About the Fraud Prevention Working Group

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About the Fraud Prevention Working Group

Who the group are and what we do.

The Fraud Prevention Working Group (FPWG) includes different partners across West Sussex working together. This means we can plan how we provide good value for money fraud prevention help.

The group aims to:

  • stop fraud from happening
  • reduce the money lost when it does

The FPWG also helps people learn about fraud. They share useful information and give support to residents, groups, and services that want to stay safe.

Members of the FPWG

Arun District Council - Community Safety team

The Community Safety team at Arun District Council team works to improve the safety and wellbeing of their residents. They promote information to help people stay safe and prevent crimes. By taking part in the Fraud Prevention Working Group, they can share advice to residents about frauds and scams.

Chichester District Council - Community Safety team

Chichester District Council has a Community Safety team which includes Community Wardens. They focus on tackling and reducing crime and disorder issues through the Community Safety Partnership. There is also an emphasis on safeguarding vulnerable people from scams and other frauds.

Citizens Advice - Arun and Chichester

We offer advice on many issues including what to do if you think you have been scammed. It is important to report you've been scammed, find out how you can:

Arun & Chichester Citizens Advice Digital Money Coach Service

This service helps clients live more independently by offering digital support with:

  • ordering shopping or prescriptions online
  • accessing welfare and benefit information
  • staying in touch via social media
  • find support for additional needs

Access the Arun and Chichester Citizens Advice getting online service.

Community People

Community People is a charity supporting communities across Mid Sussex and beyond. The organisation helps over 500 local charities and groups. They work with:

  • community organisations
  • businesses
  • public sector
  • individuals

They connect people, business and community groups with information and opportunities.

Horsham District Council - Community Safety team

The Community Safety team at Horsham District Council works closely with the police and other agencies to raise awareness and deliver interventions addressing anti-social behaviour and helping make Horsham a safe place to live, work and visit.

Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner - Victim Services team

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne provides over £5 million a year to support victims and witnesses of crime. The principal role of the Victims Services and Commissioning team is to manage the funding and contracts with service providers. The team proposes to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) the range of services to fund across Sussex, making sure those services provide specific support for victims in areas that include:

  • domestic abuse
  • sexual violence
  • stalking
  • general crime, such as:
    • burglary
    • theft
    • fraud.

Once the PCC agrees the plan for the financial year, the team monitors the contracts and grant agreements, ensuring the services provide value for money and are run effectively, offering the best level of support to victims and witnesses.

The South East Cyber Crime Unit

If you would like to find out more about improving your cybersecurity, whether as an individual, a parent or a business, our friends in the South East Cyber Crime Unit have a schedule of webinars covering a number of different topics including their hugely popular ‘The Digital Dilemma: Keeping Children Safe Online’ and ‘Safeguarding Humanity - The risks of AI’.

Sussex Digital In Reach team

Sussex Digital In Reach team offers free support to improve digital skills and awareness of data protection and cybersecurity.

Sussex Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch started in the UK over 40 years ago to help stop crime. Now, it helps people stay safe in lots of different ways. They aim to stop crime and help people feel less scared of it. They help to protect the community in many ways, including during emergencies.

Sussex Neighbourhood Watch receive support from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner and Sussex Police.

Sussex Police

Sussex Police serves East and West Sussex and the city of Brighton & Hove. This covers an area of 3,780 square kilometres. The resident population of 1.65 million grows significantly each year as Sussex hosts millions of visitors, holidaymakers, students, seasonal workers and passengers travelling through Gatwick Airport.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service - Resilience and Emergencies team

The Resilience and Emergencies team works to ensure that West Sussex is ready for emergencies. The team makes sure that West Sussex County Council and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS) know what to do when any type of emergency incident happens. This includes incident:

  • planning
  • response
  • recovery

The team also helps communities in the county stay safe and be ready through training and support.

West Sussex County Council - Digital safety and fraud prevention team

The Digital Safety and Fraud Prevention team are part of the Community Safety team within West Sussex County Council (WSCC). The team’s role is to raise online safety and fraud awareness amongst the county's:

  • communities
  • businesses
  • organisations
  • services

In addition to running events and training, the team provide advice to help us stay safe online. They also raise awareness of fraud types and how to avoid them.

West Sussex County Council - Prevention Assessment team

The Prevention Assessment team (PAT) delivers a countywide early intervention support. They provide:

  • information
  • advice
  • guidance
  • signposting

The service is for people over the age of 18, directing people to community-based services, to help them to stay safe, healthy and live independently at home for as long as possible.  The team consists of:

  •  WSCC community prevention officers
  • Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust nurse advisors
  • community support workers from Age UK West Sussex, Brighton and Hove

For more information:

Victim Support Sussex - fraud support

Victim Support Sussex has two fraud caseworkers offering support to victims of fraud throughout Sussex. They work closely with Sussex Police's Operation Signature campaign and a number of statutory and voluntary partners. They aim to stop fraudsters from tricking people and try to make sure victims don't get tricked again.

They also have a special support service for victims of relationship fraud. This provides one-to-one casework, a group work programme and peer support sessions.