The new London Counter Fraud Hub could detect up to £60m in fraud according to new data.
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has been appointed to provide sophisticated analytics to the hub, which is due to fully launch early next year after a pilot phase this autumn.
The institute, which has agreed to a payment-by-results contract, believes it can improve on the £102m of fraud detected by London councils last year, when housing fraud accounted for £74.5m of the total but just 14% of all cases.
London Councils believes the hub will ‘mark a step-change in data analytics’ among the capital’s boroughs, ensuring fraudsters who have previously gone undetected will be caught.
The hub been funded by a £500,000 grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Minister for London, Gavin Barwell, said: ‘We’re determined to help councils crack down on fraudsters who cost councils more than £2bn a year, robbing the taxpayers of vital public services.’
