Treasury Committee demands update on bank signature forgery allegations October 15, 2020 An influential committee of MPs have demanded an update from the City watchdog and National Crime Agency on their investigation into allegations of widespread signature forgery at British banks. The Treasury Select Committee first asked the Financial Conduct Authority and NCA to investigate allegations that banks used forged signatures on an industrial scale, leading to [...]
Buy2Let Cars parent company under investigation by serious fraud watchdog April 9, 2021 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an investigation this morning into the Buy2Let Cars parent company Raedex Consortium for an unauthorised customer investment scheme. The SFO, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the City of London police searched two premises in connection to the scheme and arrested one person yesterday. The person was interviewed [...]
Crime agency to probe government’s bounce back loan scheme October 2, 2020 Britain’s crime agency will investigate organised crime linked to the government’s bounce back loan scheme, launched to help businesses through the pandemic. The bounce back loan scheme, which launched in May, allows SMEs to borrow up to a quarter of their annual turnover, capped at £50,000. The scheme has proved the most popular form of [...]
HMRC launches 13,000 investigations into potential Covid support scheme fraud June 28, 2021 The UK tax authority has opened almost 13,000 probes into businesses that may have abused the government’s coronavirus business support schemes. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is investigating potential fraud and other non-compliance with the rules for the use of the government’s furlough programme, self employment income support scheme, and the “eat out to help [...]
Despite the Plymouth tragedy, UK gun violence among the lowest in the world August 16, 2021 Police confirmed over the weekend that Plymouth gunman Jake Davison was a licensed firearms holder. Nevertheless, gun laws in the UK are often described as some of the strictest in the world, with licences needed to carry approved firearms. The level of gun crime in the UK is one of the lowest in the world, [...]
London crime gang dressed as key workers and joked about ‘clap for drug dealers’ May 17, 2021 A crime gang who dressed as key workers to avoid capture and joked about a weekly clap for drug dealers have been jailed. Andrew Doyle, 35, from Hammersmith, used the name “Neighbourhoodhero” on a secret encrypted messaging network while carrying out cocaine deals at the height of lockdown last year. He exchanged messages with Derrick [...]
Cracked encryption app leads to hundreds of arrests July 2, 2020 Efforts by police to crack an encrypted messaging app used by criminals has led to the arrests of “iconic” figures of the British underworld. The National Crime Agency (NCA) today said it had “successfully penetrated” Encrochat, a secure smartphone instant messaging app that was used by criminals to coordinate their activities. The move has allowed [...]
Boohoo shares continue to fall after Leicester factory worker exploitation claims July 7, 2020 Shares in fast fashion brand Boohoo plunged for the second day in a row following allegations that workers at the retailer’s factory in Leicester were paid illegally low wages. The e-commerce retailer’s shares plummeted more than 13 per cent this morning to 255.5p, after falling more than 18 per cent yesterday. The losses came after [...]
Boohoo shares dive following Leicester factory allegations July 6, 2020 Shares in fast fashion retailer Boohoo slumped more than 18 per cent today following allegations of illegally low wages at the firm’s factory in Leicester. Boohoo shares fell 23 per cent during trading today, after the Sunday Times yesterday reported that workers making clothes for the firm’s Nasty Gal brand were paid as little as [...]
Why women’s sport will hit £1bn and the tech tools trusted by pros will go overground in 2021 December 28, 2020 Paul Lee, global head of technology, media and telecommunications research at Deloitte, forecasts two major growth areas for sport in 2021. Women’s sports Deloitte predicts that revenue from women’s elite sports will be almost £1bn in 2021. The start of the 2021-22 season will kick off a record period for women’s sport attendance, TV audiences [...]