home computers to target existing bank accounts..... continued

Identity fraud is the UK's fastest growing crime in 2009

12 Oct 2009

A study published at the beginning of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week shows the scale of ID theft in the UK. Identity fraud is increasing at a rapid rate..... continued

Plastic card fraud falls by 23%

07 Oct 2009

The amount of fraud being committed on plastic cards across the country fell in the first half of the year, industry body Financial Fraud Action UK says.

Losses totalled £233m in the six months - down by 23% on both the first and second halves of last year..... continued

Exclusive: We smash conman's property £10m scam

06 Oct 2009

A SERIAL conman masterminding a £10million scam has been foiled - thanks to the Sunday Mail.

Plausible Gordon Manson was on the brink of securing a string of major property deals.

But the cunning crook - who is using the name Gordon Masson - was rumbled after a blue-chip law firm he was trying to scam got suspicious..... continued

Former lawyer jailed for stealing

06 Oct 2009

A former lawyer who embezzled over £400,000 from a dead woman's estate to pay off his own debts, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Michael Karus, 48, earlier pleaded guilty to embezzling £413,052 while acting as the executor of the estate of Edith Hampton, who died in 2003..... continued

Surgeons' body targeted by scam

02 Sep 2009

A court has heard how The Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh was the target of an international scam which saw £465,000 withdrawn from its funds..... continued

Bank manager pleads guilty to embezzlement

26 Aug 2009

A BANK branch manager was arrested following complaints from an elderly customer that there were irregularities in her accounts.

Investigations by Lloyds TSB bank officials discovered that 40-year-old Susan Burnett had embezzled £14,890 and obtained £7,400 by fraud..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Experts warn of further home loan fraud losses

26 Aug 2009

Mortgage lenders may face further losses from fraud committed by criminal gangs who targeted the home loans market at the height of the boom, experts warned yesterday..... continued

'Shark' lawyer stole £400k from will

26 Aug 2009

A DISGRACED New Town lawyer who stole more than £400,000 from an elderly client's will boasted of being a "shark" who preyed on vulnerable victims.

Michael Karus faces the threat of jail after pleading guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday to embezzling the money from the estate of Edith Hampton..... continued

£41m fraud hits building society

21 Aug 2009

The Chelsea Building Society has revealed it has lost £41m ($67m) as a result of mortgage frauds involving some of its buy-to-let loans..... continued

Online ticket scams are shut down

18 Aug 2009

Police have shut down more than 100 websites which were conning people desperate to get tickets to top sporting and entertainment events..... continued

Identity fraud soars 74% in first half of the year

06 Aug 2009

THE number of people falling victim to fraud rose sharply in the first half of this year, new figures out yesterday revealed.

The biggest increase was in identity fraud, in which fraudsters either "impersonate" victims or create fictitious identities, according to CIFAS, the fraud prevention service..... continued

Recession 'causes fraud increase'

27 Jul 2009

The value of fraud in Scotland for the first six months of this year has reached £19.5m, according to KPMG.

The accountancy firm said this compared with £24m for the whole of 2008. Scottish courts have already heard 12 serious cases of fraud this year..... continued

Fraudster jailed for stealing £130,000 from Tory party

08 Jul 2009

A SERIAL fraudster who lived a life of luxury on £130,000 she stole from the Conservative Party in Scotland has been jailed.

Janet Perrie, 54, used cash she stole while working for the Scottish operation to pay for holidays and extras for her and husband James..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Huge increase in business fraud as recession bites

02 Jul 2009

REPORTED business fraud in Scotland has rocketed by 450 per cent in the first half of 2009, according to figures from accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward.

Fraud reported between January and June totalled more than £10 million, compared with the figure of £1.8m in June 2008..... continued

Fraud risk for 'young and single'

10 Jun 2009

Young, single people in shared accommodation are the most at risk of identity fraud, a report has suggested.

Mail can be intercepted in shared hallways and tenants often fail to redirect their mail, leaving themselves exposed to the fraud..... continued

Scammers divert bank phone calls

04 Jun 2009

Bank customers have been warned not to give out their personal information over the telephone after an elaborate scam was uncovered.

Police believe a gang of criminals has managed to divert calls made by some customers to the Bank of Scotland..... continued

Rising fines for mortgage fraud

21 May 2009

The amount of fines levied by the City watchdog against individuals for mortgage fraud has already overtaken the levels for the whole of 2008...... continued

Credit card code to combat fraud

14 May 2009

A credit card with a built-in display is being tested by Visa with the aim of reducing online fraud.

The Emue Card generates and displays a unique code each time it is used..... continued

Fraud nurse given repayment order

21 Apr 2009

An auxiliary nurse who claimed £8,000 in wages he was not entitled to has been ordered to start paying it back.

