NFCU: Distribution Fraud – Risks and How to Protect Your Business

National Food Crime Unit: Distribution Fraud – Risks and How to Protect Your Business

In January 2026, a man was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment for handling stolen goods worth in excess of £500,000 following an NFCU investigation.

The stolen goods were poultry products, and the theft was carried out by fraudsters impersonating legitimate food businesses in the UK to secure deliveries of food from suppliers. In these cases, when payment is due the legitimate company is contacted and is unaware of the purchase, by which point the stolen goods may have already been sold on or stored in an unknown location.

This type of crime is commonly referred to as distribution fraud. To protect your business against being targeted either as a victim, or as a spoofed company, you need to make sure that your resilience to food crime is up to date and effective and be aware that cyber-crime is a key component in many cases of distribution fraud.  Some useful tips are:

• Train employees on how to identify fraudulent email addresses and domains. 
• Implement user training and phishing exercises to raise awareness about the risks of clicking suspicious links and attachments in emails. 
• Conduct web searches for your company name to identify fraudulent websites that may be used to impersonate you in a scam. 
• Be aware of having lists of suppliers and customer details on websites – this gives fraudsters a potential list of victims.
• Follow all existing procedures for new customers setting up accounts – If someone is trying to force a quick purchase, stop and think why. Your policies and procedures exist for important reasons.
• If you have suspicions about a new customer, ring or email the company back on contact details gained directly either from their website or from a trusted industry contact.

Report a food crime

Food Crime Confidential: 0800 028 11 80 (0207 276 8787 for non-UK mobiles and calls).

Email: foodcrime@food.gov.uk