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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you if this is fraud?

147 replies

LucyLeopard · 13/01/2023 17:03

just as background - Colleague is a lovely person and also a single mum to 3 children. I think this must be incredibly tough!

We are fortunate in our job (carers) that we now get our mileage paid from home and not the workplace. It used to be workplace to someone’s home but it’s now from our own home! This has helped everyone with that extra little bit of cost and we can even claim for the drive to work!

the thing is colleague is claiming from an address she doesn’t live at. She actually lives say 2 miles from the workplace but now she’s claiming from her mums house which is 34 miles each way!

I realised this from when she asked me to scan both our mileage sheets in. She’s now making over 100.00 per week in mileage. i know she definitely only lives 2 miles from work as she only invited us round at Christmas.

im really torn, I feel like I 96% should keep my mouth shut but 4% of me has that niggling doubt I should say something!

wwyd?

OP posts:
Iamnotausername · 13/01/2023 17:38

It is fraud. It's up to you to decide whether you are happy to ignire it or report it.

Either way, I wouldn't be having anything else to do with her timesheets/milage claims even down to scanning them.

RoseslnTheHospital · 13/01/2023 17:39

£400 a month is going to quickly add up to a significant fraud. I would speak to her and tell her you're worried about her accidentally causing a problem for herself. Then you can explain that she's mistaken that she can claim from a different address and not where she currently lives. As long as you are certain you have understood the policy correctly.

Given that she asked you to scan her documents, which would be a daft thing to do if you were deliberately defrauding, it may well be that she has made an incorrect assumption about the mileage policy.

ScroogeMcDuckling · 13/01/2023 17:39

Tricky one.

If all the car is registered 34miles away and her drivers license/insurance/log book is registered at that address, then is she taking the piss?

if the car/drivers license/insurance are at the address 2 miles away, a regular audit will catch up with her, and company policy will determine her future.

Personally, I’ve learnt over the years, if I cannot sadly benefit like that, but I’m benefitting how I should be - my policy now is “keep my gob shut”

tappinginto2023 · 13/01/2023 17:41

Care agency's charge the council/private clients an absolute fortune then pay the carers the smallest amount they can.
I couldn't get upset about the agency losing a tiny (for them) amount. Good carers are like gold dust, if that's what's keeping her in that job then fine. That £400 will be taxed and she'll spend it on food and bills, including petrol, it's not getting into the coffers it's going into the economy

tappinginto2023 · 13/01/2023 17:42

Plus 100% of the time whistle blowers get screwed over.

PartySock · 13/01/2023 17:43

Yes, it's fraud. She is falsely claiming by deception. If two of her children are in their twenties, she's not a single mum of three children either.

Goldenboysmum · 13/01/2023 17:44

LucyLeopard · 13/01/2023 17:16

I think her mums address is on file but she actually has moved to the new address near our workplace.

Show quote history

In that case could you not just say to her that you noticed she's not updated her address yet, and she needs to do it before she's found out.

Maybe she's genuinely forgotten but if not, then I wouldn't be having anything to do with her sheets.

Iamnotausername · 13/01/2023 17:44

Good point about questioning her overall honesty though if she will knowingly do this.

m00rfarm · 13/01/2023 17:52

That is dishonest, and taking the piss out of her co workers. Completely unacceptable. She is not a single mother with three kids - she has a child of 15 years and two in their twenties. Not exactly needing childcare. Whether I would report it - probably not. Would I drop something into a conversation asking when she had moved back to live with her mum - possibly.

riotlady · 13/01/2023 17:57

Yes, technically it is fraud by false representation - section 2 of the fraud act iirc. I’m not convinced it would ever go as far as a conviction but I imagine her job might be in danger if she was caught.

Personally I probably wouldn’t dob her in, but I might mention it to her because if you’ve spotted it it might not be that long until someone else does.

StubbleAndSqueak · 13/01/2023 17:59

Muddlingmiddling · 13/01/2023 17:34

So many snitches on MN

Oh give over , she's going to spoil it for everyone else if she gets caught
Snitches ? only idiots use that to excuse their dishonesty

HimalayaSalts · 13/01/2023 18:00

In my opinion carers never get the pay they deserve it's such a hard job, I would let her have it

Goinglocodowninsainsburyslocal · 13/01/2023 18:01

Is she living a life of luxury? Or do you think she's just scraping by? That would be the deciding factor for me

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 13/01/2023 18:01

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 13/01/2023 17:26

Well, your employers are going to start checking up themselves, presumably, as it will show up as a discrepancy in expenses, and also make your colleague too expensive to employ. So I wouldn’t take it on yourself to be a whistle blower, annoying as it is.

I was just thinking if those expenses get audited and they find out she's doing that and it's determined to be fraud, the auditors will be putting that in the report to management; and probably looking closely at everyone else's expenses, as well.

woodhill · 13/01/2023 18:03

Could you ask her before doing anything

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 13/01/2023 18:04

£400 a month is going to quickly add up to a significant fraud

If expenses are submitted electronically management can have reports produced on who in what departments is spending what in what areas. How are they submitted, OP, and who checks them?

Clymene · 13/01/2023 18:07

Her children are 15 and two in their twenties so not young ones

So she's not a single mum to three children - she has three children and is a single mum of one as the other two are adults.

I'd say something to her and let her know the possible consequences- it's fraud and if she gets found out, she'll lose her job and your employers will very likely take criminal action against her.

If she carries on aware of the risks, that's her look out. Her getting extra cash doesn't impact on you in any other way.

Identifyingasadolphin · 13/01/2023 18:07

Do they ever ask for fuel purchase receipts to go with the claims….

LucyMcAndrew · 13/01/2023 18:08

It is fraud but I would not get involved.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 13/01/2023 18:08

it's fraud and if she gets found out, she'll lose her job and your employers will very likely take criminal action against her

When the company for which I did expenses was audited, some very senior people had to reimburse amounts claimed wrongly. Expenses policy was considerably tightened up after that,

Emdubz · 13/01/2023 18:13

Does she not have to provide proof of car insurance? If she lives at a different address surely the two won’t marry up?

Original poster
LucyLeopard · 13/01/2023 18:17

The only way it sort of affects me as it’s my job to collect our mileage sheets and input them. But it’s not my job to check what they’ve written- just input it.

Yes, two kids in their twenties they’re both at home. I’m not sure if she would be rolling in it with this extra money or not as it’s hard to tell immediately.

I don’t want to report her so I probably won’t I guess I just didn’t know if it constituted fraud or not.

OP posts:
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 13/01/2023 18:19

So they're either electronic or on a spreadsheet? what happens to them after input? I'd assume that costs are being monitored and if her's have suddenly shot up then questions are going to be asked. Assuming management is doing its job properly regarding costs.

mallardducks · 13/01/2023 18:20

Why don't u speak with her about it? Say u noticed on last time sheet that address was different and ask her in a friendly non accusing tone and see what she says

She may well open up and tell u why or realise it's a mistake and not do it again

Coffeellama · 13/01/2023 18:20

Are you 100% sure that she doesn’t drive to work from her mums? Like doesn’t ever stay there during the week or go there before work to help her out or something.

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