SAFS is an intelligence led counter fraud unit.
The team has a breadth of experience in conducting enquiries using specialist data sources, third party intelligence providers and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to support the investigation of fraud, as well as handling and sifting allegations of fraud.
We work with a number of third-party software providers to assist our intelligence offering using lawful gateways to access, disseminate and use data from a myriad of sources.
This enhances our capability to provide an effective service and to access and share data across a wide range of partner organisations.
Our Volume Team deals with the majority of our reactive investigations and provide the appropriate response to each referral based on the level of risk and value of loss.
We aim to resolve investigations as speedily and thoroughly as possible. Our aim is to prevent loss and achieve savings for our clients. This will often result in non-judicial outcomes.
The team investigate to a criminal standard and in accordance with current legislation and best practice, so where appropriate sanctions may be applied or criminal action considered.
Our Complex Team deals with matters which can include internal investigations, procurement or contract fraud, cases involving payment / cyber enabled crime, or where investigations involve more sensitive service areas such as adult care, schools or children’s services.
The team investigate to a criminal standard and in accordance with current legislation and best practice, so where appropriate sanctions may be applied or criminal action considered.
Our Accredited Financial Investigators (AFI) have access to the full range of powers under Proceeds of Crime Act to both support investigations which are still live and those cases following criminal trial where recovery action will follow conviction.
Our AFIs are able to acquire data about banks/assets, restrain and freeze funds held in accounts and recover funds in accounts in both civil and criminal proceedings.
We are able to assist organisations where Money Laundering offences are suspected and where Unlawful Profit Orders (UPO) are being considered.
The team is focused on fraud prevention in its broadest possible sense by providing fraud risk assessments to help organisations understand their vulnerabilities to fraud and where monies and assets can be lost.
Our team can devise Fraud Plans to tackle these risks and therefore provide value for money.
We provide Fraud Awareness Training- so that staff understand not only their own risks but how these manifests themselves and what to do when that happens.
Our Fraud Training can be generic, service specific and bespoke.
This team is constantly scanning the horizon looking for new and emerging fraud threats across numerous sectors and they share this knowledge through fraud alerts and updates to our partners. The team also review all fraud investigations conducted by both the Volume and Complex teams to identify trends or weaknesses in systems which can be escalated to our Partners through Executive Reports which provide management recommendations where areas of weakness can be addressed.
As well as the expertise in the partner councils that we work with, we also work with a number of external parties to provide lawful access specialist services.
Some of the specialist services we have access to include:
- Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
- Vehicle Online Descriptive Searching (VODS)
- Telecoms data and mapping of telecoms data
- Banking data
- Credit Reference Agency (CRA) data
- Utilities supplier data
- Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT).
We work with solicitors and counsel specialising in fraud and related crime.
We work with specialist IT service providers for our case management, court file management, data analysis, data mining and data-visualisation.
We are members of national fraud prevention bodies and networking groups to share good practice.