To think this is fraud and do I say something or stay out of it?

[doitellthem]

I have NC'd for this. A friend of mine NEVER has to pay for work on her house...she has a family member who is high up in a business and so all of the work is put through the business. She says they are doing the jobs as favours! surely this is fraud! do i stay out of it or say something (who do i even report to!!)She currentky has a landscper in doing the garden...just so happens to be the landscaper who does the work for said business!

How exactly are the books being cooked? Doing probono work is not illegal.

You sound bored. Get a life.

1. You don't seem to 'know' anything
2. You're not her 'friend', are you
3. Keep your snout out.

Mind your own business, you sound jealous and resentful and she’s not your friend.

And quite what is "for the good" about using your employers funds to do up your mates garden?

yes this. The relative does not own company A...the job is being carried out by company B and Company A pays...unknowingly!

OP, how fo you know that’s the case though? Have you sighted this in the company books personally?

There’s lots of instances where business’s will award work/tenders to people with certain backdoor conditions. For example, we’ll award you the landscaping work at our business if you do some required landscaping at my MIL’s for free. It’s then not a case of the business paying for the landscaping at the MIL’s place, rather the landscaper thinking overall, while sucking up the loss incurred by doing the MIL work they will still come out ahead by agreeing to this. It’s definitely not uncommon. My understanding is that this is only prohibited with government/public agencies awarding work or tenders but it’s not at all prohibited with private companies/businesses awarding work.

I’m thinking you likely have no idea or evidence how all this is actually working, in which case it’s best to remove your beak.

The posters who think that there would be any sort of criminal prosecution in these circumstances are rather over excited. This is a civil fraud perpetrated by the employee against his or her employer. There is no chance whatsoever that the employer would go to the police about this. I say that as a lawyer who has acted for many companies which have been defrauded by employees fiddling expenses or similar

Who needs enemies with a friend like you OP

Yeah definitely theft. I’m honestly shocked at the number of people who think this is ok.

If the person paying doesn’t know what they’re paying for, it’s theft.

Nothing to do with you, guessing you are just jealous of her

How does it affect you in any way? Other than being jealous perhaps?

I know someone who was criminally prosecuted for stealing from his employer. He avoided prison time because the amounts (that they could prove) weren’t high enough.

I don’t understand how it’s a civil offence? I’m guessing the amounts are quite high if the perpetrator is having landscaping done.

This @doitellthem !!!!

how is this any of your business ??

OP, I assume you work for "Company A"? Otherwise what's your skin in the game?

Can OP offer a single piece of real evidence that fraud or embezzlement is being committed? Of course not otherwise they would already have done so.

Yes, it could potentially be fraudulent or the relative could be embezzling company funds but that is for the company to deal with. It could also be perfectly above board i.e. the company know it's being done (therefore no embezzlement) and the correct taxes are being paid (not fraudulent). No evidence, no crime.

Everything else here is pure conjecture. The only thing we can be certain of is that OPs friend is not really a friend.

This is obviously also illegal under the bribery act.

I agree with the posters who said to mind your own affairs. I have no idea how you came into possession of these details about the company business finances but your friend has been unwise in trusting you with this info. My family know little about my financial affairs and my neighbours dont even know my name.

This. I can’t see any way it is fraud unless your friend is paying a non variable rate as cash in hand and it’s not going through the books. She’s probably just getting freebies so what does that matter? There’s plenty of times I’ve done bits of legal work in my own time off the clock - mainly to make sure clients don’t get a huge unexpected bill. Especially if they’re a good client. It’s not fraud - just non chargeable.

Isn’t this just a family member helping her out if it’s his company? I had work done on my garden my friends wouldn’t know who was paying for it or my neighbours. You have zero evidence of anything. What fraud could it be? presumably labour/ materials come from somewhere or are you just guessing that she is not paying and are bitter about it.

Stay out of it, nothing to do with you and be happy for your friend.

From what the OP explains, the analogy is not you working off the clock. It’s closer to you doing 10 hours for a legit client, 10 hours for your mum, and billing your company for 20 hours under the client’s name only. Probably not OK where any of us work.

Agree

I think this sort of thing is really common. I worked as a cleaner at a dental practice and I charged them £25 ph (self employed). I did a fortnightly clean for them at home 4 hours @£5ph. I’d of justified it as mates rates were HMRC ever to ask me about it.

I suspecr there are three possible scenarios here. What they are telling you, what you think is happening and somewhere in the middle is the truth - which is none of your business anyway.