Richard Paige discusses Holiday Sickness Scams – Park Square Barristers

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in compensation, fraud, holidays, insurance, news by sally

‘In the last couple of years there has been an explosion in the number of holiday sickness claims in the UK. It has reached epidemic proportions so rapidly that all the national newspapers have run stories about hotel owners, mostly in Mediterranean resorts, threatening to ban British holidaymakers. The stories have probably been exaggerated to sell papers and there is likely to be a degree of sabre-rattling from the hotel owners, but there is no doubt that it has become a significant problem for the British holiday industry, so much so that ABTA launched its “Stop Sickness Scams” campaign in June 2017.’

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Park Square Barristers, 7th August 2017

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Lettings agency to pay £20k-plus after prosecution over sham licences – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in compensation, costs, fines, fraud, landlord & tenant, licensing, local government, news by sally

‘A lettings agency has been ordered to pay more than £20,000 in fines, compensation and costs after issuing ‘sham licences’ to renters and using a letting agency association logo when it was not a member, in what is thought to be the first prosecution of its kind in England.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st August 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

How can you be sure where ‘charity’ donations go? – BBC News

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in charities, fraud, news by sally

‘Some 800 cases of charity fraud were reported in the UK last year. But with police warning that they represent just a fraction of the number actually taking place, is enough being done to deal with the scammers?’

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BBC News, 21st August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Pension cold-calling ban to include texts and emails – BBC News

Posted August 21st, 2017 in bills, electronic mail, fraud, news, pensions, telecommunications by sally

‘A forthcoming ban on cold-callers who try to scam people out of their pension savings will include emails and texts, the government has announced.’

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BBC News, 20th August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Senior Crown Prosecutor jailed for expenses fraud committed in bid to help indebted son – Legal Futures

‘A Senior Crown Prosecutor who put in £5,800 worth of false travel expenses to help pay off his son’s university debt has been jailed for six months.’

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Legal Futures, 17th August 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Family convicted of keeping at least 18 victims as slaves for up to 26 years – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 14th, 2017 in forced labour, fraud, gangs, news by sally

‘Members of an extended family have been convicted of running a modern slavery ring which kept one of its captives in “truly shocking” conditions for decades.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th August 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

TalkTalk fined £100,000 for putting customers at risk from scammers – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 11th, 2017 in consumer protection, data protection, fines, fraud, news by tracey

‘The UK’s data watchdog has hit TalkTalk with its second major fine in a year for failing to protect customers’ information from scammers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th August 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Housing association secures outright possession order on appeal – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 8th, 2017 in appeals, fraud, housing, local government, news, repossession by sally

‘A housing association has successfully appealed a Recorder’s decision to grant only a suspended order of possession, with the High Court judge concluding that the original ruling was “fatally and demonstrably flawed”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th August 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ex-soldier jailed for disability benefits fraud after Kilimanjaro climb – The Guardian

Posted August 4th, 2017 in benefits, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘A former paratrooper who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and won a triathlon while fraudulently claiming thousands of pounds in disability benefit has been jailed.’

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The Guardian, 3rd August 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Two men jailed in UK for horsemeat conspiracy – The Guardian

Posted August 1st, 2017 in conspiracy, food, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘Two men have been jailed for their roles in a conspiracy to pass off 30 tonnes of horsemeat as beef – a plot “motivated by greed” that was one part of the wide-ranging horsemeat scandal that came to light in 2013.’

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The Guardian, 31st July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

White collar crime prosecutions fall as offences rise – OUT-LAW.com

‘The number of white collar crime prosecutions in the UK fell by 12% between 2015 and 2016, despite a 4% increase in the number of reported offences.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th July 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Businessman guilty of mixing horsemeat with beef – BBC News

Posted July 27th, 2017 in conspiracy, food, fraud, horses, news by tracey

‘A businessman has been found guilty of being part of a £200,000 conspiracy to pass off horsemeat as beef, much of which went on to enter the food chain.’

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BBC News, 26th July 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The Ombudsman ordered Lloyds to repay us £47,500 – and then changed its mind’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 27th, 2017 in banking, compensation, conveyancing, fraud, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘A couple who were told by the Financial Ombudsman they would be repaid more than £47,000 stolen in a conveyancing scam have now been told, more than a year later, that they will not be getting their money back.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th July 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

CPS considers file on alleged £1m fraud at Police Federation – The Guardian

Posted July 26th, 2017 in Crown Prosecution Service, fraud, news, police, prosecutions by sally

‘An alleged £1m fraud at the Police Federation has been referred to prosecutors.’

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The Guardian, 25th July 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Extent of fraud and cyber crime laid out in new statistics – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 25th, 2017 in computer crime, crime, data protection, fraud, news, privacy, statistics by sally

‘More than five million cases of fraud and computer misuse offences were recorded in England and Wales in a single year, according to new figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).’

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th July 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Triathlon winner who claimed disability benefits convicted of fraud – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted July 20th, 2017 in disabled persons, fraud, news, sport by tracey

‘A man who claimed thousands of pounds in disability benefits despite climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, winning a triathlon and competing at the Phoenix Winter Games, has been convicted of fraud.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 20th July 2017

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

MPs urged to pass law against online ‘catfish’ imposters tricking women into sex – The Independent

Posted July 18th, 2017 in crime, fraud, identity fraud, internet, news, parliament by tracey

‘MPs are to be urged to outlaw the practice of ‘catfishing’, which refers to online predators using fake dating profiles to trick victims into sexual relationships.’

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The Independent, 17th July 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

News focus: Wish you weren’t here – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 17th, 2017 in costs, fees, fraud, holidays, insurance, news, personal injuries by tracey

‘Personal injury (PI) lawyers may have experienced a powerful sense of deja vu last week when the government announced a review of fees in holiday sickness claims. The same apocalyptic warnings of rampant fraud; the same incessant lobbying from a trade body. And ultimately the same solution – fixed costs – provided by ministers who would rather the whole thing just went away.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th July 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Thomas Cook wins fake holiday sickness case – BBC News

Posted July 12th, 2017 in damages, food hygiene, fraud, holidays, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Travel company Thomas Cook says it has won a legal victory against a fake holiday sickness claim and plans to challenge other such claims in court.’

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BBC News, 11th July 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Why We Should Oppose Gender Identity Fraud Prosecutions – Legal Voice

‘Following the conviction of Gayle Newland for tricking a female friend into having sex by pretending to be a man, Alex Sharpe looks at why such prosecutions are wrong.’

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Legal Voice, 10th July 2017

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk