Open Alert

 With an apparent absence of any resource or funding commitments, and with some actions arguably dependent on funding rather than strategy, possibly the most effective action will be improving the way in the which agencies work together effectively to tackle these five lines of action to tackle serious and organised crime:

•           In-country: with increased impact against the highest-priority organised crime groups operating in and against the UK, in particular increased impact against fraud and economic crime, including illicit finance and cybercrime.

•           UK Border: to disrupt organised immigration crime.

•           International: the disruption of high-harm organised criminals overseas, with improved information and intelligence sharing internationally, linked to wider government development goals.

•           Technology and capabilities: ensuring the best intelligence and data collection, analysis, and investigative capabilities are in place to identify and disrupt organised criminals.

•           Multi-agency response: ensuring all public and private sector partners are working together as effectively as possible with the right capacity, skills, structures and tasking processes.

Open Publication

OPEN ALERT

The European Financial and Economic Crime Threat Assessment looks closely at current and emerging threats relating to financial and economic crime. Using insights and case examples from Europol’s dedicated crime centre, this report analyses the threats posed by money laundering, criminal finances and corruption, and how they have evolved as a result of technological and geopolitical changes. The report also examines the role of these crimes in the broader picture of international serious and organised crime, where criminal networks use financial and economic crime as a tool to obscure, and ultimately benefit from, profits made by illegal activities.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Other%20Side%20of%20the%20Coin%20-%20Analysis%20of%20Financial%20and%20Economic%20Crime%20(EN).pdf

Open Alert

OPEN ALERT

 The National Crime Agency (NCA) has published revised guidance on how to submit better quality suspicious activity reports (SARs). The guidance includes instructions on online reporting via the NCA portal, guidance on how to structure a SAR, specialist guidance on defence against money laundering (DAML), and some useful good practice tips and examples. It is unlikely the guidance will provide many surprises for experienced MLROs. However, its publication perhaps indicates that the NCA has concerns about the quality and detail provided in some SARs, and the guidance will be useful in helping to get a swift response from the NCA.

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/650-guidance-on-submitting-better-quality-suspicious-activity-reports-sars-v9-0/file

 The Public Sector Fraud Authority has published its Standard for the Counter Bribery and Corruption Professional which contains the agreed professional standards and guidance for countering fraud and corruption in central government. The Standard is part of the wider government counter fraud standards and guidance, which cover all the core disciplines and sub disciplines in the Government Counter Fraud Framework. The counter fraud professional standards and guidance are designed to present a consistent cross government approach to countering fraud; raise the capability of individuals and, through this, increase the quality of organisations' counter fraud work.

The aim is to:

1. To describe the knowledge skills and experience (professional standards and competencies) needed for an individual to achieve practitioner level in counter fraud work in their desired discipline. The document provides direction to competency frameworks which outline how someone can progress to this standard.

1. To provide guidance to those using the standards on the processes and products they will use to deliver the discipline and what they should seek to put in place in the organisation to deliver the discipline effectively.

The "Organisation Guidance" can also be used to consider what should be in place in an organisation to be using this sub discipline effectively. The extent to which central government bodies use this standard will vary and depend on their assessment of the risk of bribery and corruption in their field and their investment in counter bribery and corruption activities.

These standards form the basis of the bribery and corruption sub discipline that is being established within government. To be acknowledged as a counter fraud professional these standards will have to be met. Guidance is being developed and will be made available on Civil Service Learning Counter Fraud pages regarding how to be recognised as a member of the Government Counter Fraud Profession.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1157904/Counter_Bribery_and_Corruption_Professional_Standard__final_.pdf

UK Finance today releases its Annual Fraud Report, detailing the amount of money reported by UK Finance members that was stolen by criminals through financial fraud in 2022.

Find the full report below:

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/2023-05/Annual%20Fraud%20Report%202023_0.pdf

This report sets out the recent trends from NAO audits and reports, reviews how well-placed government is to understand and tackle fraud and corruption across government and sets out insights from our work and engagement with experts on what more government can do to better prevent fraud and corruption. This report focuses on fraud and corruption against government and therefore the taxpayer. Fraud is an act of deception carried out for personal gain or to cause a loss to another party. It may be committed internally by staff or externally by suppliers, contractors or members of the public. For the purpose of this report, corruption, which includes bribery, is the abuse of a public or private office for financial gain or the avoidance of personal loss. Both can lead to the loss of taxpayer money (such as benefit or tax fraud) or an inefficient allocation of resources (such as falsely claiming a loan even if intending to pay it back).

https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/tackling-fraud-and-corruption-against-government/