Delay Repay Fraud Investigation

[mikka4]

I have this week received an email from WMR stating that I am being investigated for fraud. And that they require further supportive information. They also state that this is serious and that I need to help with the investigation.

Has anyone else had such an email and will it lead to a prosecution or can a reimbursement or penalty be agreed and the matter closed?

 

[Sheffcaster202]

Your question is very vague and the experienced members will need a lot more to go on to help you with this.

Perhaps you could post the correspondence, with personal details/reference numbers obscured and also more detail relating to what has happened.

Have you been claiming when you shouldnt have been?
How many times?
What the journeys were? Or were not?!
Are your claims genuine?

 

[mikka4]

I have been claiming when I shouldn’t have. So I acknowledge I am in the wrong.

Therefore will I be given the option to repay this money or are they likely to press ahead with a prosecution?

 

[Sheffcaster202]

I have been claiming when I shouldn’t have. So I acknowledge I am in the wrong.

Therefore will I be given the option to repay this money or are they likely to press ahead with a prosecution?

I’m very unfamiliar with WMR and their policies but sure you will get some good advice here when the more experienced members pop along.

Have a look back at the other parts I asked and drop that information into this thread and when others come along they will be able to advise you how to proceed.

Without knowing a lot more it will be hard for people to advise you

 

[Titfield]

We have seen a few posts stating that WMT are issuing these letters having carried out some form of data analysis exercise.

An out of court settlement may be possible which would involve repayment of the delay repay amounts falsely claimed plus an administration fee.

It is WMT decision whether to make such an offer which would depend upon the scale of the offending, the response of the passenger (claimant) and their view of the likeliness of the passenger repeating the offending.

Delay Repay works to a large extent on trust placed in / honesty of the passenger and it is clear that some abuse that trust.

Please can you post the email to this form with any personal identification (name address etc) obscured?

You will need to provide the information to WMT they request as fully and as honestly as you can. Bear in mind they may have evidence that supports their assertions for example scan data of you arriving / departing at stations, on train scans. (Do not post this detail on the forum).

 

[Brissle Girl]

Please post the correspondence you have received with any identifying details redacted to ensure your privacy.

If you haven’t already, you need to work out the amount you have fraudulently claimed. It would be helpful to know roughly how much this is, so that we have an idea of the seriousness and thus how WMT is likely to deal with it.

 

[mikka4]

I will work the amount out. Although a lot of these are genuine. What is the likelihood of WMT agreeing to a penalty or reimbursement instead of being prosecuted?

 

[Brissle Girl]

I will work the amount out. Although a lot of these are genuine. What is the likelihood of WMT agreeing to a penalty or reimbursement instead of being prosecuted?

I think the problem you may have is that they expect them all to be refunded, which might be the price to pay for a settlement.

 

[Haywain]

I will work the amount out. Although a lot of these are genuine. What is the likelihood of WMT agreeing to a penalty or reimbursement instead of being prosecuted?

Quite good, they want their money back.

 

[mikka4]

Quite good, they want their money back.

Once settled will that be the end of it? Or are they likely to inform an employer or attempt to damage you personally?

 

[simonw]

Once settled will that be the end of it? Or are they likely to inform an employer or attempt to damage you personally?

They won't know who your employer is, nor will they publish your name.

 

[Haywain]

Or are they likely to inform an employer or attempt to damage you personally?

Absolutely no chance of that.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

WMR usually only prosecute when settlements are ignored. Engage with them and be truthful, then wait for their next move

 

[mikka4]

Absolutely no chance of that.

Ok. Only that I have used my work email as the email.

WMR usually only prosecute when settlements are ignored. Engage with them and be truthful, then wait for their next move

I intend to pay them back everything I’ve ever had even though there is a lot of genuine ones within there. I just don’t want this dragging out longer than it needs too

 

[Hadders]

We’ve seen several cases recently of WMR researching delay replay claims for fraudulent activity.

If you do co-operate with WMR then it is highly likely that they will offer an out of court settlement. Expect to have to pay all of your delay repay claims back plus an admin fee as well.

 

[robbeech]

An out of court settlement may be possible which would involve repayment of the delay repay amounts falsely claimed plus an administration fee.

As a few others have said, this won’t be limited to fraudulent claims, this will be all claims on record, plus an administration fee.

I think the problem you may have is that they expect them all to be refunded, which might be the price to pay for a settlement.

Exactly this.

Clearly you have fraudulently claimed and you accept this. You accept there will be a penalty to pay.
You need to decide which is the best course of action if a settlement is offered. If your fraudulent claims are a tiny percentage of all claims and all claims are thousands of pounds then from a purely financial point of view you may be better off going to court where the operator will need to prove which cases are fraudulent. If on the other hand there’s a smaller split or the total amount of claims is a few hundred quid then some form of settled would likely be better.

Remember in court it’s for the railway to prove that you did it, and how many times and for how much, out of court it’s for you to prove how many times you didn’t do it, and regardless, the railway can act how it wants.

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

unless you have claimed a refund on a ticket saying unused and claimed Delay Repay one wonders what they are accusing you of?

 

[Haywain]

unless you have claimed a refund on a ticket saying unused and claimed Delay Repay one wonders what they are accusing you of?

Something that the OP admits to.