How to Identify and Prevent Employee Fraud?

In 2017 the major European ABB conglomerate admitted that an employee took advantage of serious management failings to disappear with $103 million of the firm’s cash. According to CNN business, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer and Chief Financial Officer Eric Elzvik admitted that the organizations managers had failed to maintain sufficient segregation of duties in the treasury unit of its subsidiary in South Korea and did not provide enough oversight of local treasury activities.

To top it all off, ABB also failed to keep the signature seals of the South Korean unit secure which as a result, has lead the company became “bound to unauthorized financial contracts, resulting in undetected financial obligations.” 

Organizations rely on the honesty and integrity of their employees, however employee fraud does unfortunately cost companies vast sums of money. Employee fraud is a reality across all sectors – no matter how credible a job applicant is and how stringent your hiring process is – your business is at risk.

Tips on Identifying and Preventing Employee Fraud

When you trust your employees, it is difficult to think the worst of them, even when there are red flags – circumstances or patterns that are out of the ordinary – alerting you to the contrary. If you have suspicions of employee fraud, it is recommended to hire a forensic accountant to help you detect fraud, understand your circumstances, and put together evidence to target and confront the employee without tipping them off.

The good news is that you can plan and train your team to prevent this from taking place; the best thing you can do for your business is to learn how to recognise the warning signs of employee fraud and have robust procedures in place to minimise the risks and opportunities for fraud. Employee fraud covers a wide range of fraudulent activities in the workplace and can vary in seriousness including embezzlement.

Embezzlement involves an employee who transfers company funds into their bank account. One example of an act of embezzlement is deliberately writing cheques in the employees’ name or diverting company assets without authorisation, e.g. customers unknowingly pay into an employee-controlled bank account, not the business’. This is serious fraudulent behaviour, but employees usually get away with it without raising any suspicion by creating non-existent suppliers and fake employees or using counterfeit credit notes to hide/disguise misappropriated monies.

An easy way to spot this type of financial fraud is to scour through the bank statements and financial records of your organisation and check for irregular activities or patterns of unusual and unauthorised transactions.

Another common sign of embezzlement is when either an employee or a manager/director begins to enjoy a lavish lifestyle that is obviously beyond their means, e.g. holidays, cars, clothes/jewellery. In the case that you suspect an employee or director might be embezzling funds from within your company, it is essential to be discreet in your employee fraud investigation to prevent the employee from covering their tracks and disposing of substantial evidence.

Other Common Types of Employee Fraud

• Commission fraud – inflating sales figures to gain a more significant commission than deserved.
• Petty fraud – for example, embellishing an expense claim or taking office supplies.
• Money laundering – hiding the origin of illegally obtained money and washing it through your business.
• Insider Trading – making a profit by using valuable information that is unavailable to the public to their advantage, for example, confidential information that could impact the prices of shares, securities, goods/commodities.
• Manipulation of accounts – false information on sales, purchases or stock can be used to perpetrate fraud for personal financial gain, e.g. overstated trading profits to receive cash/share bonuses, or get a promotion, creating false trading accounts or stock/fixed asset write-offs to obtain goods.

What Can You Do (as an employer) to Minimize Employee Fraud?

The most effective way to minimize employee fraud as an employer is to implement robust management procedures and employee background screening; the implementation of these preventative measures will ensure staff are adequately investigated and monitored and consider the possibilities for collusion between employees – including a conflict of interest. Paying attention to only the procedures within your accounts department is not sufficient. The same procedures can help you across your operations, including sales and procurement.

Minimize the chances of employee fraud with the following procedures:

• Separation of employee responsibilities such as placing orders, recording invoices and collecting debts.
• Requiring purchase or payment authorization by more than one person.
• Compare actual to budgeted expenditure for unexpected patterns.
• Examine bank reconciliations thoroughly.
• Scrutinize cancelled cheques and cheques made out to employees or unusual vendors.
• Review supplier invoices for significant amounts, pricing or volumes.
• Verify credit notes and write-offs with receiving records.
• Install and monitor CCTV to deter theft of stock or equipment.