William Ormiston, 31, of Gala Park, Galashiels, had admitted the fraud charge at a previous hearing..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Phoney lottery scam victims reimbursed

14 Apr 2009

More than 20,000 victims of a prize draw scam will get their cash back today following action by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca)..... continued

Related article: Lottery Fraud

Banker who embezzled £31,000 is jailed for a year

27 Mar 2009

A BANK worker was sacked, lost her pension and was jailed yesterday after she admitted stealing £31,000 from the HBOS group.

Carol Barclay, 45, was working as assistant manager at the Bank of Scotland branch in the Gyle Shopping Centre in Edinburgh when she stole £31,000 from customers' accounts..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Chip and Pin fails to stop fraud rise

24 Mar 2009

CREDIT and debit card fraud increased by 14 per cent during 2008 as criminals found ways of bypassing the Chip and Pin system, figures showed yesterday.

Losses on plastic cards totalled £609.9 million during the year, up from £535.2 million in 2007, according to payments group Apacs..... continued

Q&A: Card fraud

20 Mar 2009

As a BBC News investigation uncovers a fresh call centre credit card scam, industry expert Mark Kobayashi-Hillary explains how the call centre industry works, and how consumers can protect themselves..... continued

Related article: APACS Consumer Advice Guide

Big jump in online banking fraud

20 Mar 2009

Software allowing fraudsters to track what you type led to the level of online banking fraud more than doubling in 2008, according to a banking body..... continued

Related article: APACS Consumer Advice Guide

Payment fraud: What are your rights?

20 Mar 2009

Fraudsters are stepping up their efforts to steal money from our bank accounts.

The latest figures show that UK consumers lost £609m to card fraud in 2008, a 14% rise compared with the previous year..... continued

Related article: APACS Consumer Advice Guide

Counterfeit cash alert over car sale scams

18 Mar 2009

Police are warning the public of high-value scams involving forged banknotes, cheques and bank drafts as figures reveal a surge in cases.

As the credit crunch forces people to part with items such as cars, crooks are taking advantage by paying with forgeries..... continued

Seven face charges over 'multimillion housing fraud'

17 Mar 2009

SEVEN men appeared in court yesterday to deny a multimillion-pound fraud scheme involving false paperwork in property deals dating back to 1998.

Another man and a woman also face separate fraud charges..... continued

Woman jailed over charity fraud

11 Mar 2009

An administrator who embezzled £40,000 from a charity for vulnerable adults has been jailed for a year.

Gail Foote, 33, of Galashiels, admitted taking the money over the 16-month period up to last February from New Horizons Borders..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Bank worker stole £50,000 to pay off student loans

18 Feb 2009

A BANK worker in Edinburgh opened fake bank accounts to steal £50,000 from his employer to pay off his student loans, a court heard.

Greig Smith was an assistant manager at Bank of Scotland in the Capital when he carried out the fraud over a nine-month period in 2006 and 2007..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

True extent of mortgage fraud is only now coming to light

17 Feb 2009

THE true scale of the mortgage fraud committed during the housing market boom is only now becoming clear, according to fraud experts..... continued

Payment fraud: What are your rights?

16 Feb 2009

Fraudsters are stepping up their efforts to steal money from our bank accounts.

The latest figures show that UK consumers lost £302m to card fraud in the first six months of 2008 - that's a 14% rise compared with the same period the previous year..... continued

Related article: APACS Consumer Advice Guide

Bank giant issues e-mail fraud warning

10 Feb 2009

A HIGH street bank yesterday warned customers to be on their guard for fraudsters trying to trick them into revealing their account and password details..... continued

Related article: Phishing

National fraud unit plan explored

10 Feb 2009

Plans to create a national fraud office in Scotland have been unveiled.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) said the unit would bring together experts to tackle the most serious cases..... continued

Share scam victims set for cash

10 Feb 2009

More than £1m is to be recovered for UK victims of fraudulent share-selling operations, known as "boiler rooms"..... continued

Related article: Share (Boiler Room) Fraud

Credit crunch gets blame as number of fraud cases soars

29 Jan 2009

POLICE are handling a soaring number of fraud cases in Edinburgh in the wake of the credit crunch, with new figures revealing a rise of more than 40 per cent last year..... continued

Lawyer in dock accused of stealing £400,000 from client's will

28 Jan 2009

A FORMER lawyer has appeared in court accused of embezzling more than £400,000 from a client's will.

Michael Karus, 47, is accused of stealing the money from the estate of nursing home resident Edith Hampton while he was acting as executor of her will..... continued

Scottish fraud cases fall 18%

23 Jan 2009

BUSINESS fraud in Scotland has decreased for the second successive year, bucking the trend in the rest of the UK, a new survey has revealed..... continued

top of page

2008 2008

Call for white collar crime body

17 Dec 2008

The law should be changed in Scotland to help the country tackle serious white collar crime, according to an MP.

