Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPR) published on this website Thursday 26 June 2023 by Jill Powell

A man who laundered more than a million pounds gained from a sophisticated romance fraud operation that devastated vulnerable victims has been jailed. 

Ahmed Ali Suleman, 63, was prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Between January 2015 and November 2017, the defendant exploited his position within the textile industry to launder money for international fraudsters.

He was found guilty of entering into a money laundering arrangement and false accounting following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court on 24 April 2025.

On Monday 23 June, he was sentenced to four years and three months' imprisonment.

Tarryn McCaffrey, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said:

 “Through this money laundering operation, Suleman provided a financial lifeline to romance fraudsters who preyed on vulnerable individuals.

“Money launderers are the enablers who make crime profitable and sustainable for these criminal networks. Suleman wasn’t just moving money – he was facilitating the continued exploitation of vulnerable people, causing devastating emotional and financial harm.

"The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with the National Crime Agency build a strong case and bring him to justice. We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against the defendant to remove any available criminal benefits gained from this enterprise.”

Source: Ofsted published on this website Tuesday 24 June 2025 by Jill Powell

As part of a review of how Ofsted produce statistics, we plan to publish short commentaries that explore different aspects of our published data on unregistered schools investigations.

This commentary discusses the findings from Ofsted’s work investigating suspected unregistered schools since 2016.

The statistics show the latest published data as at 31 March 2025 from our Unregistered schools management information - GOV.UK.

It is a criminal offence to run an independent school in England that is not registered with the Department for Education (DfE).^{[footnote 1]} Children attending unregistered schools are at risk because there is no formal external oversight of safeguarding, health and safety, or the quality of education. In January 2016, we set up an unregistered schools team, funded by the DfE, to investigate settings that are suspected of operating as unregistered schools.

Source: Home Office published on this website Friday 25 June 2025 by Jill Powell

Yesterday on the eve of Glastonbury, British music lovers are being urged to take caution over last-minute tickets for sale on social media, after new figures revealed that the amount lost to ticket fraud more than doubled to £1.6m in 2024.

The government has issued the warning as part of its wider crackdown on scammers and online fraud, designed to ensure money is kept in working people’s pockets, as part of the Plan for Change.

With a host of tours and festivals due to take place this summer, including the Oasis reunion tour kicking off in July, new Action Fraud data released by the Home Office today finds the public lost more than £1.6 million in scams related to concert tickets in 2024 - more than double the figure from the previous year.

Around 3,700 gig ticket fraud reports were made to Action Fraud in 2024, with almost half of them referring to offers made on social media platforms. The government has called on tech companies to go further and faster to protect the public from the fraudulent offers being advertised on their platforms.

The data shows that people in their twenties were most likely to become victims of ticket fraud last year, accounting for 27% of all victims, and the government has urged people to follow the government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign advice to ensure they are protected from scams ahead of a busy summer of gigs and festivals.

1. If you’re offered tickets for something in high demand don’t let the fear of missing out rush your decision. Take a moment to stop, think, and check if the offer is genuine.
2. Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office or an official ticketing website.
3. Never move away from an official payment platform to make a direct payment via bank transfer or virtual currency. Use the site’s recommended payment methods to stay protected.

With fraud the most commonly experienced crime in the UK, affecting 1 in 15 adults each year, the government is taking further steps to crack down on the scammers behind the surge in fraud over the last decade, including through a new ban on SIM farms, technical devices which facilitate fraud on an industrial scale.

The UK is also driving the response to fraud internationally through the adoption of the first ever UN resolution on fraud and has launched the first ever Insurance Fraud Charter to reduce fraud against the sector and consumers. The government will go further by publishing a new, expanded fraud strategy before the end of the year, which will place raising public awareness and working with tech companies at its heart.

This follows government plans to tackle greedy ticket touts through new measures announced earlier this year which will put a cap on the price of resold tickets for concerts, live sport and other events, to put the power back in the hands of fans.

Source: Action Fraud published on this website Monday 23 June 2025 by Jill Powell

A new alert has been issued by Action Fraud, warning about quishing, a form of phishing where a fraudulent QR code is scanned, designed to steal personal and financial information. The warning encourages people to stay vigilant and double check QR codes to see if they are malicious, or have been tampered with, before scanning them online or in public spaces.

Claire Webb, Acting Director of Action Fraud, said:

“QR codes are becoming increasingly common in everyday life, whether it’s scanning one to pay for parking, or receiving an email asking to verify an online account. However, reporting shows cyber criminals are increasingly using quishing as a way to trick the public out of their personal and financial information. 

“We’re urging people to stop and check before scanning QR codes, to avoid becoming a victim of quishing. Look out for QR codes that may have been tampered with in open spaces, or emails and texts that might include rogue codes. If you’re in doubt, contact the organisation directly. You can follow our advice on quishing, on our website at www.actionfraud.police.uk to help protect yourself.”

Action Fraud can reveal that quishing happens most frequently in car parks, with criminals using stickers to tamper with QR codes on parking machines. Quishing also occurred on online shopping platforms, where sellers received a QR code via email to either verify accounts or to receive payment for sold items.

Reports also showed phishing attacks were taking place impersonating HMRC, or other UK government schemes, targeting people with QR codes designed to steal personal and financial details.

What can you do avoid being a victim of quishing?

• QR codes used in pubs or restaurants are usually safe to scan.
• Scanning QR codes in open spaces (like stations and car parks) might pose a greater risk. Check for signs that codes may have been tampered with (usually by a sticker placed over the legitimate QR code). If in doubt, do not scan them: use a search engine to find the official website or app for the organisation you need to make a payment to.
• If you receive an email with a QR code in it, and you're asked to scan it, you should be cautious due to an increase in these types of 'quishing' attacks.
• Finally, we recommend that you use the QR-scanner that comes with your phone, rather than using an app downloaded from an app store.

If you receive a suspicious email, report it by forwarding it to phishing@report.gov.uk

Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk

If you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.