Another popular technique is practiced by those whom a fraud investigator in Milwaukee calls "welfare tourists."

Empire, until recently, had 27 fraud investigators; by the end of the year, it said, it plans to increase that number to 40.

The first cases identified by Experian as part of this work are already with fraud investigators.

In four months, with just the dozen or so machines, they had the electronic keys to 4,000 accounts, fraud investigators say.

"We are hearing the opposite at meetings where there are teams of fraud investigators from police and financial institutions," she said.

While he is now in prison, two other prominent figures detained recently by fraud investigators, have been released, apparently for lack of evidence.

The laws, upheld by British courts, give fraud investigators the authority to force suspects to provide evidence and answer questions.

Mr. West, 28 years old, joined the department in 1984 as a fraud investigator.

The fraud investigator won a civil recovery order yesterday against the main shareholder of a private company that had admitted corruption.

The only passengers in the busses were fraud investigators.