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SAFE helps to develop national fraud prevention material
Nov 23, 2022
In 2021, SAFE delivered an innovative mandate fraud prevention exercise at Dorset HealthCare. The exercise aimed to raise awareness of this type of fraud amongst suppliers to the NHS, in particular SME suppliers (small and medium-sized enterprises), to protect NHS resources from fraud losses.
A key element of the exercise was providing SME suppliers with fraud awareness and prevention material relating to password security and business email compromise, both enablers of mandate fraud.
As a result of our work at Dorset HealthCare, SAFE has been working with a Senior Fraud Prevention Officer from the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) to develop a national mandate fraud prevention resource pack for the NHS.
SAFE’s collaboration with NHSCFA has culminated in the publication of a blog post by Andy Knight, SAFE Head of Counter Fraud, on the NHSCFA Ngage portal. In the blog, Andy discusses the exercise and its success in reducing associated fraud risks and leading to a measured increase in fraud awareness.
Accredited Local Counter Fraud Specialists (LCFS), Directors of Finance, and Audit Committee Chairs nominated via NHSCFA can now access the
resource pack and the
blog post via the NHSCFA Ngage portal.
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International Fraud Awareness Week (IFAW) 2024 takes place from 17-23 November, and SAFE continues to support this global effort to minimise the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education. Fraud and cybercrime account for over 40% of all crime in England and Wales, affecting more people, more often, than any other crime. The social and economic cost to individuals is estimated to be in excess of £4.7 billion a year. So don’t wait until #fraudweek to become a fraud fighter!
According to data from Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, more than 33,000 people had their social media or email accounts hacked in the 12 months to August 2024, and victims lost a total of £1.4 million. Fraud is now the most commonly experienced crime in the UK, with 1 in 17 adults falling victim to fraudsters. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau indicate that 80% of fraud is cyber-enabled. October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, an international initiative that aims to educate everyone about cyber safety. To mark the event, Action Fraud and NHS England have launched awareness campaigns to remind people that there are simple ways to protect themselves and our NHS from online threats.
Following the submission of a successful bid, SAFE are proud to be included in the YPO Internal Audit and Assurance, and Counter Fraud Investigation Services Framework. Beating stiff competition, our bid was the highest scoring in Lot 3: Counter Fraud Investigation Services. YPO is one of the largest public sector purchasing consortiums in the UK, and the inclusion of SAFE on the framework means that the following organisations can easily access our award winning, cost-effective services: • Local authority councils, • Educational establishments, • Police, fire and rescue, maritime/coastguard agency emergency services, • NHS bodies, the HSC (Northern Ireland) and ambulance services, • Central government departments and their agencies, • Registered charities, • And more, full list available here .
