Fraud on the rise in the Midlands
In 2010, the Midlands fell victim to a third more fraud cases than the previous year, according to the latest figures from the KPMG Fraud Barometer. Forty-six cases of fraud were reported in the region over the past 12 months compared to 35 in 2009, representing a 31 per cent increase.
According to research from KPMG, the types of fraud committed varied from a married couple in Sutton Coldfield who cheated the tax system to fund their lifestyle, to a bogus dentist who forged a degree.
Jonathan Lovell, head of KPMG Forensic in the Midlands, said: “Businesses trying to survive and individuals seeking to maintain lifestyles by whatever means will have undoubtedly driven the numbers up – and it is these same vulnerable groups that will also be the prey for many professional criminals.”
KPMG’s barometer recorded more fraud cases “than ever before” in 2010.
Lovell said: “The online universe has opened up a whole new world for innovative fraudsters. While credit card and data theft remain common tools from which they are able to profit, the need for ever more effective techniques to combat fraud grow greater by the day. Unfortunately anti-fraud measures do not always keep pace with professional criminal activity.”