Scotland has no equivalent body to the Serious Fraud Office which investigates financial crime in the rest of the UK..... continued

Banks hit worldwide by US 'fraud'

17 Dec 2008

Some of the world's biggest banks have revealed they are victims of an alleged fraud which has lost $50bn (£33bn).

Bernard Madoff, who was arrested on Thursday, has been charged with fraud in what is being described as one of the biggest-ever such cases..... continued

Jail sentence for bank fraudster

02 Dec 2008

A bank supervisor has been jailed for nine months for embezzling £18,000 from HBOS to pay off his gambling debts..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Jail for man who took dead child's identity

28 Nov 2008

A MAN who obtained a false passport using the identity of a dead child was jailed for four years and nine months yesterday. Gerald Duffy, of Newbattle Terrace, Edinburgh, used the passport to open a bank account and obtain a credit card..... continued

Fake travel agent jailed for con

10 Nov 2008

A woman who pretended to be a travel agent and conned people out of £34,000 by selling them non-existent holidays has been jailed for a year..... continued

Scams: legacy fraud

04 Nov 2008

How would you feel if a stranger offered you tens, or hundreds of thousands of pounds - millions even? Would you be tempted to find out more? If you are, you may find out it's a scam which could end up costing you a small fortune..... continued

Fake company fraud victims sought

17 Oct 2008

Police have discovered what they believe to be a multi-million pound money laundering scheme linked to fictitious Birmingham companies.

The victims unwittingly sent cheques for shares that did not exist to PO Box addresses in the city..... continued

Related article: Share (Boiler Room) Fraud

Fraudsters 'target bank accounts'

10 Oct 2008

The credit crunch is causing identity fraudsters to target bank account holders, a report says.

The all-party parliamentary group on identity fraud says thieves are finding it more difficult to use fake identities to open new accounts because of restrictions on credit..... continued

List of dead to target fraudsters

06 Oct 2008

Details of everyone who has died in the UK are to be released in an attempt to prevent their use in identity fraud.

Encrypted files containing the information would be sent every week to vetted organisations, including credit agencies, the government said..... continued

UK consumers see card fraud rise

02 Oct 2008

UK consumers lost £302m to card fraud in the first six months of this year, an increase of 14% compared with the first half of 2007, figures suggest..... continued

Investors distraught after FSA freezes life savings while it probes Scots firm

01 Oct 2008

THOUSANDS of investors have seen their life savings frozen after an investigation was launched into the activities of a Scottish firm.

The Financial Services Authority has secured an interim injunction against Cameron Farley while it determines whether the company is taking deposits illegally.

The firm, based in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, promised an annual return of 9.25%..... continued

National Identity Fraud Prevention Week

17 Sep 2008

From 6 - 12 October 2008

National Identity Fraud Prevention Week is a nationwide awareness campaign designed to help you protect yourself and your business from identity fraud, one of the UK's fastest growing crimes..... continued

The 10 biggest scams to watch out for

15 Sep 2008

You've fallen for the smooth-talking, seemingly plausible patter of the salesman offering an instant route to riches. Eventually you realise that you've been well and truly scammed, possibly losing thousands if not tens of thousands of pounds..... continued

Lenders face huge hit on mortgages fraudulently obtained by crime gangs

31 Aug 2008

Britain’s mortgage lenders may be sitting on hundreds of millions of pounds of worthless loans fraudulently obtained by criminals to support drug manufacturing, illegal immigration and money-laundering..... continued

Bank phishing attacks on the rise

19 Aug 2008

The number of attempts made by internet fraudsters to con people into revealing their bank account details has jumped, according to banking body Apacs..... continued

Related article: Phishing

Fraud gangs 'targeting students'

19 Aug 2008

Criminal gangs are targeting UK university students to sell fake shares in so-called boiler room scams, the BBC has learned..... continued

Related article: Share (Boiler Room) Fraud

FSA demands mortgage fraud action

19 Aug 2008

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has told lenders to step up their defences against mortgage fraud..... continued

Boom in fraud … and there's worse to come as credit crunch bites

19 Aug 2008

FRAUD cases totalling more than £22 million have come before Scottish courts in the last six months – and homeowners and bank customers are being warned the credit crunch will send white-collar crime soaring further..... continued

Help for identity fraud victims

19 Aug 2008

Identity fraud victims should only need to make one telephone call rather than three to put their credit record straight as a result of a new scheme.

