The UK cash machine (ATM) network LINK has renewed a partnership with the crime reporting line charity Crimestoppers for a ninth year. The partnership began in 2008 and has led to campaigns against cash machine crimes, including card scanning devices.
The two also have an agreement for offering rewards of up to £25,000 for information passed through Crimestoppers’ free phone 0800 555 111 number that leads to an arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for an attack on a cash machine or card fraud crime.
Rodger Holden, Director of Business Development for Crimestoppers, said: “Card fraud and physical attacks on ATMs are of great importance to LINK and the impact they have on the local communities is something they very much care about. Crimestoppers, as an independent charity, has a responsibility to those communities to help keep them safe and ensure that those with information on ATM crime and card fraud have a voice, but can remain anonymous when speaking up.
“I’m pleased we’re able to continue our long standing relationship with LINK, and hope that together we can make local communities safer places to be.”
And John Howells, CEO of LINK, said: “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Crimestoppers in order to help combat cash machine crime in the UK. ATM crime is an issue that LINK takes very seriously and cracking down on it is a key objective for the industry. This partnership and the LINK Reward Scheme is an important part of our ongoing commitment to keeping ATM users and their cash safe.”
And meanwhile, NHS Protect, the National Health’s agency against crime is launching through Crimestoppers a dedicated 24 hour reporting line to tackle fraud, bribery and corruption against the health service in England and Wales.
Anyone who wishes to give information can call the NHS Fraud and Corruption Reporting Line, on 0800 028 40 60 anonymously at any time.
As of March 2016, NHS Protect was investigating allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption worth in excess of £25m. The value of fraud, bribery and corruption identified by NHS Protect and Local Counter Fraud Specialists (LCFSs) amounted to £6.5m in 2015/16. Over £2 million was restrained (frozen) and over £2.4m confiscated using the Proceeds of Crime Act, as at March 2016.
Information can be given in confidence online if preferred, through NHS Protect’s online form www.reportnhsfraud.nhs.uk.
Roger Critchell, Director of Operations for Crimestoppers, said: “We are incredibly fortunate to have one of the best health services in the world, so it is staggering that there are people abusing this by defrauding it of money that could be used for care and treatment. We’re delighted to be working with NHS Protect to provide a user-friendly and robust system for people to report financial crime against the health service. With your help, we can defend the NHS against fraud, bribery and corruption.”
And Chris Cockell, Intelligence and Research Manager at NHS Protect, said: “Over the years, NHS Protect’s existing facilities for receiving this vital information had served well, resulting in numerous successful prosecutions of fraud, bribery and corruption. However, we are pleased to enlist the services of Crimestoppers, which is such a well-known, recognised and trusted brand in the field to take over the running of the 0800 028 40 60 number.
“We were attracted by the fact they have delivered such services to a wide range of clients and have the expertise and experience to extract the most from telephone reporting.”
From February 2016, NHS Protect became a ‘prescribed person’ under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA).
