Frauds

Everyone going on holiday this year has been warned to double check their bookings after more than £10m were lost to holiday scams last year.

New figures from Action Fraud reveal the scale of would-be holidaymakers losing money to criminals.

And it shows how vigilant anyone booking a trip away needs to be to ensure they’re not caught out by fraudsters.

A group of women are warning others to do background checks on partners met through dating apps after loans worth thousands of pounds were taken out in their names by the same conman.

Peter Gray, 35, who met the women on Tinder, was jailed after defrauding four women out of about £80,000.

A fraudster mother who used a fake passport and bank statement while in disguise has been spared jail.

Marian Erb went into Currys into the Metrocentre in Gateshead and told staff she wanted to take out an iD mobile phone contract.

Your vote is yours alone.

If someone asked you what electoral fraud is, would you know? This blog, by the Electoral Commission, outlines the facts.

If a friend left you their polling card whilst they go away on holiday, would it be OK for you to cast their vote for them? Or if someone tried to intimidate or bribe you into voting a certain way, you’d probably know that it shouldn’t happen, but is it actually illegal?

People are using technology to try to make claims for incidents that may never have happened, insurers said.

Insurers have raised concerns about fake and manipulated images being used in claims.

Some people are using advances in technology to try to make claims for incidents that may never have happened in the first place, according to industry experts.

A former mayor of Royal Tetbury has admitted cheating the public out of £27,000 by falsely claiming state benefits.

Ann Pearce, 57, who was mayor of King Charles' former home town in 2020, pleaded guilty at Gloucester Crown Court last Friday (April 26) to dishonestly failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) of a change of personal circumstances, which affected her entitlement to benefits between May 6 2020 and November 9 2022.

A tax agent who stole more than £750,000 through tax and mortgage fraud has been jailed for 10 years.

Robin Moss was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court for defrauding 16 victims in Nottingham –splashing out hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury items, including more than £115,000 on collectible Moorcroft pottery, £89,251 on gold coins and £18,930 on jewellery.

The number of purchase fraud cases seen by TSB jumped by more than a third (35%) between January and October 2023, compared with the same period in 2022. According to TSB’s data, more than £500 was lost per case on average.

Purchase frauds happen when criminals trick people into paying for goods and services that do not exist, with scams often starting on social media, according to the bank. Vehicles and parts, tickets for events, trainers and clothing are often items being offered by scammers, TSB said. TSB is also urging consumers to be wary of adverts selling pets, holidays, cosmetics, jewellery and watches.

A brother and sister have been sentenced after they were found guilty of fraud over an amended will which would have seen them share an inheritance from their late father.

Rashpal Sandhu, 53, and her older brother Harjinder Singh, 60, were convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court of fraud by false representation over a codicil document which purported to amend their father’s will effectively disinheriting their two other brothers.

Two women from Tamworth who stole over £634,000 from the beneficiaries of wills, including money intended for life-saving charities, have been jailed for six and a half years between them.

A total of 23 estates were found to have money stolen from them by Laurna Porter and Julie Atkins over 13 years. They were arrested at their home address in 2018