Councils Thwart Attempted Frauds amid Surge in Right to Buy Scams

Councils in London thwarted attempted frauds worth £73 million last year, amid a “surge” in scams involving Right to Buy.  Figures from the London Boroughs’ Fraud Investigators’ Group (LBFIG) show the number of cases councils dealt with fell by around 10 per cent compared with the previous year - but the value of those cases increased dramatically, climbing by 46 per cent. The capital’s 33 councils recovered 1,618 properties from fraudsters in 2014-15 - half the total recovered across the entire country. Detected cases of fraud involving Right to Buy more than doubled to 300 and the value of cases leapt by 185 per cent to almost £26 million. Analysis by the LBFIG suggests that at least three per cent of all Right to Buy applications in London are fraudulent. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.