We embedded a number of controls and checks in the design of the Kickstart Scheme to reduce the risk of fraud and error, including using the Cabinet Office Spotlight tool to support financial checks on applicants. Further information on the Spotlight Tool can be found here.

Where an allegation of fraud is made, or criminal activity suspected, the Department will investigate. If there is sufficient evidence, the Department will refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service, or Crown Office/Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland, to consider a prosecution.

All Kickstart participants have Employment Contracts, meaning they are entitled to legal protections, and DWP will advise individuals on how to take action in the rare case that the is not resolved through DWP channels.

We are unable to disclose details regarding suspected fraud. If cases are under investigation, releasing any information could prejudice those investigations.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Online fraud is a devastating and pernicious crime can cause devastating financial and emotional harm to victims. The Government has been working with partners in the public and private sectors to keep the public safe and bring these fraudsters to justice.

We have introduced the Online Safety Bill, which will tackle online fraud and fraudulent advertising. Fraud is included as priority offence on the face of the Bill. This means that companies will have to take robust, proactive action to ensure that user-generated fraud is not readily published or exposed to users on their platforms. The Online Safety Bill also contains a fraudulent advertising duty covering Category 1 & 2A companies (user-to-user services with the highest reach and search functions). These duties will have significant impact on some of the highest harm fraud types, including romance, pension and investment frauds.

DCMS is also leading work on developing the Online Advertising Programme, which will be considering further regulation of online advertising which will also help to reduce online fraud.

We have also been working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre who launched their Suspicious Email Reporting Service in April 2020. This has already led to over 11 million reports received and the removal of over 78,000 scams and 144,000 harmful websites to date. We continue to encourage the public to report fraud to Action Fraud and to forward any suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious texts to 7726, free of charge.

Industry have been working hard on tackling the threat of online fraud, including through the Online Fraud Steering Group (OFSG), which is a public-private group co-chaired by the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), UK Finance and Tech UK.

Financial scams have increased dramatically in recent years and are now the most common form of crime, harming millions of families every year. Most of them are made possible by online platforms such as Facebook and Google, which make vast profits from advertising fraudsters. Does my right hon. Friend agree that companies that profit from promoting fraud should help to pay the costs of fraud, and online platforms should compensate the victims whom they have helped to create, and will he work with me to achieve that end?

I have known my hon. Friend for many years, and this is typical of his creativity. We will be looking at exactly how we could make that kind of measure work. I think it is important for us to proceed with care and get it right, and I will ensure that my hon. Friend has a meeting with the relevant Minister in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as soon as possible.

Jim Harra, Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary of HMRC wrote to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee concerning HMRC’s data-sharing with banks on 24 March 2022: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/9452/documents/161409/default/.

HMRC has always stood ready to assist the banks to prevent and tackle fraud in the Covid-19 loan schemes. At no time has HMRC declined to share data for this purpose.

Tackling Fraud is a top priority for this government and requires a sophisticated multi-agency approach, coordinating with domestic and international partners. As prosecuting agencies, both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) play a vital part in that response.

Last year the CPS published its first ever Economic Crime Strategy, which affirms its commitment to improve criminal justice outcomes in this area and support victims. In the year ending September 2021, the CPS prosecuted 7,609 defendants, in cases where Fraud and Forgery was recorded as the principal offence. The conviction rate was 84.9%.

Taking into account judicial resolutions such as DPAs, the SFO’s successful judicial outcomes rate is 85% by case and 50% by defendant over the past four financial years [2018/19 – 2021/22].

In April 2022, The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) launched a new Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID) which brings together specialists in economic crime, organised crime, proceeds of crime and international to deliver justice, combat crime across borders and take money from criminals.

This combined team of specialists will continue to work closely with investigators to disrupt the emerging threats of organised criminal gangs using cyber technology to exploit people, businesses, and the Government. Victims of complex SEOCID cases are often based in multiple jurisdictions. The directorate will work to improve their experience by ensuring investigators and prosecutors work closely and have a joint victim and witness strategy from the outset.

Establishing the new Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate is part of the CPS Economic Crime Strategy 2025.

The number of staff and prosecutors can be found in the table below:

NB: The data has been extracted from the CPS Oracle HR database and is accurate at point of enquiry on 21 April 2022. Consequent changes to data input may mean that this data will change at some point in the future.

*The system reports data as at the last day of the month rather than the first or any date in-between therefore the table is presented to the nearest reportable date to the questions asked.

*FTE figures have been rounded

The Government is strongly committed to ensuring those with a characteristic of vulnerability have access to appropriate, useful and affordable financial products and services. The Government also works with industry to combat fraud and ensure members of the public have the information they need to spot a scam and stand up to fraudsters. The Government works closely together with regulators and stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors, to ensure that all consumers of financial services are appropriately protected.

UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses. This includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers.

The FCA’s Guidance for firms on the Fair Treatment of Vulnerable Customers requires that firms should understand what harms their customers are likely to be vulnerable to and ensure that customers in vulnerable circumstances receive the same fair treatment and outcomes as other customers.

If a firm has doubts about a consumer’s ability to understand a product or service, suspects they do not have capacity to make decisions or that they are acting as a result of fraud or coercion, the firm should assess whether it should allow the consumer to proceed. It may be appropriate for firms to contact, or act on the instructions of, a family member, friend or other third party.

The Government also recognises the actions of the financial services industry to help tackle fraud, including through investment in anti-fraud capabilities, the creation of a voluntary reimbursement Code, and the implementation of initiatives such as Confirmation of Payee. While we welcome these initiatives, it is clear that more needs to be done both to prevent these scams, and to ensure that victims are not left paying for fraud through no fault of their own.

The Government therefore welcomed the Payment Systems Regulator’s recent consultation on Authorised Push Payment scams, which set out potential measures that could improve scam prevention and outcomes, including proposals to introduce mandatory requirements to reimburse victims. The Government has confirmed it intends to legislate to address any barriers regarding regulatory action regarding mandatory reimbursement when parliamentary time allows.

The Risk Review Team review all cases referred to them.

Referrals are not identified based on Habitual Residence test status.