Council carrying out more investigations into suspected fraud

FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS are on the rise in the East Riding of Yorkshire with councillors warning increasingly sophisticated tactics will be used to bring offenders to justice.

Referrals for suspicious activity rose almost 17 per cent compared to last year, while subsequent investigations by fraud officers have increased by more than 10 per cent. More than half of the 806 investigations between April and September related to fraud and error involving council tax support awards, which recovered a total of £277,124.

A rise of 81 per cent in the number of investigations into single person discounts for council tax is the result of an officer being tasked with “data matching” – looking at internal and external records using software applications, which report back inconsistencies, councillors were told.

As a result, 224 out of the 438 investigations into council tax support identified overpayments of £99,314, while 128 out of the 147 single person tax discount investigations showed overpayments of £19,257.

The fraud investigation team received 916 referrals of possible fraud from April to September, a 16.8 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Referrals can be received from sources, including calls to a fraud hotline, anonymous letters and from work by the investigation team.

Coun Felicity Temple said most people “hate the fact that somebody else is getting something for nothing”, and added: “I think it’s very important that we really highlight the work of the fraud team and prove that fraud is just not worth it because you will get caught.”