Frauds

Council homes are increasingly being rented out as holiday lets, fuelling a surge in fraud that is costing taxpayers £6.2bn, i can reveal.

Fraud investigators and local authorities said Airbnb, Booking.com and other popular platforms are doing too little to block illegal adverts of social homes.

Ever spend Valentine’s Day alone?

If so, you might understand why February is such a busy month for romance scammers.

“I’ve never felt so seen or understood by another person in my life,” 62-year-old Marie says about a man she met online last year. “We had the deepest conversations I’ve ever had. The most romantic and soulful.” Marie is an experienced online dater and an acclaimed artist based in Florida, with no spouse or kids.

In a survey conducted by ReBound in collaboration with Censuswide, alarming statistics have come to light, revealing that 48% of consumers openly admit to engaging in returns fraud.

https://www.theretailbulletin.com/general-merchandise/survey-exposes-consumer-misconceptions-and-the-impact-of-returns-fraud-on-retail-08-02-2024/

Three men convicted of fraud and acquiring criminal property relating to poultry, amounting to a loss of nearly £320,000, have been sentenced to prison.

Rana Dhaia, owner of Townsend Poultry in Wolverhampton, together with Darren Williams and Elliot Smith, both managers employed by the 2 Sisters Food Group in North Wales, conspired together to commit fraud.

A fraudster who conned four women out of more than £300,000 has been jailed for seven years.

Cieran McNamara was leading a lavish lifestyle, travelling on first class trains and planes, and staying in five star hotels before he was caught by Cheshire Police.

The number of people falling victim to romance scams increased by a fifth (22%) in 2023, compared to 2022, according to the latest data from Lloyds Bank.

However, overall, the average amount lost to romance scams was £6,937, less than in 2022 (£8,237).

How parents may be committing insurance fraud without realising it.

One Sure Insurance, an insurance broker, has advised parents to be more honest when it comes to their insurance policies because they may be committing insurance fraud unknowingly.

https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/one-sure-insurance-calls-on-parents-to-be-honest-about-insurance-475495.aspx

A CARER has been jailed after she used the bank cards of the vulnerable people in her care to order items for herself.

The fraud came to light when a woman from Warwick contacted Warwickshire Police to say she believed her carer, Amie Swinbourne, had used her bank card.

Automated push payment (APP) fraud is rife across the UK, with 1 in 3 consumers falling victim and over half (53%) saying it’s getting harder to spot the signs.

New research from Visa reveals the negative impact of authorised push payment (APP) fraud on UK consumers beyond the financial loss.

According to Cifas research, one in six UK adults have exaggerated their earnings to get a mortgage, or know someone that has.

The fraud prevention service found that some people are prepared to dishonestly inflate their earnings by as much as £10,000, and even forge payslips, in order to buy or remortgage a home.

https://www.yourmoney.com/mortgages/one-in-six-will-commit-mortgage-fraud-to-get-a-deal/