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This week (2-6 November 2026) marks Charity Fraud Awareness Week. VWV is proud to support the campaign and help charities reduce both the risk of fraud and its impact on their vital work.

Fraud is one of the most significant threats facing charities yet anti-fraud measures are rarely at the top of charities' lists of priorities. Anti-fraud measures are increasingly critical though to the success and survival of many organisations. In this short article, we highlight some common frauds directed towards small and medium sized organisations and explain some practical steps charities can take to help protect themselves.

September marks 12 months since the failure to prevent fraud offence came into force. If your organisation falls within scope, this is a useful opportunity to step back and consider whether the fraud prevention measures put in place before September 2025 remain effective and appropriate.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 (the "Act") received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. The Act extends the corporate liability for the acts of senior managers beyond the provisions of s196 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 ("ECCTA"). 

Fraud remains one of the most prevalent crimes in the UK, affecting individuals, businesses, and costing the UK economy billions each year.  To address this growing issue, on 9 March 2026, the UK Government published the "Fraud Strategy 2026-2029: Disrupting Crime, Supporting Economic Resilience and Delivering Justice". This strategy sets out the Government's updated approach to tackling fraud, replacing the earlier strategy "Fraud Strategy: Stopping Scams and Protecting the Public", which covered the period 2023 to 2025.

The Court of Appeal handed down its judgment last week in the case of Mather and another v Rattan, unanimously dismissing Mr Rattan's appeal on all three grounds and providing useful clarification on the application of the law regarding limitation, reliance, and causation in deceit claims.