Residents across South Cambridgeshire are being encouraged to stay alert to scams as part of International Fraud Awareness Week - November 15 to 21.
Fraud remains one of the most common crimes affecting people across the UK, with criminals using increasingly sophisticated tactics to target victims by phone, email, text message and online.
Fraud and error cost taxpayers up to an estimated £81 billion every year, according to the National Audit Office's latest figures.
Fraud Awareness Week is a global campaign that helps people protect themselves, their families and their finances by raising awareness of fraud and promoting the knowledge, skills and prevention measures needed to stay safe.
The District Council is supporting efforts to raise awareness of the warning signs of fraud and encourage people to take simple steps to stay safe.
Residents can also play an important role in tackling fraud, both by reporting suspected fraud against council services and by protecting themselves from scams. Suspected housing fraud, council tax fraud, procurement fraud, Right to Buy fraud and grant fraud can be reported online via the council’s online link.
Councillor Natalie Warren-Green, Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, said: "Fraud takes away money that should be spent on public services. This is not just a problem for specialist teams to solve. The more of us who know what to look out for, the harder we make it for fraud to succeed. Fraud can affect anyone, regardless of age or background. Scammers are becoming increasingly convincing, often impersonating trusted organisations or creating a sense of urgency to pressure people into making decisions quickly. International Fraud Awareness Week is an important opportunity to remind residents to stay vigilant, think carefully before sharing personal information, and report suspicious activity immediately.”
Tackling fraud requires action on multiple fronts. Alongside raising awareness of scams, the District Council's Corporate Investigation Unit works year-round to prevent, detect and investigate fraud against council services and public funds. Between April and September 2026, the team carried out:
- 138 checks to help prevent fraud and ensure accurate information is provided for council services. These included checks on housing applications, grant scheme eligibility and other council service applications.
- 144 checks on identification documents submitted in support of applications and service requests. The council uses specialist software to verify document authenticity, helping to prevent fraud and ensure services are accessed appropriately.
- The first case of Tax levy avoidance was reported for investigation. This is where a person owns two properties and claims that both homes are occupied to avoid paying an empty home levy. Residents can report empty homes to the authority for further investigation.
For advice on protecting against scams - such as phishing emails, text message scams, investment fraud, romance scams, doorstep crime and fake delivery notifications - residents are encouraged to:
- Stop and think before parting with money or personal information.
- Be cautious of unexpected phone calls, emails or texts.
- Never click on suspicious links or download attachments from unknown sources.
- Check that organisations are genuine by contacting them through official channels.
- Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication where possible.
For further information and support, anyone who believes they have been targeted by fraud should report it to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, and contact their bank immediately if they think their financial details may have been compromised.
Alternatively visit Take Five to Stop Fraud, a national campaign that empowers individuals and businesses to confidently challenge suspicious activity and protect themselves from fraud and scams.
Visit the Friends Against Scams website, a National Trading Standards initiative which inspires action, highlights the scale of the problem, changes perceptions of why people become scam victims and make scams a community, regional and national topic.
The Metropolitan Police have compiled The Little Book of Fraud to help people spot scams and know what to do if they think they have uncovered a scam or been scammed themselves.
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