Corporate Fraud Team, North & East Ayrshire Councils

The Corporate Fraud Team is a specialist investigative unit to prevent, detect and investigate frauds against North and East Ayrshire Councils.

Fraud in the public sector costs the taxpayers billions of pounds each year, and losses on this scale impact heavily on the provision of public services.

North and East Ayrshire Councils have a zero-tolerance approach to fraudulent activity, whether perpetrated by employees, elected members, partner organisations, suppliers or service users and will seek to ensure that fraud is prevented wherever possible and, where detected, will be thoroughly investigated.

Such fraud or corrupt activity may include:
•Employee fraud – theft, embezzlement, bribery
•Procurement and Contract fraud – influencing the tender process, false /duplicate invoicing
•Blue badge fraud – fraudulent obtaining or misuse of blue badges
•Council tax fraud – giving false information to obtain reductions, discounts or exemptions, failing to report a change in circumstances
•Business rate fraud – giving false information to obtain relief, or falsely declaring a property to be empty
•Tenancy fraud – giving false information to obtain housing, unlawful sub-letting, abandonment
•Insurance fraud – claiming for a non-existent incident or by inflating the cost of damages.
•Scottish Welfare Fund

The Corporate Fraud Team is a specialist investigative unit to prevent and detect frauds, or attempted frauds, against North & East Ayrshire Councils. The team carry out investigations and any enforcement action that may be considered necessary. Such action may include disciplinary action (where the fraud has been perpetrated by an employee), civil court action or criminal prosecution.

The Corporate Fraud Team encourages anyone who has any information regarding any suspected fraud to report it. You do not have to give your name.

You can contact the Corporate Fraud Team by using the message facility here on our Facebook page, email us at corporatefraud@north-ayrshire. gcsx. gov. uk or call us 01294 324593.

Benefit fraud should be reported to the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP):
https://www. gov. uk /report-benefit-fraud