ABOUT THE REPORT

14th edition of the largest global study on occupational fraud

2,402 real cases of occupational fraud

Data from 143 countries and territories

22 major industry categories included

Explores the costs, schemes, victims and perpetrators of fraud

https://www.acfe.com/fraud-resources/report-to-the-nations?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=20265-RTTN-launch-LinkedIn

Gascoyne appointment follows retirement of Richard Las

Zoe Gascoyne has taken over as director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HM Revenue and Customs, becoming the first woman to hold this position.

Gascoyne, who previously led offshore corporate and wealth operations at the Fraud Investigation Service, will also be the first female chief of the J5 (Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement), which brings together tax fraud enforcement organisations from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.

Her appointment follows the retirement of Richard Las, who worked for HMRC for more than 30 years.

Ultra Electronics Holdings Ltd (previously PLC) accepts responsibility for failure to prevent bribery and will pay millions to the taxpayer as a penalty.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured a £10 million payment from a British manufacturer of electronic systems for the international defence and aerospace market after it acknowledged accountability for failure to prevent bribery. A judge today approved a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) requiring Ultra Electronics Holdings Ltd to pay the penalty, plus £4.8 million in SFO investigation costs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sfo-secures-10m-from-british-defence-supplier

Director presents roadmap for organisation at first public event.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today publishes its Business Plan for 2026-27, setting out how it will invest in intelligence and technology, and strengthen its international partnerships to fight complex fraud, bribery and corruption.

Marking the midway point of the SFO’s five-year strategy, the plan builds on a year of significant progress, including deepened international partnerships, updated corporate guidance and the largest executive action in the SFO’s recent history with the announcement of its investigation into social housing company Home Reit.

New research from Aston University warns that fraud in the hospitality sector is rising ahead of summer holidays

Fraud expert reveals top tips to help travellers stay safe from fraud risks

Individual travellers are being increasingly targeted with around one in ten falling victim

As millions of people plan their Easter getaways and summer holidays, Dr Rasha Kassem, a fraud expert at Aston University, is warning of increasing risks facing both businesses and travellers within the hospitality sector – and shares practical advice on how to stay safe while on holiday.

https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/new-research-warns-rising-fraud-risks-holidaymakers-summer-season-approaches

The National Crime Agency (NCA) and National Federation of Builders (NFB) have launched a joint campaign aimed at accounts payable professionals and finance personnel in the construction industry that highlights the risks of invoice fraud, a crime that costs businesses millions each year.

Invoice fraud is one of the most common and costly forms of financial crime affecting individuals, families and businesses.

The construction industry is especially vulnerable to invoice fraud because it relies on complex supply chains often involving contractors, sub-contractors, consultants and suppliers, frequent high value payments and reliance on emails to communicate payment instructions which criminals can compromise.

Invoice fraud happens when criminals deceive individuals and businesses into paying fake invoices or diverting a genuine payment into accounts controlled by fraudsters. Fraudsters can impersonate suppliers, intercept emails or send convincing invoices to generate immediate payments into their own accounts. The aim is to manipulate victims into transferring funds to the fraudsters instead of their legitimate destination.

https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf/articles/NCA+and+National+Federation+of+Builders+launch+campaign+to+protect+against+invoice+fraud+in+construction+27032026112500

Victims of investment fraud lost an average of £1,675 every minute last year, new figures from the City of London Police have revealed. Criminals stole £879.8 million through investment fraud last year – an average of £2.4 million a day.

In 2025, 34,673 people reported investment fraud to Report Fraud, the national service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. This marks a 31 per cent rise on the previous year, with officers warning that fraudsters are taking advantage of economic uncertainty, volatile markets and increasingly convincing online platforms to lure in victims.

https://policeprofessional.com/news/rising-cost-of-investment-fraud-revealed/

More than 550 arrests were made as part of Operation Henhouse, the fifth year of a UK-wide campaign against fraud.

Coordinated by the National Economic Crime Centre at the National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police, this year’s activity ran throughout February an resulted in 557 arrests, £9 million in account freezing orders, £18.1 million in cash and assets seized.

The operation also saw 249 cease and desist notices and 172 voluntary interviews.

Since the operation started five years ago, 1,904 people have been arrested and more than £67 million has been seized or disrupted.

https://policeprofessional.com/news/operation-henhouse-delivers-strongest-results-yet-in-fifth-year-of-national-fraud-crackdown/

Plans for a new cross-agency crackdown on online fraud represent an ambitious attempt to improve the UK’s response to economic crime, according to experts.

The Online Crime Centre will launch in April, uniting specialists from the UK government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, technology platforms and mobile networks in a co-ordinated joint venture aimed, initially, at high volume cyber-crimes and fraud.

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/uk-launches-new-anti-fraud-strategy

Two new reports underpin the Fraud Strategy 2026-2029

Economic & Social Cost of Fraud 2023–24 estimates a £14.4bn annual impact.

National Assessment Centre Fraud Assessment 2025 highlights the surge in online, cross‑border, AI‑enabled fraud.

Built on three pillars — Disrupt, Safeguard, Respond — the UK is accelerating its fraud‑fighting infrastructure, including:

£31m Online Crime Centre launching April 2026, unifying intelligence, law enforcement and industry to dismantle criminal networks.

Greater action against abuse of telecoms, online platforms and financial systems.

Enhanced resilience for individuals and businesses through targeted guidance and proactive policing.

Stronger victim support and improved investigative and legal powers.

This strategy reflects a long‑overdue reset: a modernised, tech‑driven, partnership‑focused approach to reducing harm and restoring confidence.

https://loupedin.blog/2026/03/disrupt-safeguard-respond-uk-sets-new-fraud-strategy/#page=1