A fraudster has been jailed for his role in an organised scam which saw public donations worth thousands of pounds stolen from Britain's most loved charities.

Stephen Chesterman, of Eversley Road, Benfleet, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation after going out collecting donations for the public under the guise this money would go to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/fraudster-jailed-role-gang-stole-175618238.html/

The financier behind a collapsed chain of London seafood restaurants has been sentenced to six years in prison in an Italian fraud trial that has rocked the Vatican.

Gianluigi Torzi, the man responsible for the Seasons chain of fish restaurants, was sentenced alongside Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the most senior Catholic Church official ever to stand trial before a Vatican criminal court. Becciu was jailed for five and a half years.

https://www.cityam.com/financier-of-london-restaurants-jailed-after-italian-fraud-trial/

Billed as a “game-changer” and providing a significant change in gear in the UK’s fight against corporate crime since the Bribery Act 2010, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023.

The Act represents a marked shift in how law enforcement bodies will deal with the scourge of fraud. Although the Act will strengthen anti-money laundering powers and reform Companies House, it is the approach to corporate criminal liability and its amending of the ‘directing mind and will’ test that has many querying how it will affect their businesses.

https://kennedyslaw.com/en/thought-leadership/article/2023/failure-to-prevent-insurance-fraud-is-now-a-crime/

EU rules set to transform VAT fraud detection in e-commerce come into effect from 1 January 2024.

From 1 January 2024, payment service providers (PSPs) offering payment services in the EU will be required to monitor the payees of cross-border payments. PSPs will be required to provide to the tax administrations in member states information of any business that receives more than 25 cross-border payments per quarter.

Two men who pretended to be police officers and preyed on elderly victims, forcing them to hand over more than £400,000 have been jailed.

Mohammed Zaman Ahmed, 26, and Kawsar Ahmed, 25, were sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday 19 December for a combined total of more than seven years for fraud.

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-12-20/duo-impersonated-police-officers-and-forced-victims-to-hand-over-thousands

People who have been tricked into transferring money to scammers will be able to receive up to £415,000 back per claim under new fraud reimbursal requirements coming into force next year, a regulator has confirmed.

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) outlined the new consumer protections against authorised push payment (APP) fraud, which will come into force from 7 October 2024.

https://www.cityam.com/banks-to-reimburse-up-to-415000-per-app-fraud-claim-regulator-confirms/

A builder who defrauded his client on their £700,000 home refurbishment has been jailed for four years following a prosecution brought by Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Jimmy Lee, director of Myint Construction Ltd., was prosecuted for fraud and deception after a three-year investigation by Trading Standards officers.

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/12/18/cheating-builder-gets-four-years-in-jail/

Investment scams can be hard to spot. Every year, victims lose thousands of pounds to criminals imitating genuine investment firms by clicking on adverts that lead them to fraudulent websites designed to replicate the page of a real investment firm. These imitation websites are known as “cloned companies”.

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/cloned-companies-investment-fraud-what-you-need-to-know

Many of us are spending more time than ever shopping online. Our online shopping guidance can help you to avoid scam websites, and purchase items safely.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/shopping-online-securely

What is courier fraud?

Courier fraud is when victims receive a phone call from a criminal who is pretending to be a police officer or bank official. Typically, victims are told to withdraw a sum of money and someone is sent to their home address to collect it.

Criminals may also convince the victim to transfer money to a ‘secure’ bank account, hand over their bank cards or give the criminals high value items, such as jewellery, watches and gold (coins or bullion).

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/courierfraud