<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><ns2:project xmlns:ns1="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api" xmlns:ns2="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project" xmlns:ns3="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/fund" xmlns:ns4="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/person" xmlns:ns5="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project/outcome" xmlns:ns6="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/organisation" ns1:created="2026-06-03T15:52:43Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/projects/705D95F1-ED4A-42CF-BA37-5F5F2410E1FD" ns1:id="705D95F1-ED4A-42CF-BA37-5F5F2410E1FD"><ns1:links><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/persons/43819CEC-6D1C-4DF9-8645-FB96DD8D1897" ns1:rel="PM_PER"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/914F633C-5C50-4342-BFC8-B0B3C1786B6E" ns1:rel="LEAD_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/914F633C-5C50-4342-BFC8-B0B3C1786B6E" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:end="2022-10-31T00:00:00Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/funds/BA001E44-E811-480C-992B-3FEE3EA12C34" ns1:rel="FUND" ns1:start="2021-04-30T23:00:00Z"/></ns1:links><ns2:identifiers><ns2:identifier ns2:type="RCUK">10004484</ns2:identifier></ns2:identifiers><ns2:title>An intelligence system that identifies hidden COVID-19 fraud against Government Departments, Banking, Insurance and Organisations</ns2:title><ns2:status>Closed</ns2:status><ns2:grantCategory>Collaborative R&amp;D</ns2:grantCategory><ns2:leadFunder>Innovate UK</ns2:leadFunder><ns2:abstractText>COVID-19 has caused a surge in fraud by organised crime groups using multiple or stolen identities. Estimates for pandemic fraud against the UK Government include &amp;pound;3.5bn against the Furlough Scheme (BBC, 2020) and perhaps 26bn of fraud relating to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (NAO, 2020).

An 140% rise in bogus COVID related claims against airlines and hotels claiming negligence in applying the Government guidelines has been identified (Travolution, 2020). Travel related fraudulent COVID-19 claims look set to exceed &amp;pound;365 million, the total cost of claims to the industry in 2017/18 (ABI, 2020).

Currently, there is no system that permits record sharing, making it virtually impossible for practitioners to identify multiple and fraudulent claims.

Montague Sykes Limited (Montague) is a UK SME specialising in system development that aims to solve this significant, unmet global need. It will use AI to predict fraud and a new claims module to manage illness related fraud that could significantly reduce repeat and hidden fraud against organisations, enhance police capability and generate a year-5 post-project revenue of &amp;pound;5M. 

Project impacts:

3- 6 months - ongoing user acceptance trials/ feedback

12 months - crime reduction = money and timed saved by users

18 months - resulting savings will strengthen thin industry margins saving jobs saved and new jobs created. Montague will require additional staff to service this market.</ns2:abstractText></ns2:project>