International fraud prevention

To combat fraud, criminal justice authorities around the world share information and use their national powers to help each other.

Approximately 65% of our cases have an international dimension. National borders rarely prove to be barriers to determined fraudsters. Money is channelled through overseas banks and offshore companies, victims can reside anywhere in the world and suspects and evidence can hide behind the laws of different jurisdictions. The unscrupulous try to exploit the size and reputation of the UK financial markets to disguise their criminal activities and launder the proceeds of their crimes.

We liase with authorities in many national jurisdictions and also with supranational bodies such as OLAF, the anti-fraud office of the European Union. http://europa.eu.int/olaf.

Mutual Legal Assistance

At the SFO, we have a unit devoted to handling incoming international requests for mutual legal assistance in cases of serious or complex fraud.

Working relations with our counterparts in other countries are often formalised under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. This means that authorities in different countries can call on each other's resources and powers to conduct investigations in their own jurisdictions.

We may assist foreign authorities using our investigative powers under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1987. To receive this kind of help, an overseas authority must first make the request for assistance to the UK Central Authority at the Home Office. If they refer the case to us we will examine it in detail to judge whether we can assist.

MLA Unit Contacts

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7239 7380
Fax: +44 (0)20 7833 5442
Email: mla@sfo.gsi.gov.uk