The UK's leading credit reference agencies - CallCredit, Equifax and Experian - have agreed to notify each other when restoring a victim's record..... continued

Chip and pin fraud uncovered

19 Aug 2008

Technology is being developed that can steal people's bank details from retail chip and pin machines, police have said after uncovering an alleged scam in Birmingham..... continued

Business fraud in UK 'rises 74%'

02 Jul 2008

Reported fraud committed against UK firms rose 74%, costing companies £705m in the first half of the year according to the accountants BDO Stoy Hayward..... continued

Fraud likely to increase as credit crunch bites

30 Jun 2008

Scottish companies have been warned that business fraud is likely to increase as the economic downturn becomes increasingly severe..... continued

Pensioner fooled into parting with £24k by lottery conmen

25 Jun 2008

A PENSIONER targeted by foreign fraudsters has lost £24,000 of savings after being tricked in a lottery scam.

The 77-year-old, from Portobello, was persuaded to send away the cash after being told he had won £1 million on the Canadian lottery..... continued

Related article: Lottery Fraud

Bosses most at risk of ID theft

28 May 2008

Company directors or those running their own businesses are most likely to be victims of identity theft, according to a report from Experian.

The credit reference agency said 6,000 victims in the UK asked its staff for help last year, a 66% rise on 2006..... continued

Card fraud 'runs into millions'

13 May 2008

Credit card fraud alone cost Scotland £11.5m in the year 2006 to 2007, it has been warned.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland estimated all frauds totalled an equivalent of £330 for every person in the country..... continued

Related article: HMICS Thematic Inspection Serious Fraud

Credit crunch 'fuels fraud cases'

06 May 2008

The activities of fraudsters have changed owing to the effects of the credit crunch, says UK fraud prevention service Cifas.

The group says that more people have been lying on application forms for loans and credit cards to try to cover up a poor credit history..... continued

How holiday scam snared thousands

21 Apr 2008

Four people convicted of a £6m holiday fraud have been jailed for between seven and three years. But how were they able to cheat thousands of holidaymakers out of millions of pounds?.... continued

Phishing attacks soar in the UK

17 Apr 2008

Cases of fraudsters trying to steal people's bank details more than tripled in the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2007.

UK payments association Apacs said there were 10,235 so-called phishing attacks in the first quarter of the year, up from 3,394..... continued

Related article: Phishing

Bogus stockbrokers con victim out of £½m

10 Apr 2008

COLD-CALLING bogus stockbrokers have fleeced £500,000 from an investor in a classic "boiler room" fraud – a multi-million pound international crime that police warn is on the rise in the UK..... continued

Related article: Share (Boiler Room) Fraud

Identity fraud: Keeping your ID safe

10 Apr 2008

Identity fraud now costs UK consumers and businesses £20bn a year. Linda Summerhayes investigates what you can do to minimise the risks of becoming a victim of this growing problem..... continued

Businessman admits to £70,000 credit fraud

07 Apr 2008

A MAN has admitted a £70,000 fraud by ordering goods on credit he did not intend to pay for.

Andrew Lee, 26, ordered thousands of pounds worth of items on credit, giving suppliers fake credit references for his Midlothian-based company..... continued

Crackdown on £20bn a year fraud

26 Mar 2008

Fraud is costing the UK £20bn a year, the police say, as they plan to expand their efforts to tackle it.

The City of London Police is recruiting for a national fraud crime force, claiming that the impact of the crime is second only to drug trafficking..... continued

Victims of fraud scams speak out

18 Mar 2008

A father and daughter in the US could go to prison if they are found to be guilty of swindling an estimated $70m (£34m) out of more than 150,000 British citizens though a share scam..... continued

Related article: Share (Boiler Room) Fraud

Plastic card fraud goes back up

12 Mar 2008

There was a 25% rise in the fraudulent use of UK credit and debit cards last year, with losses amounting to £535m, according to the banking industry.

The Association of Payment Clearing Services (Apacs) said the first rise in three years was mainly due to stolen and counterfeit cards used abroad..... continued

Boiler room victims get cash back

12 Mar 2008

More than £1m has been recovered for 153 UK victims of fraudulent overseas share-selling operations, known as "boiler rooms".

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said it had helped the authorities in Canada retrieve most of the £1.25m that had been sent there..... continued

Related article: Share (Boiler Room) Fraud

The changing face of gangland crime

10 Mar 2008

Crime (UK) Ltd is under new management, and it is largely foreign owned. Police across Britain are grappling with a new generation of criminal "kingpins", whose empires span the globe and who model their operations on legitimate multinational companies..... continued

Mortgage fraud 'is funding crime'

06 Mar 2008

High profits and low risk are attracting organised criminals to mortgage fraud, police have warned.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) says property sales are also being used to launder money made from drugs, trafficking and prostitution..... continued

Customs officer admits tax scam

28 Feb 2008

A CUSTOMS officer has admitted defrauding HM Revenue and Customs of £120,000 by filling in false tax claim forms.

Craig Gordon pleaded guilty after four-and-a-half weeks of evidence at his fraud trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

'Natwest Three' sentenced to 37 months in jail

25 Feb 2008

THE NatWest Three bankers were each sentenced to 37 months in jail today after pleading guilty to an Enron-related fraud in a deal with US prosecutors.

