THE NATIONAL FRAUD INITIATIVE (NFI) AND OTHER FRAUD PREVENTION AND DETECTION WORK
FAIR PROCESSING NOTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF FRAUD
Summary
Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, via Wakefield Council, is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it internally and externally with other organisations responsible for auditing, or administering public funds, or where undertaking a public function, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
NFI (NFI) Data Matching Exercises
The Cabinet Office is currently responsible for undertaking NFI data matching exercises.
Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one organisation against other computer records held by the same or another organisation to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it ‘may’ indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is a fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.
Wakefield Council participates in every NFI to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud and protect the public purse. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for matching in each exercise, as detailed on the Cabinet Office website (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-fraud-initiative)
The use of data by the Cabinet Office in data matching exercises is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. The Cabinet Office therefore does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 2018.
Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-data-matching-practice-for-national-fraud-initiative)
Further information on the Cabinet Office’s legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information can be found on their website (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fair-processing-national-fraud-initiative/fair-processing-level-3-full-text)
For further information on data matching at Wakefield Council, please contact David Werritt (Senior Corporate Fraud Investigator) on (01924) 306031 or by e-mail to [email protected].
Other Fraud Prevention and Detection Work
The overall objective of Wakefield Council’s strategy and policy on fraud and bribery is to discourage and prevent incidents from occurring and ensure any instances are investigated and dealt with effectively in accordance with relevant policies and procedures. This will include a programme of proactive counter-fraud work, including testing, of Council transactions / activity in areas at risk of fraud in order to provide levels of assurance on processes in place. Wakefield Council may therefore periodically undertake its own data matching exercises which will conform to the same principles as outlined in the Code of Practice for NFI data matching exercises.
We may also share and supply information to law enforcement agencies, credit reference agencies, Government departments and other external bodies for the prevention and detection of fraud. We do not require the consent of individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 2018 for this purpose.