Help Us Prevent Fraud 

Colchester Borough Homes (CBH) is committed to keeping our communities safe and protecting the homes we provide. Fraud can take away housing from those who need it most, increase costs for everyone, and put essential services at risk. 

CBH Leadership Message: Our Commitment to Integrity  

At CBH, doing the right thing is at the heart of everything we do.  We expect honesty, transparency, and strong ethical behaviour from everyone who works with us or represents us. 

In line with the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and the Failure to Prevent Fraud (FTPF) provisions, we are strengthening our processes to stop fraud before it happens. This includes: 

• Strong leadership oversight. 

• Clear policies and controls. 

• Secure and confidential ways to report concerns. 

• Regular fraud risk assessments and audits. 

• Training for staff to recognise and prevent fraud, and create a culture of fraud prevention across the organisation.  

• Participating in National Fraud Initiative and access shared database to identify potential fraud activities. 
  
  

We believe that ethical conduct is the foundation of sustainable success. Our leadership team is fully committed to ensuring that fraud prevention is not just a compliance requirement, but a core part of our corporate identity.  

We encourage all employees and stakeholders to uphold these values and to speak up if they suspect wrongdoing. Together, we can protect our business, our people, and the communities we serve. 

We all have a part to play in preventing it. If you believe fraud may be happening, please contact us confidentially at fraud.prevention@cbhomes.org.uk or call 07980682162. 

Different Types of Fraud 

Fraud can affect CBH in many ways, from procurement fraud to tenancy misuse. Often, residents, colleagues, and partners are the first to notice when something is not right. Reporting your concerns helps us take action quickly. 

Below are some of the most common types of fraud we face. 

Tenancy Fraud
Money Laundering
Procurement Fraud
Cybercrime
Payment Diversion Fraud
Internal Fraud (Fraud by CBH Employees)
HR Related Fraud
Bribery & Corruption 

Tenancy Fraud 

Tenancy fraud happens when a home is used by someone who is not legally entitled to live there. This is a criminal offence under the Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 and the Fraud Act 2006.

Most people, when applying for a house, wait their turn to be allocated a home. Housing cheats don’t wait, they jump the queue. It’s not fair.  They use up valuable housing spaces which deprive those people who have a greater need. People that do this are guilty of Tenancy Fraud.  

There are different types of fraud. 

1. Unlawful Subletting 
   When a tenant lets out their council or housing association home without the knowledge or permission of their landlord, they are unlawfully subletting.  
   They often continue to pay the rent for the property directly to their landlord but charge the person they are subletting to a much higher rental payment. 
   It is not fair to sublet and to profit from a property which could be given to someone in greater need.
2. Obtaining Housing by Deception 
   When a person gets a council or housing association home by giving false information in their application, for example not telling the landlord they are renting another council or housing association property, they are committing housing fraud.
3. Wrongly Claimed Succession 
   When a tenant dies, there are rules that say what should be done with the tenancy. A wrongly claimed succession is when someone, who is not entitled to, tries to take over the tenancy.  For example, they might say they lived with the tenant before they died, when in fact they were living elsewhere.
    

CBH takes a zero-tolerance approach to anyone committing Tenancy Fraud. You might be suspicious because the tenants of a property keep changing. and if you know someone in one of our homes who is renting it out without permission, obtained their property by giving false information, or is living somewhere else and their property has been left empty for a considerable time, then they could potentially be committing tenancy fraud. 

Your help in reporting housing fraud is important because you can see what’s going on in your neighbourhood.  

CBH are involved in a campaign against people who illegally sublet their homes.  We have teamed up with other social landlords in the area to tackle the problem.  These include Circle Anglia, Eastlight Community Homes, The Guinness Trust, Flagship Suffolk Housing, Family Mosaic, Estuary and Springboard.   

Together, we are all taking part in the initiative to reduce the level of fraud.   

Report fraud  

If you want to help us, and your community, please give us any information that you have on anybody that you think is committing Housing Fraud in a Colchester Borough Homes managed property.