London boroughs launch high-tech campaign to beat fraud

London boroughs are to collaborate on a new project to sift through large quantities of a data in a bid to fight fraud.

The London Counter Fraud Hub has the backing of all 32 boroughs in the capital and will also work to investigate and recover funds lost to fraud.

Ian O’Donnell, executive director of corporate resources for Ealing Council, said: “The London Counter Fraud Hub will realise significant benefits for residents by alleviating the cost of fraud.

“By bringing together all London local authorities and putting in place the latest technology, the hub will be able to maximise the significant opportunities arising from big data and advanced analytics.”

Recent estimates put the sums lost to fraud by councils nationwide at £2.1bn, with up £133m accounted for by council tax discount fraud. Over the past two years London boroughs have detected up to £100m in financial crime. Common frauds involve housing tenancies, business rates and ‘Blue Badge’ concessionary parking.

At the core of the project will be the hub’s use of advanced technology to target cross-boundary fraud within London. The system will analyse data provided by London councils to identify possible cases for investigation.

The initiative is supported by London Ventures, a partnership between London Councils and EY, which is part of the Capital Ambition programme. London Ventures works to encourage innovation and collaboration between boroughs.

Edward Lord, chairman of the Capital Ambition board, said: “The London Counter Fraud Hub is a fantastic example of London local government coming together in its entirety to address a critical loss of revenue at a time of unprecedented budget cuts.

“This has the potential to save local authorities significant sums of money and could prove a very good investment in the fight against fraud.”

The fraud hub is planned to be up a running by the end of 2016.

Photo (cropped): David Precious, Flickr.