Fraud Triangle

An American criminologist, Donald R Cressey, devised a theory that involved three aspects that trigger fraud. Understanding these triggers will help you prevent fraud:

• Opportunity – the lack of internal controls or reporting structure/oversight increase the chance of fraud.
• Rationalization – the fraudster will rationalize the continued deception, which increases slowly, perhaps over a few years, becoming an entitlement, i.e. I deserve this. This offers the chance to stop some employee fraud early if robust detection procedures are in place.
• Pressure – overwhelming pressure, be it business factors such as company targets to meet or personal pressures, such as gambling or financial problems.

Implement Pre-employment and Post-employment Employee Screening Now!

Preventing financial loss is crucial for your business’s survival and expansion, which is why it’s essential to know and understand its obvious signs. Use the list above as a guide to protecting your organization.

To detect employee fraud professionally and thoroughly, it is recommended you seek the expertise of a skilled employee fraud accountant as early as possible. They can help you investigate your employees by reviewing your bank statements and financial documents and advise you whether an employee is committing fraud and to what extent. A forensic accountant’s report will also give you the evidence you need to take the necessary action against your employee and act as a deterrent to others.

For a Free and Confidential Chat to Discuss How We Can Help Your Business, contact us. 

Filed under: All Industries, All Regions, Due Diligence, Employee Background Check, Resources by admin
No Comments »

Risks of Cybercrime and Social Media: NEW PLAYBOOK

The risks of cybercrime claims many victims over many sectors. The PwC Global Economic Crime Survey 2020 found that a company falls victim to six frauds on average. The most common types are customer fraud, asset misappropriation as well as cybercrime. It also proved a roughly even split between frauds committed by internal and external perpetrators, at almost 40% each – with the rest being mostly collusion between the two. Few can deny the enormous technological advancements that are constantly taking place in the modern world. The internet, the computer, and other technological advancements have dramatically changed what it means to socialise, ‘chat’, and even read a book. Both the disadvantages and advantages of such developments are clear, and as technology gains pace, so have the unlawful activities of those who seek to take advantages of such developments.

According to a 2020 cybercrime report from Europol, COVID-19 sparked upward trend in cybercrime. In fact, since the beginning of the pandemic, the FBI has seen a fourfold increase in cybersecurity complaints, whereas the global losses from cybercrime exceeded $1 trillion in 2020. 

In other words, as technology evolves, the risks of cybercrime have become complex. The sense that one is safe from crime in the privacy of one’s own home has been lost. In fact, according to World Economic Forum’s “Global Risks Report 2020” the chances of catching and prosecuting a cybercriminal are almost nil (0.05%).

Take the First Steps Towards Developing Measures Against the Risks of Cybercrime! 

This playbook critically examines the growth of cybercrime, evaluating the risks it poses in terms of the different forms of cybercrime that exist and the regulations that seek to detect, prevent and punish them.

The extension of an old legislation to include cybercrime is not entirely effective – especially not for crimes committed within the realm of social media and social networking. Therefore the need to develop an ‘anti-cybercrime culture emerges. It has to be implemented on an international scale that safeguards these crimes – the promotion of careful use would therefore be facilitated to hinder such crimes before they can materialise. Our playbook includes:

• What is cybercrime and why is it important?
• Top corporate cybersecurity risks and 10 types of high-tech crimes
• How cybercrime impacts business and your company’s growth
• Cybercrime and regulations in place
• And how your response as a business matters – how to can you protect your business from cybercrime including advice and tips on how to telework safely

Download the full playbook today and learn step-by-step things your company can do to be better protected from cybercrime. Robust cyber-security, data protection, anti-fraud and risk management all come together to mitigate the dangers posed by hackers, phishers and other cybercriminals.

DOWNLOAD PLAYBOOK

With the playbook in your hands, you’ll learn about the most common cyber attacks. This includes viruses, phishing attacks and website hacks. You’ll also gain a better understanding of the consequences of different types of cybercrime.

To sum it up, the playbook provides best-practices and ways that companies are lessening their risk without spending prohibitive resources to do so. Above all, the right expert advice means that any company can be on the right track to protecting their customers, their assets, and their employees from the risks of cybercrime.

Who is CRI Group™ ?

Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence, Compliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are, we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group also holds B.S. 102000:2013 and B.S. 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

In 2016, CRI Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC™ operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC™ for more on ISO Certification and training.

Filed under: All Industries, All Regions, All Solutions, Background Investigation by admin
Comments Off on Risks of Cybercrime and Social Media: NEW PLAYBOOK

New European Parliament Corporate Due Diligence and Corporate Accountability

Corporate due diligence and corporate accountability, ending an era of voluntary policing. A new EU mandate places liability on companies unable to assess and mitigate unethical third-party behaviour. New legislation requires companies operating in the EU to ‘identify, address and remedy their impact on human rights and the environment throughout their global value chains.’

