National fraud initiative audit, current procedures and software
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.038375
I note you seek access to the following information:
1. When are you next going through an audit of the national fraud initiative?
2. What current procedures do you have in place such as confirmation of payee against fraud?
3. What is your current confirmation of payee software incumbent product & the renewal date of the contract.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Q1 - When are you next going through an audit of the national fraud imitative?
The MPS is required under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, to participate in the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) data matching exercise to detect and correct error and prevent fraud. MPS payroll data will be submitted to the Cabinet Office in the autumn of 2024 for release of matches in early 2025 (January or February). If any matches are found, no assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, an error or another explanation until an investigation has been carried out.
Q2 - What current procedures do you have in place such as confirmation of payee against fraud?
Each payee is validated at point of recruitment. This includes identification processes during the recruitment stage. Each payee is asked to submit their bank details on an onboarding form via their unique and secure log-in. This data is then used to create the payment details for the individual on the payroll. Bank Wizard is used to validate that the sort code and account number format is correct and within the known range/ordering for the bank provided.
For suppliers, Cabinet Office checks are conducted when setting up supplier payment details. Bank Wizard is also used to validate supplier payment details. Furthermore, suppliers are asked to validate before any update is made to their payment details.
It should be noted that supplier bank details are held and supplier payee contact details are used to make payment and to send remittance.
Q3 - What is your current confirmation of payee software incumbent product & the renewal date of the contract.
Bank Wizard is used for validation of payee bank. The MPS does not have a contract for this application, rather the contract for this application is held by a third party that provides business support services to the MPS.
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MPS Website: Stats and Data
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MPS Publication Scheme
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