It’s no secret that in today’s world, fraud prevention, online privacy, and cybersecurity are complicated and constant concerns. Fraud threatens companies, organizations, and individual consumers as they go about their business online and offline. Employee fraud is a significant problem faced by establishments of all sizes, locations, and industries. While we would all like to believe our employees are loyal and working for the organization’s good, some employees may commit fraud. Education and preparation will help catch and prevent fraud and protect your business.
Statistics
According to the 2014 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse (copyright 2014 by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc.), research shows that the typical organization loses 5% of its annual revenue each year due to employee fraud. Prevention and detection are crucial to reducing this loss. Every organization should have a plan in place, as preventing fraud is much easier than recovering your losses after a fraud has been committed. We aim to show why traditional in-house controls can be ineffective in averting many frauds and how to combat fraud more effectively and economically. The most important thing to do is to discover what steps individuals can adopt to protect their organizations from fraud.
Measures for Fraud Prevention
Prevention of fraud nowadays is not just a good business practice but should be a requirement. Most corporations face several risks, which are huge and potentially damaging. The issue of vicarious liability stands out among these risks. Illegal acts committed because of organizational policy have held corporate and other entities liable for such acts. Employee criminal acts devoted to the course and scope of their employment for the benefit of the business entity also make the company liable. Sometimes, a worker can perform an unauthorized act on behalf of the organization, which holds the company liable. A business can institute an intimidating fraud prevention program through financial risks from fraud losses, shareholders’ lawsuits, prosecution, fines, and convictions for fraud. The emotional toll of fraud and reputational risk should be taken into attention. The impression on the personnel and families with nothing to do with the company’s fraudulent activities took an emotional toll since they suffered the penalties.
Based on other discussions on why people commit fraud, an organization must adopt effective ways of dealing with the problem of fraud, which will reduce stimuli opportunity restriction and lower the potential ability of the perpetrators to rationalize their actions.
Anti-Fraud Strategy
Prevention of fraud needs a system of strategies and procedures that could reduce the likelihood of fraudulent activities. The chance of being caught typically convinces the potential fraudsters not to commit fraud. As a result of this principle, a systematic and detailed control system is necessary for any fraud program. An operational fraud program establishes the critical features of the “potential of being caught” and “the existence of a thorough control system.” It is similarly imperative to be proactive rather than reactive. There are four main components which form an effective anti-fraud strategy:
- a) Prevention
- b) Detection
- c) Deterrence
- d) Response
The features of an effective and rigorous anti-fraud strategy are meticulously related, and each plays a vital role in combating fraud. Fraud detection can act as a preventive by spreading a message to potential fraudsters that the company is fighting fraud and that necessary procedures are placed to pick up any unlawful activity that could happen. A potential fraudster will discontinue committing the crime if there is a possibility of being caught. Sometimes, detection controls would approve prevention controls if they are insufficient. Doubted and identified fraud incidents need a reliable and comprehensive response. This will spread a message across the board that fraud is dangerous and that subsequent action will be taken against the culprit.
Final Note
Removal of fraud temptation and opportunity is the aim of deliberately committed fraud. Fraud and loss prevention are profitable and can help to ensure reliability. It often seems companies do not have a formal fraud prevention approach. Once fraud has occurred, it is not easy to recover such losses; it’s advisable to prevent such losses from happening. The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
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