David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby, all 45, were extradited to the US under a controversial treaty 20 months ago and pleaded guilty at the US district court in Houston, Texas, in November..... continued

FSA clamps down on fraudulent mortgage brokers

14 Feb 2008

Nearly 70 mortgage brokers face legal action after being suspected of mortgage fraud by the Financial Services Authority.

The City watchdog said that it has referred one third of 200 brokers under investigation to its enforcement division, after tip-offs from mortgage lenders about suspected fraudulent mortgage applications..... continued

OFT launches nationwide 'Scamnesty' campaign

12 Feb 2008

The OFT is today (5th February) launching a nationwide 'Scamnesty' campaign asking the public to help in the fight against scams, which cost the UK an estimated £3.5 billion a year.

As part of Scams Awareness Month the OFT, in partnership with over 50 local authority Trading Standards Services, is asking members of the public to collect any potential scam mailings they have recently received and drop them into designated 'Scamnesty' bins or boxes at local libraries and other public areas across the country..... continued

Related article: Consumer Direct crime prevention advice

£11m fraud man ordered to repay £200k

08 Feb 2008

A FORMER insurance firm director who carried out a near £11 million fraud has been ordered to hand over £200,000 crime profits.

John "Jack" Walker perpetrated one of Scotland's largest financial crimes after thousands of insurance policies were sold through his firm which were not underwritten..... continued

Former city taxman on trial for £190,000 fraud

08 Feb 2008

A MAN has gone on trial in Edinburgh charged with defrauding HM Revenue and Customs out of more than £190,000.

Craig Gordon, 36, of Calder Place, Sighthill, has denied that between February 19, 2003, and December 16, 2004, while employed at the HMRC's Lothians 2 Area office in Broomhouse Drive, he formed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

UK fraud 'reaches 12-year high'

05 Feb 2008

Fraud levels in the UK have reached a 12-year high, according to a study by accountancy group KPMG.

The total value involved in fraud cases going to court last year was more than £1bn, said KPMG Forensic, the firm's anti-fraud investigations team..... continued

£30,000 loans fraudster sentenced

30 Jan 2008

A LOAN collector who defrauded almost £30,000 from her employers has been ordered to carry out 300 hours of community service.

Marie Smith, 39, was paid to sell high-interest loans to people on low incomes but set up fake loan agreements in false names..... continued

Warning over lottery scam issued

28 Jan 2008

Fraud officers have issued a warning for locals to be on their guard after several people were conned out of thousands of pounds in a lottery scam.

The scam works using a letter or e-mails to inform someone that they have won a substantial sum of money..... continued

Related article: Lottery Fraud

Con-artist jailed for swindling pub customers

16 Jan 2008

A SERIAL con-artist who tricked thousands of pounds out of customers in a village pub through bogus holidays was today jailed for two and half years.

Pub manager Mary Brown, 46, befriended the patrons at the Anchor Inn in South Queensferry and promised them cheap trips abroad through her 'contacts' in the travel world..... continued

Your credit rating explained

10 Jan 2008

Individual lenders use their own criteria when deciding whether or not to lend you money, but they rely heavily on data supplied by credit reference agencies.

BBC News explains how they work, the information they hold, and how you can check and challenge your credit file..... continued

Related article: Credit Reference Agencies

top of page

2007 2007

All you need to know about ID fraud

28 Dec 2007

Here, The Scotsman looks at what identity fraud is and who is committing it against whom. We also explain how you can do your best to protect yourself - first by preventing your details from falling into the wrong hands and, if that does happen, how to prevent the details being used for criminal ends..... continued

Fraudsters making millions by stealing the identities of dead Scots

18 Dec 2007

CRIMINAL gangs are stealing the identities of 200 dead Scots a week in a rapidly growing trade now worth tens of millions of pounds a year, the Government admitted last night.

In the past year alone, fraudsters targeted almost 10,000 recently deceased Scots, stealing mail and using the information gleaned to run up bills for goods and services worth thousands of pounds..... continued

Norwich Union fined on £3m fraud

18 Dec 2007

Insurance firm Norwich Union has been fined £1.26m by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) after customers lost £3.3m through identity fraud.

Slack security checks at its call centre let fraudsters impersonate customers and cash in their policies..... continued

Cybergang raises fear of new crime wave

15 Nov 2007

The most notorious player in global cybercrime has suddenly vanished from the web, sparking fears that the Russian-based group is set to re-emerge as an even greater threat from a new base in China.

