Fraud Policy
1. Statement of Policy
Recommendation 9 of the Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) inspection report entitled ‘Fraud: Time to Choose’, which was published in April 2019, stated “by 30 September 2019 Chief Constables should publish their Force’s policy for responding to and investigating allegations of fraud (in relation to both calls for service and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau disseminations for enforcement)”.
This policy, when read in conjunction with the Force Fraud Strategy addresses the HMIC recommendation.
Applies (but not limited) to: All categories of Dyfed-Powys Police officers and staff, whether full-time, part-time, permanent, fixed term, temporary (including agency staff, associates and contractors), seconded staff and volunteers. Police Officers, staff and volunteers accessing and using Force assets and property must have due regard to the contents of this policy.
2. Policy Scope
This policy ensures that Dyfed-Powys Police (DPP) are compliant in managing and investigating fraud ‘calls for service’ and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) disseminations for enforcement, in accordance with the National Policing Strategy for Fraud, Economic and Cyber Crime 2023 – 2028 and Home Office (HO) national crime recording standards.
‘Calls for service’ are victim reported allegations of fraud made to the Force Communications Centre (FCC), or by attendance at a Police Station. The guidance and processes for managing calls for service are set out in the Force Fraud Strategy.
The NFIB disseminates fraud reports to DPP for enforcement where it has been assessed by them that the most appropriate force to undertake an investigation would be DPP. The guidance and processes for managing such disseminations are set out in the Force Fraud Strategy.
The risk to DPP in not following this policy could cause a failure to comply with the National Policing Strategy for Fraud, Economic and Cyber Crime 2023 – 2028 and Home Office (HO) national crime recording standards.
This policy affects the Economic Crime Team (ECT), the Criminal Investigation Department, the Force Communications Centre (FCC), the Crime and Incident Hub (CIH), Police Response, Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Teams and the Crime Recording Bureau (CRB). All staff within those areas of business should be aware of the policy.
3. Powers and Policy/Legal Requirements
This policy is fit for purpose in that it meets governance requirements both internally and externally and is compliant with the National Policing Strategy for Fraud, Economic and Cyber Crime 2023 – 2028 and Recommendation 9 of the HMIC inspection report entitled ‘Fraud: Time to Choose’.
Legislation in relation to the Home Office National Crime Recording Standards and Victim Codes of Practice is relevant to certain aspects of this policy.
Internal –
Dyfed-Powys Police Fraud Strategy 2024
4. Options and Contingencies
Policy Owner: The policy will be owned by the ECT who will be responsible for regularly monitoring the policy for:
- Its effectiveness;
- Any changes to HO rules and NPCC or NFIB guidance;
- Challenges to the Policy; and
- Any identified inefficiencies in relation to implementation
Approval Process: Approval decisions regarding the implementation of the policy will be made by the Head of CID and the Force Operational Policing Board.
The Force Fraud Strategy: the strategy identifies the procedures and processes for responding to Calls for Service and NFIB disseminations for enforcement.
It also provides guidance in respect of:
- the Fraud Assessment Principles
- making a referral to the Regional Intelligence Group (RIG)
- Partner Agency investigations
- the ‘transcrime’ process
- allocating fraud investigations to Division
- allocating fraud investigations to the ECT and cyber investigators
- applying the Fraud Investigation Model
- managing victims of fraud
- understanding emerging threats
The processes identified within the Force Fraud Strategy are applicable to all police officers and police staff who are involved in any aspects of the recording, allocation and investigation of fraud within Dyfed-Powys Police. The process will however be effectively monitored by supervisors and managers to ensure continued compliance [see 5. Take action and review].
The Code of Ethics principles apply to this policy –
- Courage
- Respect and Empathy
- Public Service
5. Take action and review
The Fraud Strategy sets out how the force will manage fraud calls for service, NFIB disseminations and victim safeguarding, and these procedures are regularly tested to ensure the strategy is fit for purpose and embedded within the force.
To ensure understanding of the processes contained with the Fraud Strategy, Police Officers and Police Staff working within the departments affected by this policy are provided with training and regular ‘reminders’ are given.
Any significant failures within the procedures contained with the Force Fraud Strategy are referred for consideration to the Forces’ Operational Policing Board under ‘Learning the Lessons’ reporting.
Complaints made by members of the public to the Professional Standards Department in relation to the management of fraud calls for service and disseminations for enforcement must be assessed against the Force Fraud Policy and Strategy.
CODE OF ETHICS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
This policy has been drafted in accordance with the Code of Ethics and has been reviewed on the basis of its content and the supporting evidence and it is deemed compliant with that Code and the principles underpinning it.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACT CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
This policy has been drafted in accordance with the Human Rights Act and has been reviewed on the basis of its content and the supporting evidence and it is deemed compliant with that Act and the principles underpinning it.
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 sets out the protected characteristics that qualify for protection under the Act as follows: Age; Disability; Gender Reassignment; Marriage and Civil Partnership; Pregnancy and Maternity; Race; Religion or Belief; Sex; Sexual Orientation.
The public sector equality duty places a proactive legal requirement on public bodies to have regard, in the exercise of their functions, to the need to:
- eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct that is unlawful under the Act;
- advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
- foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
The equality duty applies to all protected characteristics with the exception of Marriage and Civil Partnership, to which only the duty to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination applies.
Carrying out an equality impact assessment involves systematically assessing the likely or actual effects of policies on people in respect of all the protected characteristics set out above. An equality impact assessment should be carried out on any policy that is relevant to the public sector equality duty.
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT COMPLETED: March 2025