The year 2009 witnessed the highest number of cases of frauds recorded by KPMG Forensic’s Fraud Barometer since the company began compiling data in 1987. These primarily include cases of serious fraud by managers and employees which were 123 in number.
There were cases of employee fraud and fraud in general also during the 2009 period. According to the report £1.3bn of fraud cases came to court in this year, which was the highest ever number recorded by the Barometer. There were 33 cases of fraud within the accounting departments and the departments of book-keeping which were collectively worth an enormous £44m.
In comparison to 2008, there was a sharp increase in the fraud cases involving company managers settled in the court, £206m more from the previous year’s £129m. Employees also racked up far higher losses, with cases worth £232m, which more than doubles the £100m figure for 2008.
Many employers who became victims of fraud, were cheated by people whom they trusted, as in most cases the fraudsters had been working with the victims for years. In several cases, the people committing fraud had been convicted previously. In one example, an accountant with a history of theft and deception under a different name managed to trick his employer, a Birmingham-based property management company, into overlooking the £350,000 due from clients. He transferred the money from clients into accounts in his own name.
A partner at KPMG Forensic, Hitesh Patel believes that companies should, as a rule carry out rigorous screening processes and detailed background checks of their potential employees as part of their recruitment process. Knowledge about the people a company hires and the degree of any risk they bring along with them forms a key line of defence against fraud.
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