NFIB eNewsletter - September 2010
Message from Detective Superintendent David Clarke
Outgoing Director of the NFIB
August was the month when the NFIB really sprung into life. In previous editions of the newsletter we have talked about the capabilities of the NFIB, but this month we have seen it in action with Bureau intelligence directly leading police to the doorsteps of a group suspected of being part of a major ticketing fraud. The story behind the subsequent arrests, told on BBC TV and Radio, sent out the message that the NFIB is now in the business of catching criminals. I look forward to seeing more of the same in the coming weeks.
The NFIB team has continued to welcome stakeholders to the City of London Police’s Economic Crime Directorate and demonstrate how the analytical systems are working. Notable visitors have included the new Attorney General and Solicitor General, both of whom seemed to be impressed by the Bureau and the work of the team. With the current economic challenges facing the Government support for the NFIB from both the public and private sector is particularly important for us.
I am moving to be the head of the City of London Police’s intelligence and covert resources, so this will be my last contribution to the newsletter. It has been an honour to lead this operation for four years and I will leave knowing the foundations are firm for the NFIB to make a major impact across the fraud landscape. Getting here has not been easy. We had to overcome many obstacles and it is a tribute to the talent and commitment of the team and our partners that we have succeeded. I wish my successor Detective Superintendent Tony Crampton well, and sincerely thank all those who have helped take us into this new era.
Update:
NFIB in action
In August NFIB intelligence helped the City of London Police break-up a major ticketing fraud exploiting sporting and musical events. In the early morning operation detectives arrested three men and one woman at addresses across London and Waltham Abbey on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
The activity followed an investigation into a criminal gang that set up worldwidetickets.com, and later gigsport.com, to sell tickets for the Reading Festival and concerts featuring global stars such as the Black Eyed Peas and Michael Buble. The NFIB is studying complaints sent by Trading Standards and Action Fraud from hundreds of victims who are estimated to have lost a total of £40,000 on non-existent tickets, including a woman who flew from South Africa to the UK having paid £1,800 for three Wimbledon Centre Court tickets.
The first major operational activity of the NFIB was covered extensively on the BBC, with stories running on the Six O’clock and Ten O’clock News, and on Radio 4 and Radio 5. A detailed report can be found on the BBC website at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10954873
There are several other NFIB-generated investigations in their formative stages, including an investments in commodities and land fraud. At the same time analysts are tracking 129 different organised crime groups operating in the UK with links to fraud.
The NFIB is working with partners in the Muslim community and travel industry to help tackle the threat of Hajj fraud. In the months leading up to the Muslim Pilgrimage of Hajj in November organised crime groups are targeting licensed travel companies and then advertising fraudulent deals to Saudi Arabia. In some cases, ‘Hajj Tours’ are being sold at up to 50% of the normal price, but shortly before departure the tour operator closes down leaving people with no way of recovering their losses. In August the NFIB met with the City of London’s Muslim Consultative Committee (MCC) to discuss the best way to alert pilgrims to the dangers of Hajj fraud and encourage victims to report this crime. The NFIB has also produced a detailed profile of this crime.
NFIB fraud alert
A recent series of fraud has seen people searching for an online loan are entering their details and the amount they would like to borrow on the website of a legitimate loan company. They are then contacted by an individual purporting to be from that same company and offered the full sum. They are told the money can be with them in a few days if they make an initial payment via Western Union or Money Gram to a contact in India. On some occasions the suspects request more than one payment. The loan is never released and the victim loses their initial payment.
Anyone being offered a loan in these or similar circumstances should check they are speaking with the genuine loan company by calling the contact number from the company’s website.
New data sharing
Until now fraud has been a hidden crime, the true extent being unknown because it was not centrally recorded or available to the police. This situation is changing thanks to various partners agreeing to share the information they hold about fraud with the NFIB. Colleagues in the air travel and vehicle advertising industries are two of the latest groups to approach the NFIB with a view to sharing their valuable crime and intelligence data. Full details of how to work with and share information with the NFIB is available in a new publication - A Guide to the NFIB - available at www.nfib.police.uk.
