Fraud and Deception

Current project status

• Initiation: Could include discussing scope and terms of reference with lead Government Department
• Pre-consultation: Could include approaching interest groups and specialists, producing scoping and issues papers, finalising terms of project
• Consultation: Likely to include consultation events and paper, making provisional proposals for comment
• Policy development: Will include analysis of consultation responses. Could include further issues papers and consultation on draft Bill
• Reported: Usually recommendations for law reform but can be advice to government, scoping report or other recommendations

Our recommendations were implemented in part in the Fraud Act 2006 (c35)

We consulted on this project in April 1999 and published our final report in 2002, along with a draft Bill.

Our final report made recommendations for reforming and simplifying the law of fraud, by repealing the eight offences of deception created by the Theft Acts 1968–96 and abolishing the common law crime of conspiracy to defraud. In their place it recommends the creation of two new statutory offences – one of fraud, and one of obtaining services dishonestly.