Situation Analysis:

• In 2017, nearly 25 million people categorised as victims of forced labour. International Labour Organization, 2017 report
• From 2000-2012, nearly 25% of all tropical deforestation was due to illegal agro-conversion for export markets. 2019 study

Global economies have significantly benefited from an increase in cross-border and international business partnerships, which has led to a substantial expansion of the global value chain. Subsequently, more and more companies are being exposed to potential liability by unscrupulous third-party providers in their supply chain pipeline with little respect for business ethics, human rights or the environment.

There is a growing concern worldwide of the many supply chain businesses linked to severe abuses, including exploitative working conditions, modern slavery and child labour, toxic pollution, rampant destruction of rainforests and a general disregard for corporate governance.

For decades, companies have voluntarily monitored supply chain partners for bad behaviour, but this self-policing has limited. But now, the European Union Parliament has presented mandates for EU businesses – under penalties of law – to carry out due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for actual or potential human rights violations and negative environmental impacts in their operations and supply chain. 

“We live in a world where businesses with the wherewithal can still shift their adverse social and environmental impact to the most vulnerable people and places on the planet.” Lara Ianthe Wolters, Member, European Parliament

The Challenge: You are Liable for the Conduct of Your Partners; Lack of Due Diligence will Get you into Trouble

The legislation requires companies operating in the EU to identify, address and remedy their impact on human rights (including social, trade union and labour rights), the environment (contributing to climate change or deforestation) and good governance (such as corruption and bribery) throughout their value chain.

This is akin to saying that if a company fails to conduct due diligence on a third-party partner that engages in slave labour, pollutes the environment, manipulates the price or violates jurisdictional regulations, that company is essentially complicit in the partnering company’s illegal behaviour. It may be held liable in a court of law.

Aside from legal and monetary penalties, the company further risks a tarnished reputation in the market and a devaluation of its brand.

It’s crucial for businesses utilising global supply chain partners to conduct due diligence and assess the potential risks that a third party may pose to your organisation, particularly when addressing risks associated with environmental damage and human rights violations.

The Solution: Identify Unethical Behaviour and Protect Your Organisation with 3PRM, Corporate Due Diligence and Risk Management

CRI Group™ developed a highly specialised assessment solution for Corporate Due Diligence and Third-Party Risk Management to assist organisations in accurately identifying, preventing, mitigating and addressing actual and potential adverse impacts of affiliating with global partners and complies with all EU mandates.

From enhanced due diligence to identify non-compliance of the regulatory framework and damaging environmental allegations to investigating company (or stakeholder) human rights violations related to labour laws, child labour or human trafficking, CRI Group experts help determine the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners and suppliers affiliated with your company’s value chain.

Outcomes

Recent studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between the extent to which companies implement environmental, social and good governance policies, and their overall economic performance, all while contributing to a more stable global marketplace. Such responsible business conduct:

• Enhances protection for workers
• Improves access to justice for victims
• Safeguards the environment
• Ensures fair products for consumers

Further, apart from general compliance with EU mandates, such organisations enjoy a wealth of intangible benefits, including:

• Reduced overall liability risks
• Improved stakeholder protection
• Lower costs resulting from conflicts
• Improved company transparency
• More profound knowledge of the value chain
• Enhanced reputation in the market 
• Improved social standards for workers

“The global pandemic has demonstrated that resilient global supply chains that protect both the people and planet will be crucial to companies and economic recovery in the future.” Transparency International EU

CRI Group’s corporate due diligence and accountability solutions can help your organisation comply with a growing list of global regulations and mandates related to human rights and the environment while acting as an integral part of your business decision-making and risk management systems. 

Are you prepared to conduct a due diligence assessment on your global partners? Contact CRI Group to learn more about our Corporate Due Diligence and Accountability solutions and stay one step ahead of the pending EU mandates. We look forward to assisting you.

