Published on: 8 July 2022
The new £25M Public Sector Fraud Authority was due to be launched on the 7th July but was cancelled following updates to the authority's powers by the Treasury. It was originally announced on the 28th April, to comprise of an elite fraud "squad".
It is said that a planned statement will be made, but at a later date, as yet undisclosed. As highlighted by the Fraud Advisory Panel, the pandemic created significant confusion as many shifted their working, shopping, family communications and day-to-day activities online, creating ample opportunities for fraudsters to harvest and use personal data. Beyond this, self-certification of businesses in order to qualify for COVID grants led to vast amounts of money going to businesses who either didn't need the grants or were not legitimate businesses in the first place.
It is hoped that the Public Sector Fraud Authority will be sufficiently empowered to tackle these and many other issues.
