3 March 2021
COVID-19 Fraud: New Taxpayer Protection Taskforce
In the Budget 2021, presented to Parliament on 3 March, the Chancellor announced that HMRC will establish a taskforce to investigate those who have fraudulently made use of government schemes set up to protect individuals and businesses against the economic impact of COVID-19 – such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) (widely referred to as the Furlough scheme) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).
14 January 2021
FCA sets expectations for firms to record communications when working from home
FCA focuses on risks associated with unmonitored communications, including the use of unencrypted apps, such as WhatsApp, for sharing potentially sensitive or confidential information when working from home.
19 November 2020
Justice delayed is justice denied for clients in lockdown limbo
The top five most stressful events in life are commonly regarded as death of a loved one; divorce; major illness or injury; job loss; and moving house (in that order). Some might argue that the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns should be a new addition to this list. Not only does it make life more stressful but also the first four events more likely.
26 October 2020
Furlough Fraud - what about the other £2bn?
The headlines of 23 October 2020, reported the staggering estimate that between 5 and 10 per cent of the £39 billion paid under the Government’s job retention scheme has been claimed fraudulently.
23 October 2020
Coronavirus business loan scheme fraud
In response to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, the government introduced a number of loan schemes in order to assist businesses struggling financially. Recent reports suggest that these schemes, as outlined below, have become a target for fraudulent loan applications, by both genuine businesses and also organised criminal enterprises. This blog briefly examines the various loan schemes in place and the criminal offences which are likely to be the focus of investigating authorities in the coming months.
