Local government, education and elections are all impacted by domestic corruption but UK authorities are too focused on international cases, according to the Fraud Advisory Panel.
A report from FAP said suggesting domestic fraud was neglected would be “an epic understatement”.
It pointed to research from the University of Manchester, which showed that out of 327 cases recorded only a third were charged while the remaining cases saw no action taken.
David Clarke, chair of the FAP, said: “The neglect of domestic corruption risks sits uncomfortably with everything else we know about the epidemic of economic crime.
“With most types of economic crime rampant, why would corruption be the exception? If UK companies commit bribery overseas, why would nothing similar occur at home?
“Corruption isn’t a single event or act; it is a process whose ultimate objective is to create a culture in which it can become the new normal. Everywhere we look in Britain today we see signs that just such a culture is beginning to take root.”
The report said that data from the Office of National Statistics show 201 corruption cases in two years to June 2018, with 84% of these occurring in public office. But just 16% of these were prosecuted.
