Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 13 October 2011.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Government Procurement Cards were compromised or cloned in each year (a) since the creation of his Department and (b) during the lifetime of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; and what the estimated amount of fraudulent transactions was in each year.
The number of Government Procurement Cards cancelled because they were compromised or used in external fraud (which would include cloned cards) are in the following table:
Calendar year | Card compromised | Card fraud | Total | |
(a) Department of Communities and Local Government | 2011 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
2010 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
2009 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
2008 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
2007 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
2006 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
(b) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | 2006 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2005 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister existed from May 2002 until May 2006. No records of cancelled cards are held prior to 2005.
Estimates of the amounts of fraudulent transactions are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Compromised cards are cards where there is a risk that the card number could become known to a third party. These cards are cancelled to prevent any fraudulent activity. Fraud occurs when the card is lost or stolen and is used by a third party. This would also include cases where the card number has been cloned.
Government Procurement Card transaction records for the period
Departmental guidance is clear that any unauthorised or unknown transactions appearing on GPC transaction reports (invoices) such as cloned card incidents must be reported immediately to the card issuing company. Under the terms of the contract any financial loss arising from this type of fraudulent activity is the responsibility of the card issuing company who will take forward any investigation. There will be no threat/risk to departmental funds.
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