Security experts believe that the Russian Business Network (RBN), a shadowy organisation based in St Petersburg and run by a figure known only as “Flyman”, has played a role in most of the online crime committed in the UK in recent years..... continued

Revenue worker jailed for fraud

08 Nov 2007

An Inland Revenue worker who went on the run after being involved in a tax fraud has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Nasir Ahmed, 39, also known as Sunny, carried out the fraud while working at the tax office in Livingston between 2003 and 2004..... continued

Corruption is rife in British business

23 Oct 2007

· Number of firms affected in UK is twice the average
· Up to 4% of GDP being lost to economic crime

Britain is becoming a hotspot for corruption and bribery and the number of British companies affected by economic fraud in the past two years is almost twice the global average, according to a report released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Police smash £1bn internet fraud gang

09 Oct 2007

· Arrests follow raids in UK, US, Canada and Nigeria
· Huge haul of fake cheques and money orders seized

British police yesterday hailed the arrest of an international gang of fraudsters as a landmark victory against internet crime, following a sting across four countries. More than £8.5m worth of fake cheques and other fraudulent documents were seized in a series of overnight raids across the UK in a joint operation overseen by Britain's Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca)..... continued

MPs call for identity fraud tsar

09 Oct 2007

An "identity fraud tsar" should be appointed to oversee attempts to tackle the crime, a group of MPs has said.

The All Party Group on Identity Fraud said a tsar was needed to co-ordinate the work being done by the government, police and private sector..... continued

Surge in credit card fraud abroad

03 Oct 2007

Fraud on UK credit and debit cards has risen again, driven up by the use of counterfeit cards in foreign countries.

The banking payments body Apacs says fraud abroad rose by 126% in the first half of the year, compared with the first six months of 2006..... continued

Whistleblowers can play a big role in netting dishonest staff

03 Oct 2007

The majority of commercial frauds are committed by employees or former employees, according to David Dearman. In 12 years of investigating fraud, all the cases he has looked into involved staff..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Asylum-seeker jailed for £11,000 mail-office scam

06 Sep 2007

AN ASYLUM-seeker has been jailed after stealing thousands of pounds while working at the Royal Mail in Edinburgh.

Adebiyi Adebayo, 29, who worked in the sorting office, stole chequebooks, passports and driving licences..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Watchdog in phone scam warning

04 Sep 2007

The Office of Fair Trading is warning people not to give their bank details to cold callers after a new scam, using the watchdog's name, came to light.

The OFT said a number of consumers have been telephoned by callers claiming to be from the watchdog and able to reclaim bank charges on their behalf..... continued

Sister jailed for identity theft

29 Aug 2007

A woman who stole her sister's identity to secure a mortgage and new job has been jailed for 15 months.

Jeannie Smith, 45, from Denny, near Falkirk, pretended to be her sister Linda Cowan, 35, obtaining £123,000 of goods in the process..... continued

Pensioner duped by lottery scam

16 Aug 2007

A pensioner from Edinburgh has been duped into handing over hundreds of pounds to an overseas lottery scam.

The 85-year-old woman was targeted by fraudsters who called her from abroad, claiming that she had won £1m on a Canadian lottery..... continued

Related article: Lottery Fraud

Business fraud in UK rises 42%

14 Aug 2007

Business fraud is becoming more attractive because of growing rewards and falling chances of prosecution, according to BDO Stoy Hayward.

Its Fraudtrack report found that fraud involving businesses hit £538m in the first half of 2007, up 42% from 2006..... continued

Related article: MTIC Fraud

Big rise in overseas credit card fraud

31 Jul 2007

Holidaymakers were warned to keep a watchful eye on their credit card today after new figures revealed that card fraud is on the rise overseas..... continued

Money confiscated from fraudster

31 Jul 2007

The bank manager behind Scotland's largest single fraud is to have £63,000 confiscated from him..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Plan to reward whistle-blowers should be welcomed

31 Jul 2007

The UK is considering an American-style system of asset recovery in fraud cases that will enable individuals to sue on behalf of the Government..... continued

Web networkers 'at risk of fraud'

31 Jul 2007

People who use internet networking sites are being warned that they could be at risk of identity theft.

Credit information group Equifax said members of sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook may be putting too many details about themselves online..... continued

Beware the ID fraudster living next door

31 Jul 2007

People living in communal blocks or flats are at particular risk of becoming a victim of fraudsters, a report has found.

This “current address fraud” accounted for more than a third of the 40,000 instances of identity fraud recorded in the first six months of the year..... continued

'Step-change' in UK fraud level

31 Jul 2007

Fraud levels in the UK have undergone a dramatic change and show no sign of turning back, according to KPMG's latest Fraud Barometer..... continued

UK and US regulators to join forces against fraud

27 Jun 2007

Financial regulators on both sides of the Atlantic plan to collaborate more closely to create a united front against insider trading, as the growth of cross-border deals and innovations in technology transform corporate fraud into a global business..... continued

MP's son guilty of huge cash scam

22 Jun 2007

The son of millionaire businessman and Labour MP Mohammed Sarwar has been convicted of an £850,000 money laundering scam..... continued

Related article: MTIC Fraud

Revoke the phishing licence

21 Jun 2007

The effect of having your details stolen via a bogus website can be devastating. Danny Bradbury looks at what the big players are doing to stamp out the problem..... continued

Includes links to 'An Empirical Analysis of the Current State of Phishing Attack and Defence', 'Why Phishing Works' and 'The Emperor’s New Security Indicators'.

