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We’ve all seen sensational headlines sharing details of people who’ve been caught committing benefit fraud or fraud against their employees.

Only recently, a young woman in the North West received a jail sentence for defrauding her employer of hundreds of thousands of pounds, which she admitted to mainly spending on online purchases and TikTok influencers.

While there are a lot of scammers around obtaining funds by criminal means, the levels of benefit fraud in the UK have dropped, according to research by the Telegraph. The figures dropped from 2017 levels to 2024, with 685 people being convicted of benefit fraud in 2024. 

While this is still a significant number of people abusing the system, or rather, getting caught abusing the system, being arrested for any type of fraud is serious, and if you find yourself in this situation, these are the steps you need to take.

Stay calm

When you find yourself in the distressing situation of being arrested for fraud, whether guilty or innocent, it’s crucial to keep a level head. By staying calm, you can effectively cooperate with the authorities, who will inform you of your rights and the reason for your arrest. This cooperation can prevent the situation from escalating and further complicating your case.

Call a solicitor

Immediately upon arrest, you must request a solicitor. You have the right to remain silent and inform relevant parties that you won’t answer any questions until you’ve consulted with your lawyer. A skilled fraud solicitor can review the charges against you, understand the specifics of your case, and guide you towards the most favourable outcome for your situation.

Understand your rights

Once you have been arrested and informed of what you have been arrested for, you must understand your rights, including the right to legal representation as mentioned above and the right to remain silent. If this is the first time you’ve been arrested or been in trouble with the authorities, it can be really overwhelming and complicated to understand what you need to do. However, it’s really important that you avoid making the situation worse for yourself. You need to take the time to understand your rights so you do not self-incriminate at any point in the investigation.

Prepare for trial

In some cases, however, not all cases, if you go to trail, your legal team will help you prepare for your defence. Your defence can take many strategies, from challenging the evidence to presenting alternative explanations or even working out plea deals for a favourable outcome. 

Facing fraud charges isn’t insignificant; it’s a serious crime, and all involved parties will treat it as such. So it’s imperative that you understand the gravitas of the situation and ensure that you remain cooperative to all investigations and activities focused on resolving the issue you are facing, whether this is from your own legal team from prosecutors, the police or the authorities investigating fraud you need to make sure that you are fully prepared for everything that follows post-arrest.

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