Report a potential fraud

The different types of fraud and how to report them.

If you suspect fraud is being committed in Croydon please report it to us. We are committed to protecting the public funds which have been entrusted to us.

Types of fraud

There are different kinds of fraud, Some of these are listed below.

Benefit fraud

Benefit fraud can be committed by:

  • intentionally not reporting a change in your circumstances
  • being dishonest in order to get benefits

Benefit fraud is dealt with by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Visit the GOV.UK benefit fraud pages or call the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440.

We retain the responsibility for investigating various other types of fraud. These include reports of housing, council tax and business rates fraud, as well as fraud against any council provided services.

Tenancy fraud

These are the different kinds of tenancy fraud:

  • Subletting - A tenant leaves their property and rents it out to someone else without telling us
  • A Succession tenancy could be fraudulent if someone is not entitled to take over the tenancy. For example: to take over the tenancy a person should have been resident in the property for at least 12 months. For instance, if a tenant passes away on 31 October 2022, the person who wants to succeed should have been resident in the property since at least 1 November 2021. 
  • Fraudulent tenancy  is where someone  is not eligible for tenancy. For example, a person gets a tenancy when they already have a secure accommodation elsewhere, or own another property.
  • Other types of tenancy fraud may include a tenant deciding not to live in their tenanted property, leaving it empty and failing to notify the landlord.

For more information visit our tenancy fraud page.

Council Tax Support fraud

Council Tax Support means people on a limited income paying less Council Tax.

Fraud happens when people on Council Tax do not declare information that may change this. For example:

  • a partner or other adult living in the property
  • starting work or getting more income
  • moving out of their home
  • owning another property or having significant savings
  • becoming a student

Other kinds of fraud

This can be any other fraud committed against Croydon Council, such as:

  • fraud or corruption committed by someone employed by the Council or a contractor working for us
  • procurement fraud
  • fraud committed by a person receiving payments to support a disabled relative

Reporting fraud

If you are unsure what type of fraud it is, please report it anyway, giving us as much information as possible.

Report fraud