Abstract
This chapter outlines the background to the study, including why the research was conducted and the aims and methods of the research. In this chapter the authors highlight how scant our knowledge is on organised criminals involved in fraud, how little we know about pathways into fraud and individual experiences of organised criminality, and how slight our understanding is of how cases come to light, the investigative process, and the challenges faced by law enforcement professionals when investigating organised groups involved in fraud.
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Notes
- 1.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) defines cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled as follows: ‘Cyber-dependent crimes can only be committed using computers, computer networks or other forms of information communication technology (ICT). They include the creation and spread of malware for financial gain, hacking to steal sensitive personal or industry data and denial of service attacks to cause reputational damage. Cyber-enabled crimes, such as fraud, the purchasing of illegal drugs and child sexual exploitation, can be conducted on or offline, but online may take place at unprecedented scale and speed.’ NCA (2016b) Strategic Cyber Industry Group: Cyber Crime Assessment 2016. Need for a stronger law enforcement and business partnership to fight cyber crime 2016.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
The Fraud Act 2006 categorised fraud into three primary offences: fraud by false representation; fraud by failing to disclose information; and fraud by abuse of position. See: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/35/crossheading/fraud.
- 6.
The Serious Crime Act 2015 made amendments to PoCA 2002 relating to the confiscation of criminal assets. See: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/9/contents/enacted.
- 7.
The Act now gives LEAs the power to recover proceeds of crime, tackle money laundering, tax evasion, corruption, and counterterrorist financing. See: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/criminalfinances.html.
- 8.
Set up in February 2016, the Joint Fraud Taskforce involves collaboration between government, LEAs, and the banks in the collective fight against fraud. Representatives on the Taskforce include City of London Police, the NCA , Cifas, and the Bank of England, to name a few.
- 9.
For definitions of the types of fraud covered in this book, please see the Glossary.
- 10.
The definition of cyber-dependent fraud is from the Crown Prosecution Service website. http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/cybercrime/#a03.
- 11.
For further information on the Global Financial Crisis, see Financial Times (2017) https://www.ft.com/global-financial-crisis.
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May, T., Bhardwa, B. (2018). Introduction. In: Organised Crime Groups involved in Fraud. Crime Prevention and Security Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69401-6_1
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