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The National Fraud Forum is a bi-annual event. The first NFF, organised by the Metropolitan and City of London Police fraud squads, was held in 1992. It brought together police fraud investigators from throughout the United Kingdom and Channel Islands, providing the opportunity to discuss in a workshop environment, topical issues affecting working practices.
The 119 officers who attended identified the need for ongoing formal representation to deal with key policy issues and identify best practice in fraud investigation. It was resolved that a National Working Group on Fraud (NWGF) should be established and it was agreed that it should operate under the auspices of the Association of Chief Police Officers’ Crime Committee (now known as the ACPO Crime Portfolio Group).
Membership of the NWGF is drawn from five regional working groups comprising all of the UK police fraud squad, with representation from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the police forces of Scotland, to ensure that the interests of all fraud squads, irrespective of size, are equally represented. The NWGF now reports to the ACPO Economic Crime Portfolio Group and is regarded as the key source of information and advice in relation to procedural and policy issues in relation to fraud. As a result the NWGF has become an important liaison point for commercial organisations, as well as law enforcement and government agencies, tasked with combating fraud. The contributions of delegates at past NFF events have been central to shaping national police policy, practice and training methods in relation to fraud investigation. The presence of overseas police liaison officers, members of the legal profession and representatives from government and commercial organisations has provided an added dimension to debate.
On this occasion we are hosting the event in conjunction with the ACPO CHEQUE AND CREDIT CARD WORKING GROUP to ensure that the conference fully reflects the concerns of the financial services industry in relation to all forms of banking fraud including cheque and credit card crime. Both working groups continue to work closely with the BBA and APACS in an effort to improve co-operation and raise the profile of economic crime as an issue for government and a priority for policing. Since the last NFF in 2002 the NWGF and CCCWG have contributed to two significant advances in this objective:
- A ‘Lead Force’ arrangement for the investigation of serious fraud in London and the South East funded by the Home Office and Corporation of London
- The establishment of the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit fully funded by the APACS membership
It is to be hoped that both these initiatives will provide the model for establishing regional fraud units throughout England & Wales working in conjunction with the Regional Asset Recovery Teams to bear down on the professional and organised criminals exploiting the financial services industry.
Other developments to which the NWGF have contributed include:
- The creation of a national police training programme for fraud investigators and the development of a new ‘Centre of Excellence’ in economic crime regulation and investigation for the South East at the Cass Business School (City University)
- Work with the Home Office in relation to the drafting of the proposed Fraud Bill, legislation designed to simplify the investigation and prosecution of fraud.
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