ECCTA fraud risk assessment template
A plain-text, claim-guarded template for recording fraud scenarios, procedures, gaps, and reviewer sign-off. Structured around the Home Office six-principle model. Free to download — no email required.
What this template covers
The template guides an evidence team through four work sections: fraud scenarios considered, controls and prevention procedures, a gap register, and a version and refresh log. A reviewer sign-off block and a board-pack blocker checklist are included.
How to use it
Download the plain-text file and work through it with the people who know the business. The template prompts for the facts — scenarios, procedures, evidence references, gaps, owner, and dates. Qualified review (legal counsel, compliance officer, or adviser) is required before treating the completed template as evidence.
What it does not do
This template organises the evidence-gathering process. It is not legal advice and does not perform scope analysis, assess whether procedures are reasonable, or guarantee that a statutory defence under s.199 ECCTA 2023 will succeed. Scope, reasonableness, and sufficiency judgements require qualified human review.
Source basis
Structured around the Home Office failure-to-prevent-fraud guidance v1.5 (Updated 2025-10-10), which describes the six fraud-prevention principles including risk assessment, due diligence, training, and monitoring. Accessed 2026-06-15.
Legal boundary
DefenceFile organises evidence for legal and compliance review. It does not provide legal advice, create privilege, certify scope, certify reasonable procedures, or guarantee that a statutory defence will succeed. The completed template is a working document; its legal weight depends on the quality of the facts entered and the qualified review applied.
Next steps
Use this in DefenceFile
Once completed, your risk assessment findings can be imported directly into DefenceFile as structured evidence entries — pre-mapped to the six ECCTA principles. The first working session walks through this import. See how the first session works.