Are You Ready for the New UK Failure to Prevent Fraud Offence?

Key Questions for Board Directors as the 1st September Deadline Approaches

Deadline: 1st September 2025

As the 1st of September 2025 deadline for the UK’s new Failure to Prevent Fraud (FtPF) offence draws near, Boards of Directors face a critical moment. Introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, this legislation represents a significant shift in corporate liability, placing a fresh burden on companies to actively prevent fraud or face severe consequences.

The FtPF offence is a game-changer. It holds organisations criminally liable if an “associated person” commits fraud to benefit the company, even if senior management had no direct knowledge or involvement.

  • The FtPF offence marks a significant departure from previous fraud laws, which often required evidence of complicity at senior levels. Now, the standard is clear: companies must demonstrate they have “reasonable fraud prevention procedures” in place, or risk prosecution.

  • Failure to comply could lead to unlimited fines, reputational damage, loss of market confidence, and severe operational disruptions.

  • We recommend that you:

    1. Read this article to understand exactly what is involved

    2. Complete our simple Self-Assessment Checklist to determine how well prepared you own organisation really is for this change

Get in touch.

If you want to talk to us, or want to learn more about the services we offer to help prepare you, reach out below.