Fraud - National Fraud Authority calls for feedback from charities
March 2012
The National Fraud Authority is measuring the extent of fraud against charities in the UK
The National Fraud Authority publishes the Annual Fraud Indicator, which estimates the scale of fraud losses against victims of all types in the UK. Last year a survey by the NFA suggested that charities could be losing 2.4% of their annual income to fraudsters, which would amount to £1.3bn across the sector.
Catherine Hayes, Head of Measurement and Analysis Unit, National Fraud Authority says, “Fraud is a hidden crime. Fraudsters are skilled at using deception and abuse of trust to defraud others. Just one instance of fraud can have a devastating effect on a charity. The survey that is being conducted cuts across charities of all sizes and will allow us to develop a better picture of how fraud harms the sector”.
Iain Hewitt from The Charity Commission, which has assisted with the survey, says, “We strongly support initiatives which raise awareness of, and help to combat, fraud in charities. We are glad the NFA is conducting this survey, which will provide a better understanding of the problem facing the sector."
As well as helping to address fraud against the charity sector, the NFA is also undertaking similar surveys to measure fraud against the private sector, and targeted studies of payroll, and procurement fraud. All survey results will feed into the third Annual Fraud Indicator which will be published in the first quarter of 2012.
The response from the Charity Commission can be viewed here.
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