Camden Council is set to bolster its fraud detection efforts by incorporating social media into its investigative toolkit, according to reports presented at the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee meeting on 2 July 2025.
The move comes as part of the council's 2024-25 Annual Counter Fraud Report, which highlights the increasing recognition of social media platforms as valuable sources of information for investigations.
The report included a Social Media Policy which stated:
It is recognised that the use of the internet and, in particular, social media sites such as Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. and other internet sites such as E-Bay can provide useful information for council staff carrying out investigations or gathering evidence.
The policy aims to ensure that investigating officers adhere to both the policy and the Council's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Corporate Authorisation Policy when accessing the internet and social media sites as part of an investigation or to gather evidence and intelligence.
The policy also states that compliance with Data Protection Legislation must also be considered and ensured throughout any investigation.
The 2024-25 Annual Counter Fraud Report provided the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee with a summary of anti-fraud activities undertaken during the 2024-25 year. The report covered the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 and included an update on counter-fraud activity undertaken by the Council's Anti-Fraud and Investigations Team and the Housing Investigations Team.