By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For MailonlinePublished: 04:42 EST, 1 March 2021 | Updated: 04:42 EST, 1 March 2021The government is losing up to £52billion a year due to fraud - more than the entire defence budget. It says: '2020 has been particularly challenging due to the heightened risk of fraud and economic crime as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The report quotes a warning from the respected Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) that fraud has now reached 'epidemic levels'. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: 'Detecting fraud is a key part of our prevention efforts. 'Between 2019-2020 we have seen a nearly sevenfold increase in the amount of fraud prevented, protecting the taxpayer.

Source: The Nation March 01, 2021 16:08 UTC