Visiting the NFIB
In July the Attorney General, the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, and the Solicitor General, Edward Garnier QC MP, were at the NFIB for a demonstration of the advanced criminal networks that are helping police forces track down serial fraudsters. They heard about Operation Soundwave – an ongoing 25 million pound boiler room fraud investigation – and were given details on how NFIB and National Lead Force action, working in tandem with Northumbria Police, GMP and Swedish and Spanish authorities, had swiftly led to a number of criminal charges. Speaking after the visit the Attorney General said:
“It is really encouraging to see what the NFIB is doing to combat fraud. Our visit has given us a much fuller picture of how the NFIB is being deployed to tackle a highly damaging crime.”
In August representatives from RBS, the Olympic Intel Team, UK Payments, British Gas the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Detica and Crimestoppers all paid a visit to the Bureau. Law enforcement partners interested in visiting the NFIB should email steve.strickland@cityoflondon.police.uk
Action Fraud update from the National Fraud Authority
Since our last update we have made significant progress in raising awareness of fraud protection and the Action Fraud service.
On 8 July, Action Fraud and the NFIB gave a briefing on the national implementation of both services to police forces across England and Wales. Fraud experts from the 43 police forces participated in the briefing and a more general ‘state of play’ discussion on the policing of fraud.
On 12 July, we ran a national campaign to highlight that in the previous six months, Action Fraud had received 15,000 contacts from the public. Brenda Parke, a victim of a romance fraud, agreed to be a case study for our campaign and worked with us on a number of media interviews. We achieved over 130 media stories including Daily Mail, Express, Telegraph and a range of regional newspapers and BBC local radio stations. In addition our Chief Executive Bernard Herdan appeared on BBC Breakfast, ITV London Tonight and BBC Radio 4 Today programme. The media activity resulted in a substantial increase in hits on the NFIB website: 2,200 web visitors in just one day.
We are soon to launch an Action Fraud e-bulletin, containing practical advice and guidance on fraud prevention. Members of the public calling Action Fraud are invited to sign up for this quarterly information bulletin. The first edition will feature online fraud and provide information on how everyone can protect themselves. Please contact us if you would like to receive a copy or sign up to receive them via our website.
In addition you can now follow us on Facebook and Twitter, which we hope will help us reach a wider audience by spreading the message of Action Fraud across as many mediums as possible.
For more information about Action Fraud and our upcoming campaigns or to sign up to receive the Action Fraud e-bulletin, contact our team at: orna.joseph@attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk or sarah.garrett@attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk
The NFIB and Action Fraud analysis
The number of fraud reports sent from Action Fraud to the NFIB continued to rise in June (535) to July (650) and moving into August. Following on from recent months online shopping and auction fraud and advanced fee frauds continued to top the charts, with dating frauds also scoring highly. Small spikes from June to July were recorded in rental fraud (6 to 19) and time share and holiday club fraud – 5 to17. A detailed profile about the problem of dating fraud has recently been completed and the team is presently working on profiles of online shopping fraud and holiday rental fraud.
During this same period the NFIB has used Action Fraud data to provide 219 crime reports for 37 different police forces, with the Met, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Staffordshire constabularies being the main beneficiaries. Since going live in the middle of June 494 searches have also been carried out on the Know Fraud system for different police forces. These have been disseminated Lancashire Constabulary, Leicester Police, the Civil Aviation Authority, Humberside Police, Met Police, South Wales Police, City of London Police, Sussex Police, Greater Manchester Police, Avon and Somerset Police and Kent Police.
NFIB website
The website has established itself as the leading source for all the latest NFIB news, and. there are now more than 100 members of the secure NFIB Community. To access the secure police portal or to find any other information about the the NFIB go to www.nfib.police.uk
Meet the team
Name and job title: Lee Brown: Supervisory Special Agent, ICE Homeland Security Investigations and temporary assignment seconded to the NFIB
Where have you come from? I have worked with the U.S. Federal Government for over 16 years, beginning as an intelligence analyst before becoming a Special Agent. I have worked in a number of areas, including Money Laundering, Counter Proliferation, Child Pornography, Contraband Smuggling and Export investigations.
So what do you do? My responsibilities include coordinating and supporting financial investigative activities of HSI by working within the NFIB and providing a direct link with US offices. The majority of financial fraud and money laundering cases conducted by ECD through the NFIB are trans-national with many of the subjects and target businesses located in the US.
When not at your desk you like to do? While in London I am taking in many of the sights and soaking in the long rich history. I studied history at university and have always been interested in the history of Great Britain. I have also travelled outside of London into the countryside. I enjoy swimming, though after an outing in the Serpentine I may stick to the pool.
