Could you spot where fraud is hiding?
10 November 2025
Integrity is one of the seven principles of public life and applies to everyone working within a local authority.
While most employees act with honesty, openness and integrity, fraud within the workplace can still occur and the costs can be high.
Fraud can hide in everyday actions and can range from someone falsifying a timesheet or annual leave card, to overclaiming expenses and concealing pay errors.
It is estimated that fraud and error in the public sector cost the taxpayer up to £81 billion in 2023-24.
Case Study
An employee found guilty of fraud after working four separate jobs at multiple councils, accruing a large salary from public funds.
Between February 2022 and June 2023, Bryn Howells was employed by Tewkesbury Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Publica Group – a company providing services on behalf of three district councils. He failed to disclose his existing employment when taking on new roles and submitted false timesheets, accruing a salary and benefits totalling £236,000. The fraud was uncovered after a review of payroll data was undertaken by Tewkesbury Borough Council’s counter-fraud team. He was recently sentenced to three years in prison.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dp7m4yv2xo
For International Fraud Awareness week, we are raising awareness of workplace fraud and reminding everyone to remain vigilant and report anything that doesn’t seem right. Examples include excessive overtime claims, discrepancies in timesheets, unexpected expense claims or approval processes which are not in line with procedure.
If you are a Veritau client, you can report any suspicions to our counter fraud team at Veritau on 0800 9179 247 or via email to [email protected].
To find out more about our services click here.
