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Report procurement fraud

Procurement fraud is any unlawful activity at any stage of the procurement cycle, from the decision to procure, to the conclusion of the contract. It includes the purchase and commissioning of goods, works and services by the council. It can be perpetrated by those inside or outside the organisation.

If you suspect a case of procurement fraud you can:

Examples of procurement fraud

price-fixing, bid-rigging and cover pricing to maximise profit margins or share out contracts
false information provided to secure a contract
claiming payment for goods or services not provided
delivering goods or services of substandard quality
overpricing or duplicate invoicing
misuse of procurement cards/credit cards
creation of bogus suppliers
bribery, kickbacks and corruption

Why we need to stop procurement fraud

Every penny that is defrauded from the Council (and taxpayers), takes money away from vital services and resources. In the longer term, this may mean a reduction in services or higher council tax bills.

In June 2020 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published a review into the risks of fraud and corruption in local government procurement, estimating procurement fraud and error to be between £275 million and £2.75 billion per year for English Councils.

Contact Corporate Fraud

Email corporatefraudteam@durham.gov.uk
Telephone 03000 266 745

Related information

Fraud