Related article: Phishing

Revenue warns about more frauds

19 Jun 2007

Tax payers have been warned to beware of more frauds using the name of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)..... continued

Six jailed after Customs brings mobile carousel fraud to a halt

14 Jun 2007

Six men have been sent to prison for a total of nearly 48 years for their part in an elaborate carousel fraud that robbed the taxpayer of £85m..... continued

Related article: MTIC Fraud

Thousands burnt by ‘boiler room’ fraud

05 Jun 2007

A huge “boiler room” share fraud with as many as 10,000 suspected victims is being investigated by the City of London Police..... continued

New rules to stop carousel fraud

04 Jun 2007

New measures to counter a multi-billion pound tax fraud have come into effect..... continued

Related article: MTIC Fraud

A decade of online banking - and online fraud

28 May 2007

Ten years ago, people in the UK could be forgiven for thinking that their relationships with their bank were predominantly about one thing..... continued

Mastermind of £2.4m banks fraud gets five years

17 May 2007

The mastermind of a gang of fraudsters who used leaked bank account information to steal £2.4m from wealthy customers was yesterday jailed for five years by a judge who described him as "the managing director" of the sophisticated conspiracy..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Safety pin

14 May 2007

It will be the biggest change in how we bank since chip and pin made signing for a credit or debit payment seem a thing of the past. Most of Britain's top banks - except HSBC and First Direct - are due to send out millions of "chip and pin at home" gadgets to customers who bank online, as an extra defence in the anti-fraud battle..... continued

'Catch me if you can' - teen just did it again

11 May 2007

Plasma TVs, printers, vacuum cleaners: Britain's worst internet con artist promised them all, but delivered nothing. And the day after he was convicted, he was at it again..... continued

Warning over bogus e-mail fraud

11 May 2007

Criminal gangs are using e-mails containing bogus Channel Island company names to con people out of money.

The e-mail is reportedly from Mr Robert King who works for the Guernsey International Fund Management Limited..... continued

Fake students net loan millions

08 May 2007

Criminal gangs have obtained millions of pounds in student loans by enrolling "ghost students" in universities, a BBC investigation has found..... continued

It's easy money, says online fraudster who stole £250,000

03 May 2007

Despite tougher security, identity and credit card theft are at an all-time high..... continued

City watchdog needs to tighten grip on financial crime, says Audit Office

02 May 2007

Britain's main City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), must do more to tackle financial crime and needs to get a proper grip on its £270m budget, according to an independent report published yesterday..... continued

FSA Website

Dirty money exploits housing boom

30 Apr 2007

Where there is money to be made, the chances are there is money to be stolen too.

Take the UK property market. With house prices rising by double-digit percentages each year, it would hardly be surprising if conmen and fraudsters were licking their lips at the prospect of such a juicy target..... continued

Forget your PIN number and password - just use your voice

30 Apr 2007

A new British company will today launch a service using that most basic human trait - a recognisable and distinctive voice - to combat credit card and online banking fraud..... continued

The dial-through fraudsters using VoIP to outwit detectives

26 Apr 2007

Telephone switchboard hacking is not new, but criminals are now using the latest technology to cover their trails..... continued

Woman jailed for £300,000 fraud

24 Apr 2007

A NIGERIAN woman who defrauded a building society out of almost £300,000 in just four months was jailed yesterday for 12 months.

Sitting in Edinburgh, Sheriff Gordon Liddle told Tyna Gray, 28, that her actions "almost beggared belief"..... continued

Barclays steps up online security

18 Apr 2007

Barclays Bank is handing out handheld chip-and-pin card readers as part of a new online security initiative.

Average fraudster is middle-aged, male and the boss

17 Apr 2007

The myth of the lonely, disaffected employee as the main perpetrator of corporate fraud was destroyed yesterday by a report from accountants KPMG that argues senior management are more to blame..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Fraudsters target people's homes

17 Apr 2007

Victims of identity fraud are now more likely to be hit in their present homes than at their previous addresses, a credit check company has claimed.

Financial information company Experian said fraud against someone at their present address rose from 35% to 45% in the second half of last year..... continued

What is badware and why should I worry about it?

