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What Do We Know About Organised Crime and Fraud?

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Organised Crime Groups involved in Fraud

Part of the book series: Crime Prevention and Security Management ((CPSM))

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Abstract

This chapter examines the existing academic literature and what it tells us about organised crime and fraud, both at a national and an international level. With a traditional focus from enforcement on organised crime groups (OCGs) involved in drugs and firearms, it is argued that comparatively little is known about OCGs involved in fraud. This imbalance is reflected in the paucity of empirical research in this area, although this picture is slowly changing. This chapter explores the historically contested definitions of organised crime, outlines the definition adopted in this book, and presents views on the extent of the ‘threat’ posed by OCGs. Further, it looks at the scale of fraud in the UK and the policing response. The chapter concludes with a national overview of what the OCG mapping data, held by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK, tells us about economic organised fraudsters.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Action Fraud (2017) http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/what-is-fraud.

  2. 2.

    Home Offic e Counting Rules for Recorded Crime (2017): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/602811/count-fraud-apr-2017.pdf.

  3. 3.

    See Glossary for definitions of fraud types.

  4. 4.

    ONS (2016b) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingsept2016#main-points.

  5. 5.

    Button et al. (2016) http://www.port.ac.uk/media/contacts-and-departments/icjs/ccfs/Annual-Fraud-Indicator-2016.pdf.

  6. 6.

    http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/9/contents/enacted.

  7. 7.

    http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/193-nca-launch-article.

  8. 8.

    Serious Fraud Office (2017) https://www.sfo.gov.uk/about-us/.

  9. 9.

    http://www.octf.gov.uk/OCTF/media/OCTF/images/publications/NCA-Annual-Report-1314.pdf?ext=.pdf.

  10. 10.

    The anonymised extract excluded 416 OC Gs (and 6203 nominals) flagged as ‘not for dissemination’ by reporting organisations and those groups originating from Police Scotland. However, it is possible that Scottish OCG s not investigated by Police Scotland appeared in the extract provided for this analysis.

  11. 11.

    The most common types of economic crime reported to the OCGM were: ‘non-fiscal (tax) fraud’ (n = 422); ‘public sector fraud, business ta x fraud/evasion (including MTIC fraud)’ (n = 218); ‘public sector fraud, personal ta x fraud/evasion (including income tax/self-assessment fraud)’ (n = 213); ‘banking and credit fraud, mortga ge fraud’ (n = 199); ‘public sector fraud, excise/customs duty fraud (including tobacco/alcohol fraud, fuel/oil fraud, illegal gambling)’ (n = 189); ‘ide ntity theft‘(n = 184); ‘public sector fraud, benefit fraud (non-tax credit /repayment fraud)’ (n = 166); ‘banking and credit fraud, account takeover’(n = 156); ‘insura nce fraud’ (n = 150); and ‘payment card crime’ (n = 120).

  12. 12.

    This included offences reported to the OCGM relating to fraudulently obtained genuine documentation—supply or use in organised immigration crime (n = 104), counterfeit currency (any involvement) (n = 76), intellectual property offences (n = 70) and human traffi cking to exploit state benefits (age group unknown, n = 49), or involving adults (n = 41) and juveniles (n = 13).

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  1. Institute for Criminal Policy Research Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK

    Tiggey May & Bina Bhardwa

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  1. Tiggey May
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May, T., Bhardwa, B. (2018). What Do We Know About Organised Crime and Fraud?. In: Organised Crime Groups involved in Fraud. Crime Prevention and Security Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69401-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69401-6_2

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