Zafar I. Anjum | MSc, MS, LLM CFE, CIS, MICA, Int. Dip. (Fin. Crime), Int. Dip. (GRC), MBCI, CII Int. Dip. (AML)

Group Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Research and Investigations Limited

e: zanjum@crigroup.com | t:+44 7588 454959

Our enhanced Integrity Due Diligence services will ensure that working with an, i.e. potential trade partner will ultimately achieve your organisation’s strategic and financial goals. To find out more about each level of due diligence, contact CRI Group HERE!

Filed under: All Industries, All Regions, Due Diligence by admin
Comments Off on New European Parliament Corporate Due Diligence and Corporate Accountability

John Wood Group to Pay $177 Million to Settle Bribery Charges Inherited Through its Merger

John Wood Group Bribery Probe Trace Back to its Merger with Amec Foster Wheeler Plc.

The Importance of Due Diligence in Merger and Acquisition to Avoid a Similar Incident Happened like in John Wood Group.

Due diligence is understood as the reasonable steps taken to satisfy legal requirements in the conduct of business relations. That allows you to reduce risks – including risks arising from the FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) and the UKBA (UK Bribery Act), to make informed decisions and to pursue takeovers or mergers with more confidence.

Unlike other kinds of control (audits, market analysis, etc.), it must be completely independent and rely as little on information provided by the researched subject. The other important difference lies in the methodology: commercial or financial due diligence analyses available information, investigative type provides reliable and pertinent, but raw, information.

Due diligence on potential business partners when adding a new vendor or hiring a new employee is vital to confirm the legitimacy and reduce the risks associated with such professional relationships. Global integrity due diligence investigations provides your business with the critical information it needs to make sound decisions regarding mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and the selection of vendors, suppliers, and employees.

It will ensure that working with an, i.e. potential trade partner will ultimately achieve your organisation’s strategic and financial goals. CRI Group investigators employ a proven, multi-faceted research approach that involves a global array of databases, courts and public record searches, local contacts, industry and media resources, and in-depth web-based research. Our resources include:

Filed under: Due Diligence, Global, Industry Insights, Oil, Gas & Energy, Resources, Third-Party Risk Management, United Kingdom, London, United States of America, New York by admin
Comments Off on John Wood Group to Pay $177 Million to Settle Bribery Charges Inherited Through its Merger

Looking for a Service Provider Due Diligence Checklist?

Due Diligence Checklist

Due diligence checklist and service provider. There are many risks implicit in doing business, and CEO’s and risk management officers face many internal and external threats. Most organisations face preventable risks; however, the burden of identifying risks can be too much, especially when dealing with third-party providers.

Most service providers offerings are often part of organisations’ core functions (i.e. internet-related services or cloud services); they have access to sensitive information, including your clients’ client details (PII), their financial data such as credit cards (PCI), or trade secrets; that impacts your data security or privacy programs; a worrying source of risk and, often than not, they drive up your cost. 

According to Ponemon Institute’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2020, organisations spend £2.9 million ($3.86 million) recovering from security incidents. And third-party breaches cost $370,000 more than in-house breaches. Third-party breaches do happen, and many organisations aren’t prepared. In fact, Protiviti’s 2019 Vendor Risk Management Benchmark Study found that only 4 in 10 organisations have a fully mature vendor risk management process in place. 

It’s critical to follow a well-defined and comprehensive due diligence process when it comes to service providers. Having a services provider due diligence checklist allows you to see what obligations, liabilities, or any types of risks you’re assuming. 

What Is a Due Diligence Checklist?

A due diligence checklist is an organised way to analyse a service provider you want to work with. Following this checklist, you can learn about the Service Provider liabilities, benefits, and potential problems. Due diligence checklists are usually arranged in a basic format. However, they can be changed to fit different industries and professional relationships. A due diligence checklist can also be used for:

• Preparing an audited financial statement or annual report
• A public or private financing transaction
• Bank financing
• A joint venture
• An initial public offering (IPO)
• General risk management.

However, we developed a complete due diligence checklist for you to use on your service providers for this article. There are six core areas to consider when doing your due diligence vetting a service provider:

1. General company information
2. Financial review
3. Reputational Risk
4. Insurance
5. Information Security Technical Review
6. Policy Review

The questions could change based on your requirements or the company, industry, size, or region. The more you know about potential vendors, the easier it is to assess their risk. Let’s look!

1. Build an inventory of your service providers:

• List the providers of significant core functions
• List any smaller providers who might be working with individual departments

2. Rank each service provider based on risk by asking the following questions:

• What service does this organisation provide?
• Who owns the relationship with this provider?
• Is this provider tied to your organisation’s most critical business operations?
• What data do they have access to?

