Corporate fraud

The council are committed to safeguarding public funds and have a zero tolerance of fraud and corruption.

Protecting public funds

East Suffolk Council is committed to protecting public money and ensuring that every pound is spent where it’s needed most. Our dedicated Corporate Fraud Team supports the prevention, detection, and investigation of fraud across all council services.

Fraud against the public sector is not a victimless crime - it reduces the funds available for essential services such as housing, and community support. By identifying and stopping fraud, we help make sure resources are used to benefit everyone in our community.

What we do

Prevention: We promote good practice, carry out fraud risk assessments, and train staff to spot warning signs early.

Detection: Using data analysis, intelligence sharing, and partnership working, we identify suspicious activity quickly and effectively.

Investigation: When fraud is suspected, we conduct thorough investigations in line with the law and professional standards.

Collaboration: We work closely with the police, other councils, and national bodies such as the National Fraud Initiative to tackle fraud locally and nationally.

How you can help

Everyone has a part to play in protecting public funds. If you suspect someone is committing fraud against the council - for example, housing tenancy fraud, council tax support, or business grants, please let us know.

You can report concerns confidentially and anonymously through our secure online form or by contacting the Corporate Fraud Team directly.

Together, we can keep our area fair, transparent, and accountable.

Report suspected fraud

Use our online Housing Tenancy Fraud Reporting Form to report tenancy fraud, such as sub-letting, housing application fraud, unlawful succession and non-residence.

Use our online Non-Housing Tenancy Fraud Reporting Form to report other suspected fraud, including Blue Badges, business rates, council tax, housing benefits, grants, licensing, money laundering, expenses, procurement, recruitment and whistleblowing.

You can also report housing benefit fraud directly to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 854 440 or online at www.gov.uk/report-benefit

Alternatively, you can call our fraud hotline on 01394 444444
or email: fraud@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

Our guiding policies

Everyone can play a part in fraud prevention and detection. We have adopted the following policies to help explain and guide our staff, partners and wider community on the council’s counter-fraud approach.

 

Our Corporate Fraud Privacy Notice explains how personal data is used in our counter-fraud work.