Anti-fraud project being rolled out across country

Jul 9 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

THE success of a North East business anti-fraud organisation has led to the formation of a national body based on the same principle and headed up by a former Northumbria Police chief.

Five years ago the North East Fraud Forum (NEFF) was set up by representatives of the public and private sectors to raise awareness among businesses of the latest scams and frauds and educate on topics such as counterfeiting and money laundering.

The not-for-profit group, which is backed by Northumbria, Cleveland and Durham police forces, alongside universities and businesses, has proved such a success that it has since been modelled in nine other regions where it has gained the backing of around 2,000 public and private-sector bodies.

The group is supported by 200 businesses in the North East and, according to Home Office figures, has played its part in making the North East one of the few areas in the country where fraud is in decline.

And now the organisation has supported the creation of a national anti-fraud network chaired by Alan Brown, former deputy chief constable of Northumbria Police. Mr Brown, who served in the force for more than 30 years until 2000, aims to develop the newly-formed body into a point of reference for the government on anti-fraud matters and create a link between the public and private sector and the law.

He said: “The NEFF started as a local initiative which has now generated national prominence. It was the next obvious step to link the regions together as a single body.”

Mr Brown was elected as chairman of the national body after regional representatives met in Birmingham last month.

The announcement comes weeks after the NEFF declared war on cyber criminals with the launch of the Hadrian Project – a taskforce made up of experts from universities, police forces and businesses aimed at stamping out cyber-crime.

The project will educate businesses about the threat of cyber crime and provide them with protective and preventative services, and study criminal techniques of the future.

As well as major universities and police forces, the NEFF is backed by law firm Watson Burton and accountants Tait Walker alongside a number of other businesses.