3. Collect information on each service provider, including basic information:

• A business charter or articles of incorporation (or similar corporate charter)
• Business location, and proof of location.
• Business license: confirm that the company is legitimate
• Overview of company structure
• Information about executives and board members
• Financial information: is the service provider financially solvent? Would you want to partner with a company that may not be in business next year? 
• Insurance: gather information on general liability insurance, cyber insurance, or insurance-specific capabilities.

4. General risk information:

• Is the service provider on any watch lists?
• Any Lawsuits?
• Any negative news coverage?
• Any significant complaints or negative reviews from consumers?
• Is the site physically secure?
• Policy Review

5. Cyber risk Information:

• Security rating
• Assessment questionnaire
• Retrieve the IT system outline
• Any assets exposed to the open Internet?
• Any cases of data breaches?

6. Final risk analysis:

• Calculate your risk: Risk = Likelihood of a Data Breach X Impact of a Data Breach/Cost
• Set a risk rating of high, medium, or low
• Compare the above information with your risk appetite and determine whether your organisation should pursue a relationship with the service provider

How can CRI Group™ Help You Manage and Respond to Risks?

Managing third-party risk can be difficult. The work isn’t done when you understand the risks associated with doing working with third-party providers. With CRI Group™, organisations can make the process simpler and gain a window into their service providers’ risk. 

Due diligence on potential business partners when adding a new vendor or hiring a new employee is vital to confirm the legitimacy and reduce the risks associated with such professional relationships. 

Our global integrity DueDiligence360 investigations provide your business with the critical information it needs in making sound decisions regarding mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and the selection of vendors, suppliers, and employees. And we offer various levels of due diligence to fit your needs:

• Level I Basic: Basic due diligence
• Level I Essential: Essential due Diligence
• Level II EDD Enhanced Integrity Due Diligence
• Level II EDD Plus Enhanced Integrity Due Diligence

Our Enhanced Integrity Due Diligence services will ensure that working with an, i.e. potential trade partner will achieve your organisation’s strategic and financial goals. To find out more about each level of due diligence, contact CRI Group™ HERE!

Who is CRI Group™?

Based in London, CRI Group™ works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence, Compliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider.

We have the largest proprietary network of background screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are, we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group™ also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

Filed under: Due Diligence, Resources by admin
Comments Off on Looking for a Service Provider Due Diligence Checklist?

ISO 37001 Solutions for All Industries (Part 3)

In part 1, we discussed how ISO 37001 ABMS can help companies across a wide range of industries, including automotive, aviation and insurance. In part 2, we looked at how pharma and healthcare, property, IT and telecommunications organisations can benefit from Anti-Bribery solutions as well. In this final part, we will explore some aspects of how companies from the financial, oil and energy industries could implement ABAC solutions.

Finance

Bribery and corruption are among the top fraud concerns for all financial organisations. These include banks & financial institutions, real estate lenders, business credit and finance companies, commercial investment corporations, asset-based lenders, debt financing firms, acquisition capital firms and others. Having safeguarding processes in place is required both from a legal and compliance standpoint and from the position of being a trusted, secure financial institution. The financial sector includes new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules and legislation, and these regulations are strict and increasingly enforced. As such, remaining in compliance through implementing proper prevention controls is a must.

In one high-profile case, between 2006 and 2013, JPMorgan Chase and its subsidiary, JP Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited (JPM-APAC) took on about 100 Chinese interns and full-time employees who ended up at the centre of a bribery case spread over two continents and worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In order to win business from members of the Chinese government and state-owned companies, JPM-APAC allegedly targeted their children, offering them high-ranking and well-paid positions in the business in order to curry favour with their parents. JP Morgan fell into trouble for allegedly violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and the DoJ called the scheme ‘bribery by any other name’ – alleging that it had threatened national security. In November 2016, the bank was ordered to pay $264 million to settle the claims against it – $130m to the SEC for violations of the FCPA, $72m to the US Justice Department and $61.9m to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

CRI Group™ investigates: Pharma corruption case included CFO

ISO 37001 in Oil, Gas and Energy Industries

The oil and energy sector is a massive portion of the world’s economy, dealing mainly in petroleum – including upstream (exploration, development and production of crude oil or natural gas) and downstream (oil tankers, refiners, retailers and consumers) pipeline. The need to prospect, discover, and realise oil and energy production in various (and often far-flung) locations lends to the vulnerability to fraud – but geographic considerations aren’t the only risk factors.  Perhaps even more impactful is the complexity of business relationships required to operate in the industry – relationships with governments, contractors, regulators, investors/venture partners, equipment suppliers and other parties. Every such interaction and dealing can be considered susceptible to bribery and corruption where cutting corners may be considered profitable or even perceived to be “business as usual.”

