The DWP is set to change how people are assessed for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a bid to crack down on benefit fraud.

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he was worried that the current system was being 'misused'.

The Tory leader spoke of how PIP awards can come off the back of 'subjective and unverifiable claims' that physical or mental illnesses and disabilities are affecting a person's life. Some conditions don't show on medical scans or tests, so the department must take the word of the person claiming on the severity of their own specific condition, Birmingham Live reports.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/dwp-to-make-changes-to-pip-in-order-to-crack-down-on-benefit-fraud/ar-AA1nqmlc?ocid=socialshare

Privacy activist group Big Brother Watch has questioned the legality of the plan for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to run checks on the financial data of benefits claimants.

DWP has said the organisation’s claims are false and emphasised the intent to use the powers to reduce benefits fraud.

https://www.ukauthority.com/articles/privacy-group-attacks-plan-for-dwp-fraud-checks-on-bank-data/

A UK-founded website used to defraud victims on an industrial scale has been infiltrated by police, leading to a number of arrests around the world.

As many as 70,000 UK victims were tricked by LabHost's scams, which obtained 480,000 card numbers and 64,000 PINs globally.

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-04-18/dozens-arrested-and-thousands-of-victims-contacted-after-scam-site-taken-offline

Consultancy firm will support new pilot Public Sector Fraud Authority Enforcement Unit.

The Cabinet Office has signed a contract with Deloitte to provide professional services support for a new unit which will work with departments and public bodies to tackle fraud.

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/cabinet-office-signs-up-deloitte-to-support-counterfraud-enforcement-unit-pilot

“Criminals are finding new and sophisticated ways to target consumers, such as through social media and AI and deepfake technology,” Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas said.

Increasingly advanced technology has allowed fraudsters to increase the sophistication and efficacy of their malicious social engineering ploys, new research has found.

https://www.digit.fyi/social-engineering-ramps-up-with-ai-tools/

Telecommunications giant AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) recently disclosed a significant data breach dating back to 2021 that resulted in the exposure of sensitive information belonging to 73 million users and is now circulating on the dark web.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/73-million-t-users-data-173015617.html

Fraudsters have been sharpening their social engineering tactics and continued to exploit cost-of-living pressures, according to Cifas.

Criminals are finding new ways to target consumers using social media and deepfake technology, with cost-of-living pressures also having an impact, according to a fraud prevention body.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/04/16/criminals-ramp-up-social-engineering-and-ai-tactics-to-steal-consumer-details/

Cases of bank fraud have been rising so it is important to be aware of how to spot fraud before you become a victim. Fraudsters are becoming well adept knowing how to target and scam people to gain access to accounts or to steal money from you. Don't be embarrassed and make sure you act as soon as you realise.

Contact your bank

If you think you are a victim of fraud your first step should be calling your bank as soon as you know to explain the situation.

https://www.finance-monthly.com/2024/04/what-to-do-if-you-are-a-victim-of-bank-fraud/

Experts have warned the public following a rise in scams fueled by identity theft.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has reported a 97 per cent increase in organised insurance fraud by stolen identities in the past year.

Identity theft has a catastrophic financial impact on victims and aids a broad spectrum of insurance scams, including perilous crash for cash operations and ghost broking.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rising-identity-theft-sees-97-040000122.html/

Six years on from the UK government introducing Unexplained Wealth Orders as a new law enforcement tool to combat ‘dirty money’, Commercial Litigation and Fraud partner Pia Mithani spoke to City AM’s Ben Lucas about their relative lack of use by the UK’s authorities to date.

https://www.stewartslaw.com/news/why-are-uwos-so-unpopular/