Fraud

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

Fraud is when trickery is used to gain a dishonest advantage, which is often financial, over another person. Make sure you always stay aware of fraud, and always double check before giving away any personal or banking details.

If anything seems off, STOP and check with a trusted source.

Contact the police on 101 in non-emergencies and 999 in emergencies.

Keep up to date with the latest scams and how to identify them through ScamWatch.

Tenancy fraud

You’re likely to lose your tenancy and you could lose your right to social housing in the future if you’re caught committing housing fraud.

Tenancy fraud includes:

• Not telling the truth on a housing application, for example claiming to have children when you don't
• Allowing someone else to live in your property instead of you without permission from Arches
• Subletting (renting out) your home without permission from Arches
• Making a false Right to Buy or Right to Acquire application
• Selling on keys to your property
• Living in a property after the tenant has died without succession rights, for example by lying about how long you lived in the property before the tenant died

If found guilty of tenancy fraud, you could face losing your home, up to 2 years in prison and a £50,000 fine.

If you suspect someone is committing tenancy fraud in an Arches property, please report this to us in confidence by calling 0114 228 8100.

Reasons to suspect tenancy fraud may be:

• If the tenant moves out, leaving adult children in the home
• If your neighbours change regularly
• If the property has been abandoned
• If the tenant has moved abroad

You can use this link to return to the Advice and Support page.