An infamous example is the case of Petrobras. In December 2017, the world’s largest builder of offshore rigs agreed to pay $422 million in penalties after entering a guilty plea for bribery charges connected with the Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) scandal. Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. made illicit payments to both Petrobras officials and government representatives for more than a decade, between 2001 and 2014 (Reuters, 2017). The sweeping multimillion-dollar bribery scandal that rocked Petrobras led to numerous investor lawsuits and the downfall of disgraced government officials. It also served as the embodiment of the huge risk of bribery and corruption that confronts the entire oil and energy sector. See “Oil and Energy Companies Look to ISO 37001.”

Long-lasting Benefits of Certification of ISO 37001

ISO 37001 provides a strong framework for addressing and isolating risk factors in all industries. The benefits of certification are far-reaching, impacting not just the primary organisation but also influencing contractors, clients, and raising the profile of the company as an ethical entity that is a good trading partner. Even more effective, ABAC™ tailors IS0 37001 to the specific needs of the client.

By achieving ISO 37001:2016 certification, an organisation will ensure that it is implementing a viable anti-bribery management system utilising widely accepted controls and systems. It will also assure management, investors, business associates, personnel and other stakeholders that the organisation is actively pursuing internationally recognised and accepted processes to prevent bribery and corruption. Today, companies cannot afford to be reactive to threats of bribery and corruption. By achieving ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System certification today, an organisation will remain in compliance and better positioned to address risks head-on.

Stay updated 

Stay tuned for Part 2 or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for more industry news and insights.

Sign up for risk management, compliance, corporate and background investigations, business intelligence and due diligence related news, solutions, events and publications.

Who is CRI Group?

Based in London, CRI Group™ works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence, Compliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

Filed under: All Industries, Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Solution, Compliance Solution, ISO 37001, Resources by admin
No Comments »

Procurement Risks: The 5 common Risks Every Organisation Needs to Know!

Procurement Risks: Your Lack of Due Diligence can Lead to Harm

Procurement risks: lack of due diligence can lead to harm. Procurement is one of the most critical areas of any organisation, large or small. Procurement officers secure the materials and goods that a business needs to be productive and successful. They ensure the best possible price, quality, delivery efficiency, and other important considerations.

Unfortunately, due to the very nature of dealing with third-party suppliers/vendors, procurement also requires an elevated level of risk management. As many high-profile cases have shown, supply-line problems can cause financial and reputational damage, sometimes on a grand scale.

The infamous horse meat scandal in the UK presents a classic scenario of the damage from risky third-party associations. Widely known international corporations, including Burger King and others, were forced to cut ties with a meat supplier after facing financial and reputational harm from the news that some of the supplier’s products were tainted with horseflesh.

The revelations of tainted meat resulted in international news headlines, waves of criticism from consumers and food products pulled from shelves and freezers in response to the uproar. As damaging as it was, the crisis helped illustrate why due diligence became more important as supply chains expanded and became more complex, especially among international organisations.

The procurement risks: How to minimise them?

The following are some priorities every organisation should have to minimise procurement risks in their procuring process:

Risk #1 – Know who your suppliers are

Due diligence is as vital in procurement as in any other business area, in some cases, more so. Third-Party Risk Management (3PRM™) services help organisations proactively mitigate risks from third-party affiliations, protecting organisations from liability, brand damage, and harm to the business. As part of this service, experts check supplier backgrounds to verify their financial viability, quality control, compliance standards and – most importantly – any prior legal or criminal action. Taking this step before you engage with a supplier or vendor can save some severe headaches down the road. Get our 3PRMTM and DueDiligence360TM brochures to learn more about our tailored investigative solutions.

Risk #2 – Consider your organisation’s reputation

The horsemeat scandal showed how quickly and drastically it can damage a well-respected organisation’s reputation and brand. Your procurement team should know that while the bottom line is essential, nothing is more critical than protecting the image and brand of the company. Cutting due diligence corners to secure the lowest price is not only unwise – it should be strictly against company policy.

