Foot Anstey – Charity Property Fraud

The Charity Fraud Survey carried out by BDO in partnership with the Fraud Advisory Panel in 2024 found that 42% of charities reported fraud or attempted fraud last year. It is estimated that, on average, property fraud can cost charities between £102,000 and £197,000 per incident. It also takes up a huge amount of charities’ time and internal resources and creates reputational, financial and organisational risks.

Charity property fraud can appear in several guises, both while a donor of land is alive and also after their death. Some of the more familiar types of fraud are:

• Identity fraud – such as a property being sold or mortgaged while the donor of the land still owns it.
• Undue influence – where the donor of land is subject to undue influence by persons known to them, for example.
• Fraud by an attorney or deputy – to better their own position, for example, and/or to intentionally devalue the land.

Charities can take a number of steps to protect themselves from property fraud. Take a look at Foot Anstey’s ongoing series of articles on this topic for further information about property fraud and how to protect your charity from it: Charity property fraud: how much is it costing your charity? | Foot Anstey