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Fraud crimes 'cost councils £90m'

Published on 15 Sep 2009 under category: legal

Fraud crimes are costing local authorities in England million of pounds each year, it has been revealed.

A study by the Audit Commission has found that councils are losing £90 million a year because of this.

This includes individuals saying that they are living alone in order to get a 25 per cent reduction on their council tax.

The Audit Commission said that local authorities could do more to prevent these fraud crimes.

Steve Bundred, chief executive of the body, said: "It has never been more important that councils fight fraud. Every pound lost to cheats is a pound that can't be used for people in real need."

Earlier this month, a study by the Third Man, which was carried out between August 1st 2008 and August 1st 2009, named the northern town of Shildon as a hotspot for fraudsters.

It revealed that, out of 12,229 monitored online transactions in this area, 3,014 were fraudulent.

If you require advice on Corporate Fraud please call us on +44 (0)20 7831 0101 and ask for Dan Hyde.