Risk #3 – Find sustainable lines of supply

Seek out suppliers with long, successful backgrounds in their business. Find economically sound and socially conscious companies, using fair labour practices and promoting sustainable resources. It harmed the organisation when it discovered that a supplier was using child labour or other unethical or illegal methods to produce their goods. Implement a code of conduct with expectations for your contractors, suppliers and vendors, and review them regularly to ensure they follow your guidelines.

Risk #4 – Have backup suppliers in place

What happens when your primary vendor is suddenly out of compliance? Or folds up completely? If your production chain grinds to a halt, the damage can be severe and lasting to your organisation’s financial and reputational health. Ensure your procurement team has conducted due diligence on backup suppliers that you can turn to in a crisis. Spending a little more to keep the production lines open will be a small price to pay compared to seeing your business come to a standstill.

Risk #5 – Conduct a thorough risk assessment

Any organisation that hasn’t prepared a risk assessment of its procurement process should immediately do so. How else will you know what red flags or gaps make your organisation susceptible to fraud, waste, risk to reputation, or all of the above? Third-party risk management experts can help you develop and put in place an effective third-party risk assessment plan that keeps your organisation protected and minimises your exposure to unseen or unknown trouble spots.

Every organisation needs a successful and efficient procurement process. It also needs to be safe from the inherent risks with connections to third parties, including suppliers, vendors and contractors. When it comes to procurement, let CRI Group™ help you put proper risk management processes in place so you don’t have to worry about your supply chain putting you in tomorrow’s headlines.

Who is CRI Group™?

Based in London, CRI Group™ works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence, Compliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider.

We have the largest proprietary network of background screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are, we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group™ also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

Filed under: Due Diligence, Industry Insights, Resources, Third-Party Risk Management by admin
No Comments »

Tackling Corporate Fraud in the Middle East

Tackling corporate fraud in the middle east has become even more challenging during the pandemic. ICAEW Insights sat down with our founder and chief executive, Zafar Anjum, to discuss the rising levels of corporate fraud in the middle east during the pandemic.

Find out how CR™ is using AI to investigate wrongdoing; from fake degrees and doctored CVs to false insurance claims and bogus bills, our corporate fraud investigators in the Middle East have seen it all. Zafar told ICAEW his firm was busier than ever as the pandemic triggered a rise in white-collar crime cases across the region.

From its base in London, CRI™ has been helping firms in middle east regions like Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. Regions where anti-fraud frameworks are still being built out inside the embryonic corporate regulatory regimes that govern the Middle East.

“We’ve seen a lot of insurance fraud claim investigations, fake bills, fake debts and fraudulent certificates designed to cheat insurance companies,” Zafar said. “Covid allowed internal controls to be relaxed; people are working from home, so the usual check and balances are missing.”

Filed under: All Industries, All Solutions, Leadership Insights, Middle East by admin
Comments Off on Tackling Corporate Fraud in the Middle East

5 Reasons To Run Employee Screening

Being HR professional, we have to deal with rigorous recruitment cycles, and for this, we must meet with several candidates before closing the vacancy. Every HR person has their style of evaluating the candidates, but one thing that needs to be kept in mind before making the final hiring decision is to “Never judge a book by its cover” (Stonehouse, 2017), since at times we might overlook some critical points, perhaps due to a fancy resume or qualification. Every HR professional should consider a crucial step before taking a candidate on board: run employee screening.

According to Business Week – 16% of executive resumes contain false academic claims and/or material omissions relating to educational experience. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the average cost of a bad hiring decision can equal 30% of the first year’s potential earnings. If you are an HR professional and reading this article, then I can assure you that other HR professionals must be thinking, “is it worth investing additional time and money in pre-employment background screening service?” Let me tell you the key benefits that you can gain from conducting pre-employment background screening services:

1. Better Compliance: It Keeps You Out of Legal Issues

Let’s suppose one of your employees commits fraud in your company, and after investigations, you came to know that the employee did the same with previous employers. At this point, you will regret not conducting their background check, as if you had conducted their employment and criminal check, then you wouldn’t have hired them in the first place.

