Lloyds Fraud Head Charged Over £2.5m False Invoices

A former head of security and fraud at Lloyds has been charged over her involvement in a £2.5m false invoicing scam.

Jessica Harper was charged with one count of fraud by abuse of position regarding false invoices she submitted over the course of a three year period at the partly-nationalised banking group.

The CPS today recommended that the Metropolitan Police charge Harper and Andrew Penhale, deputy head of the CPS Central Fraud Group, said: ‘The charge relates to an allegation that between 1 September 2008 and 21 December 2011, Jessica Harper dishonestly and with the intention of making a gain for herself, abused her position as an employee of Lloyds Banking Group, in which she was expected to safeguard the financial interests of Lloyds Banking Group, by submitting false invoices to claim payments totalling £2,463,750.88, to which she was not entitled.

‘We have determined that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and a prosecution is in the public interest.’

Harper is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on 31 May.