# \\#24: Tackling Public Sector Fraud: Insights from the PSFA Annual Report 2023-24

24 Sept

Written By [Saiesha Pitroda](/content/all-fna-broadcasts?author=6825c3024b109a092cd591c8/index.html)

**2nd October 2025**

**With:**

\| Mark Cheeseman OBE (Public Sector Fraud Authority)  
\| Phillip Straley (FNA)

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In Session #24, **Mark Cheeseman OBE** (CEO, PSFA) and **Phillip Straley** (President, FNA) discuss the high-stakes evolution of public sector defense. With fraud and error costing the UK taxpayer an estimated **£55 billion to £81 billion** annually, the PSFA’s mission is no longer just about "catching the thief"—it’s about designing fraud out of the system before a single pound is spent.

The discussion centers on the milestones of the **2023-24 Annual Report**, where the PSFA exceeded its financial targets by delivering **£373 million** in audited benefits. Central to this success is the **Single Network Analytics Platform (SNAP)**, an AI-powered "super-utility" that identifies shell companies and hidden relationships across government datasets. Combined with **FNA’s Fraud Portal** and its real-time "Money Trails" capability, this session reveals the technical blueprint for a global standard in anti-scam infrastructure.

**The broadcast covered:**

- **The Prevention-First Shift:** How the PSFA is moving from "pay and chase" to embedding fraud risk assessments directly into the design of government programs.

- **SNAP 2.0:** Exploring the next generation of the Single Network Analytics Platform, utilizing entity resolution and knowledge graphs to unmask sophisticated fraud networks.

- **The FNA Fraud Portal:** How real-time fund tracing and automated money trail analysis enable authorities to freeze stolen funds before they cross international borders.

- **Enforcement & Accountability:** Insights from the new **Enforcement Unit** pilot and the push for stronger legal powers to recover proceeds of crime.

- **The Talent Pipeline:** The role of the **Government Counter Fraud Profession** in training the next generation of specialized investigators and data scientists.

- **Global Synergy:** Lessons from the PSFA’s partnership with the Australian Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre on building a unified global defense.

**Watch on Demand:**

Listen on: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2eLblGZ3wolBVoI2svFtVQ?si=02ffb6f19ea6478d) \| [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/payment-systems-broadcast-24-tackling-public-sector/id1772649634?i=1000730925016) \| [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/93293cc8-fa9c-41a8-a3d7-86b413d78941/episodes/de981004-1acf-402c-aa8d-c4b6604c8912/fna-broadcasts-payment-systems-broadcast-24---tackling-public-sector-fraud-insights-from-the-psfa-annual-report)

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