2. Ensures Credibility When Performing Sensitive Tasks

In addition to legal issues, some background checks can verify a candidate’s creditability in performing their on-job duties. For instance, when a candidate is being hired for the accounts department where petty cash and the company’s account handling are their primary responsibilities, their employment check may come across that his previous employment has concluded due to mishandling of accounts.

3. Safer Work Environment: Keep Employees and Clients Safe

Conducting Background checks can also convey a message throughout the company’s stakeholders, especially its clients, that all employees hired in the company have gone through rigorous checks. Therefore, the data shared by the clients are in safe hands, thus increasing the overall integrity of the company and its staff.

4. Verifies Education and Certification

The increase in the number of fake degrees has amplified the importance of pre-employment check of educations. Therefore, all degrees and certificates of the applicant under consideration should be verified. The outcome of verification is not just about checking an applicant’s honesty but also verifying the legal status of the degrees and their issuing authorities.

5. Stronger Hires, More Savings: It Gives an Overall Picture of the Applicants

Apart from the interviews, pre-employment background checks can help the interviewer to make their hiring decision accordingly. For instance, candidates may have successfully cleared the interview process, but in their employment checks, the company found that they had resigned from their services after they were accused of sexual harassment by colleagues. Irrespective of how competent a candidate is for the vacancy, such red flags regarding the candidate’s behaviour can completely change the hiring decision and safeguard the company from future issues.

It is indeed worth spending extra time and money on pre-employment background screening because making a wrong hiring decision can not only increase recruitment cost and time but may also incur the cost of damage that employee has given to the company, whether in the form of litigation’s or damaging the company’s goodwill.

So, If Your Company is not Conducting Background Screening! Think Again!

Being in HR, you might be creating liability for the company by making the wrong hiring decision. It’s never too late to correct your actions, so contact us, and we can provide our employment background screening services. As it is rightly said, I quote, “better safe than sorry” (Bateson, 2008). 

CRI Group™, based in London, works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management and Due Diligence solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background screening analysts and Investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are, we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. CRI Group also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

References

1. Bateson, J., 2008. Building Hope: Leadership in the Nonprofit World. United States Of America: Greenwood Publishing Group.
2. Stonehouse, R. A., 2017. You’re Hired! Job Search Strategies That Work. 1st ed. s.l.:eBookIt.com.

Filed under: Employee Background Check, Industry Insights by admin
No Comments »

Mubadala Petroleum Achieved ISO 37001 ABMS Certification Through CRI Group™

Corporate Research and Investigations Limited (CRI Group™) announced that Mubadala Petroleum, a leading international oil and gas company, has successfully achieved ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management Systems certification.

The announcement was made by Zafar Anjum, CEO at Corporate Research and Investigations Limited. “We are honoured to certify Mubadala Petroleum for ISO 37001, as the ethical and transparent front-runner in the oil and gas industry.”

Mubadala Petroleum is a leading international, upstream oil and gas exploration and production company that manages assets and operations spanning ten countries globally, with a primary geographic focus on the Middle East and North Africa, Russia and Southeast Asia.

The ISO 37001 certification was achieved through ABAC™ Certification, a component of CRI Group’s Anti Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC™) Center of Excellence, accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC) for administering ISO 37001 ABMS certification.

ABAC’s Scheme Manager, Huma Khalid added: “Mubadala Petroleum was very motivated to achieve the globally recognised certification to prove their commitment to the highest integrity and accountability levels across the world. It is an honour to certify Mubadala Petroleum in the UAE in numerous business areas including but not limited to ABC ethics & compliance, ABC risk assessment and management, business management, investigations and reporting, due diligence and employment procedures. It is encouraging that exponential number of worldwide organisations start deciding to not only commit to their sustainable business commitments but also achieve certification to promote transparency inside and outside their organisations.”

ABOUT CRI GROUP™

Since 1990, CRI Group™ (Corporate Research and Investigations Limited) has safeguarded businesses from fraud and corruption, providing insurance fraud investigations, employee background screening, investigative due diligence, third-party risk management, compliance and other professional investigative research services.

CRI Group’s ABAC™ Center of Excellence provides certification and training solutions to local organisations in the field of Anti-Bribery Management Systems, Risk Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems.

Stop Bribery and Corruption Today – With ISO 37001 Certification!

Filed under: Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Solution, CRI News by admin
Comments Off on Mubadala Petroleum Achieved ISO 37001 ABMS Certification Through CRI Group™