Serious Fraud and White Collar Crime
Although the largest cases of fraud are prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office, most are prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Revenue and Customs or The Department of Trade and Industry, and will involve an interview with the police.
If you are the subject of such an investigation, representation by one or more business solicitors is highly advisable throughout all proceedings, no matter how innocent you may believe yourself to be.
Fraud is committed when a company (or individual) dishonestly fails to disclose information or makes a false representation in order to make a gain or cause a loss. The definition includes the act of obtaining services which require payment, without the intention to make the necessary payment. Including the bribery, counterfeiting, forgery, credit card fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and banking fraud, serious fraud is about the largest and area of crime within the business sector. White collar crime or serious fraud also normally involves the offender being accused of being part of a conspiracy, or an agreement between people to commit an offense. Even if you yourself are not guilty of these offences, there is never a guarantee that a college may have been acting unlawfully – make sure you protect yourself.
