According to CIFAS, the fraud prevention agency, the number of discovered cases of so-called "application fraud" during the first six months of the ye

The number of people committing fraud by lying on application forms for loans, credit cards and insurance products jumped in the first half of the year, as consumers turned to desperate measures to get their hands on new credit.According to CIFAS, the fraud prevention agency, the number of discovered cases of so-called "application fraud" during the first six months of the year increased by more than 12 per cent since the end of 2007. CIFAS said the most common lie was a failure to disclose a previous address where the applicant had built up a bad credit record.
New loans and credit cards have become harder to come by since the start of the credit crisis, particularly for those with poor credit histories. But with the cost of housing, fuel and food on the rise, some consumers have been trying everything possible to secure additional finance."Those who think that lying on application forms will give them any advantage need to realise that their efforts are counter-productive," said Peter Hurst, chief executive of CIFAS. "Fraud data sharing and the linking of individuals' address histories by credit reference agencies means that such lies are identified, applications are turned down and the details recorded. Telling the truth, even if it is slightly less palatable, remains the best policy."
There was also a sharp rise in "facility takeover" fraud during the first half of the year, where fraudsters' gain access to someone's accounts by impersonating them. This rose by 157 per cent during the first half.While the introduction of chip and pin has helped to reduce card fraud, CIFAS said this was being replaced by other types of fraud. "Credit has become harder to obtain," said Mr Hurst. "As a result, not only are fraudsters turning their attentions to accounts that are already in existence, but consumers and anti-fraud departments are also feeling the effects. More lies are being told to gain credit, and this creates even greater workloads on the desks of those on the front line."

Jacob Zuma former guerrilla fighter stands accused, along with a French arms company, of bribery in a multibillion-pound arms deal concluded in 1999.

African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma will today seek to persuade a court to dismiss corruption and fraud charges against him.
The 66-year-old former guerrilla fighter stands accused, along with a French arms company, of bribery in a multibillion-pound arms deal concluded in 1999.
But Mr Zuma and his supporters claim the case amounts to political persecution and should be dismissed.
If Judge Chris Nicholson agrees, he could drop all charges against Mr Zuma. But if not, Mr Zuma could face trial later this year - although it is doubtful that any process would be complete before next year’s parliamentary elections, which could complicate his presidential ambitions.In South Africa, the president is chosen by the party that wins the elections.Mr Zuma’s lawyers are expected to argue in High Court today that the case has dragged on too long and is unlawful and unconstitutional. They maintain that Mr Zuma’s right to a speedy and fair trial have been violated.Thousands of Zuma supporters danced to his trademark anti-apartheid song, "Bring Me My Machine Gun", at an all-night vigil ahead of the court hearing.
Charges were filed against Mr Zuma in 2005 and then thrown out the next year on a technicality, but within days of him being elected ANC president last year, the National Prosecuting Authority said it had new evidence and filed racketeering, corruption, money laundering and fraud charges.ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe accused the Prosecuting Authority of denying Mr Zuma “fair and equal treatment.”“This matter is not simply about Jacob Zuma. It is about the principles and practices upon which we intend to build a new society, one that is democratic, just and equitable,” Mr Motlanthe said.Mr Zuma has become popular with South Africans, many of whom want change after 10 years under President Thabo Mbeki, and Mr Zuma’s supporters say he has been made a scapegoat in a scandal that reaches the presidency.South Africa’s Sunday Times reported yesterday that Mr Mbeki accepted a 30 million rands bribe from a German shipbuilding company and gave part of this to Mr Zuma and the rest to the ANC. Mr Mbeki’s spokesman said there was no basis to the report.Mr Zuma ousted Mr Mbeki as ANC leader in December and, given the party’s huge majority, is expected to succeed his rival as president following next year’s elections.Mr Zuma, who was a leader of the exiled ANC military wing during apartheid, grew up in poverty and without formal schooling. He strikes a chord with the young and unemployed, speaking their language rather than spouting Shakespearean sonnets like Mr Mbeki.President Mbeki fired Mr Zuma as the country’s deputy president in 2005 after Mr Zuma’s financial adviser was sentenced to 15 years in jail for trying to elicit bribes from French company Thint, formerly Thomson CSF.
Mr Zuma allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of pounds in bribes from Thint to use his influence and stop investigations into arms deal contracts with the government, prosecutors claim.Prosecutors won an important victory on Thursday when the Constitutional Court upheld a ruling that the 2005 police seizure of incriminating documents from Mr Zuma’s home and office was legal. It also ruled that prosecutors could bring documents from Mauritius about a meeting between a Thint executive and Mr Zuma.The ruling prompted Zuma loyalists to question the Constitutional Court judges’ integrity