29 Mar 2007

It's stuff that sneaks on to your PC and messes with it. At its least malevolent, badware infests your PC with popups and tracks your surfing details via an application that has crept on to your system without your knowledge or permission. At its worst, "badware" - an over-arching term for all sorts of spyware, adware, viruses and Trojan horse programs - is implicated in identity theft and credit card fraud..... continued

Many net users 'not safety-aware'

28 Mar 2007

Fewer than half of the UK's 29m adult internet users believe they are responsible for protecting personal information online, a survey suggests..... continued

Halifax apologises after mortgage details stolen

27 Mar 2007

Halifax could face action from the City watchdog after admitting that the details of some 13,000 mortgage customers were stolen from a member of staff last week..... continued

Al-Qaida gets fake papers as Home Office issues 10,000 passports to fraudsters

22 Mar 2007

An estimated 10,000 British passports were issued after fraudulent applications in the space of a year - and al-Qaida terrorists have successfully faked applications, the Home Office admitted today..... continued

Five years jail for £1m embezzler

22 Mar 2007

A company director who embezzled £1m from his employer to fund a champagne lifestyle has been jailed for five years and three months..... continued

Related article: Employee Fraud

Stolen credit card details on sale for as little as £1

19 Mar 2007

Confidential data on tens of thousands of people is being sold by criminal gangs for as little as a £1, allowing fraudsters to steal money from on-line bank and credit accounts, according to a new report..... continued

It's a goldmine in the rubbish for ID thieves - banks take note

19 Mar 2007

Credit card fraud may be on the decline but a number of financial firms have been putting customers at risk..... continued

Reduction in card fraud in 2006

14 Mar 2007

There was a 3% drop in the amount of money lost to card fraud in 2006.

Fraudsters stole £428m from banks, other lenders, retailers and individuals using credit, debit and store cards.

The Association for Payment Clearing Services (Apacs) says there was a big fall in fraud on lost or stolen cards..... continued

Good catches for 'phishing' fraudsters as losses through fake bank websites leap 44% to £34m

14 Mar 2007

· Use of chip and pin cards pushes criminals abroad
· Fears of end to automatic refunds to victims

Losses from online banking fraud jumped 44% to reach £33.5m last year following a surge in "phishing" attacks, the latest figures show..... continued

Related article: Phishing

ACPO report – The Nature, Extent and Economic Impact of Fraud in the UK

07 Mar 2007

An Independent study reveals the true cost of fraud in the UK.

Fraud is costing the UK economy a minimum of £13.9 billion a year, a specially commissioned report has revealed..... continued

Click here for the ACPO report (pdf)

EU starts crackdown on lottery and holiday club scams

26 Feb 2007

The European commission is launching an EU-wide crackdown this week on cross-border scams such as phoney lotteries and bogus holiday clubs and on companies abusing consumer protection rules..... continued

No plan to close SFO

26 Feb 2007

There is absolutely no truth in your story (Move to close down Serious Fraud Office, February 23) that consideration is being given to disbanding the Serious Fraud Office or merging it with the Serious Organised Crime Agency..... continued

SFO Website

Turn on, log in, watch out

23 Feb 2007

An online shopping boom at Christmas may have set cybertills ringing, but companies are counting the cost of rising online fraud. Dave Howell finds out how business can fight back..... continued

Includes jargon buster and tips on how to stop card-not-present fraudsters.

Home wi-fi systems vulnerable to hackers

22 Feb 2007

Up to half of home wi-fi systems are susceptible to a new line of attack from hackers intent on stealing personal information such as passwords and bank information..... continued

Stinging criticism prompts LSE to tighten rules on junior market

22 Feb 2007

The London Stock Exchange is doubling the maximum fine it can levy on rogue companies and advisers to £50,000 as part of a tightening of regulations on the junior Alternative Investments Market (Aim)..... continued

Hackers target the home front

15 Feb 2007

Criminals are trying to gain access to banks' computer networks via the weakest link in the security chain: executives who work at home..... continued

Aberdeen 'worst for credit fraud'

13 Feb 2007

Aberdeen has been named as the worst city in Scotland for credit card and internet fraud. Almost one in four residents - 24% - said they have had a bank card stolen or their personal details taken from the internet, according to a survey..... continued

Ten held after VAT fraud raids in Britain and Europe

07 Feb 2007

· Dozens of bank accounts frozen in Dubai
· Crackdown brings huge drop in Treasury losses

The government's fight against multi-billion pound "carousel" fraud stepped up a gear yesterday as customs officers arrested 10 people after raids across Britain and Europe..... continued

Related article: MTIC Fraud

Online fraud 'now major concern'

25 Jan 2007

Britons fear being ripped-off online more than gun crime, climate change or even contracting MRSA in hospital, a survey has suggested.

Online fraud worries four out of 10 Britons, according to a survey..... continued

FSA sets up dedicated team to tackle financial crime

23 Jan 2007

The chief City watchdog yesterday warned that criminals targeting banks and other financial institutions would become increasingly successful without a more determined crackdown.

The Financial Services Authority said it had created a dedicated team, drawn from staff working across the organisation, to tackle organised financial crime..... continued