Thirty-seven regulatory and umbrella bodies including the Charity Commission, CFDG, NCVO, Victim Support and Citizens Advice have banded together to devise a new nationwide strategy to tackle fraud.

The strategy, Fighting Fraud Together, is published today by the National Fraud Authority and contains a statement of intent, scopes out the challenge and sets out the strategic direction.  It is the first time so many organisations have come together to attempt a common plan to tackle the problem, which is estimated to cost the UK £38bn every year.

All 37 partners will contribute to and be accountable for the success of the strategy. It will aim to prevent fraud through greater awareness, intelligence-sharing and self-protection, alongside stronger government and industry prevention systems and controls.

The National Fraud Authority has estimated that fraud costs the charity sector £1.3bn.  Sam Younger, CEO of the Charity Commission, said: “Whilst charity fraud only accounts for 3 per cent of all fraud, the thought that any individual or group could steal from genuine good causes that vulnerable people rely on is something I’m sure the public would find abhorrent.”

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy (pictured) added: “Consumers, advice agencies, enforcers such as Trading Standards and the NFA can only beat fraudsters by working together, sharing what we know to keep one step ahead of the latest scam and to take action to stop fraudsters in their tracks.”

Fraudulent charity collections

Separately, in answer to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Tracey Crouch about the cost to the sector of each type of fraudulent charity collection, minister for civil society Nick Hurd admitted that the Office for Civil Society didn't know.

He said: "The OCS has not attempted to estimate the financial cost to charities as a result of fraudulent charity collection due to a lack of reliable data, and because records are not kept centrally."