2022 Investigations & White-Collar Crime POWER PLAYERS Issue Is Out Now!

2022 Investigations & White-Collar Crime

• 2022 Investigations & White-Collar Crime Power Players issue is out. Corporate Research and Investigations Limited were featured in this year Financier Worldwide’s Power Players issue.
• In this edition, CRI® Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Zafar Anjum, talks about his career’s achievements, what the organisation strives to demonstrate to clients and how he sees the investigations a white-collar crime market shaping up over the coming months and all the exciting trends or developments on the horizon.
• Having dedicated his career to background investigation, fraud prevention, protective integrity, security and compliance, Zafar Anjum is a distinguished and highly respected professional in his field.

As CEO of CRI Group™, Zafar uses his extensive knowledge and expertise to create stable and secure networks across challenging global markets. For organisations needing comprehensive project management, security, safeguard testing, background investigations, and real-time compliance applications, Anjum is the assurance expert of choice for industry professionals. Such expertise is increasingly important as a result of COVID-19 – with a long list of countries worldwide still facing significant economic disruption, insecurity and suffering, which has created an increased risk of bribery and corruption. News in the past years showed that many governments began to implement measures to combat these implications from the global pandemic:

Kenyan Anti-bribery and Anti-Corruption laws

“In 2020, it was reported [by Global Compliance News] that the Kenyan Government is in the process of implementing harsher corruption and bribery laws in an attempt to curb the current statistics within the country. The Kenyan Government is concerned with preventing bribery and corruption, perhaps to ensure the appropriate allocation of resources in these unprecedented times. A proposed amendment to the Bribery Act, which is currently being tabled in Parliament, seeks to allow for the imposition of a fine amounting to KSh 5 million (circa USD 46,939) or for a period of imprisonment not exceeding ten years, where an individual is aware of, or suspects bribery taking place and fails to report it.”

US Abuse of Power Prevention Act

In 2020, the House Judiciary Committee held a mark-up of a new bill, the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act, as US congress aims to eliminate the tolerance of alleged corruption and bribery undertaken by the current or former presidents. “Section Three of the bill amends the federal bribery statute to make clear that a (former) president can be prosecuted for accepting a bribe in exchange for a pardon… The House also introduced a related bill; the No President is Above the Law Act.”

French Compliance Legislation

The French government has also been working on implementing anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation in 2020 for the first time since 2016 adapted and improved their white-collar crime standards. As stated in a Global Investigations Review by Lexology, “in anti-bribery compliance, in particular, the recently created French Anticorruption Agency (AFA) keeps building on Sapin II by providing guidance on specific topics, auditing compliance programmes and for the first time… bringing cases in front of its sanctions board.”

Against this backdrop, Financier Worldwide turns to come of the leading lights in their field (including our CEO), who share their stories. A pre-release version of “POWER PLAYERS Investigations & White-Collar Crime 2022 – Exceptional Experts” is now available to view. Please click here to access the file.

The Security Of Your Company Depends On Effective Risk Management

Background investigations are critical to any company’s success because working with qualified, honest and hard-working employees and other businesses is integral to thriving in the business community. What you don’t know can hurt you, and the simple act of one bad decision can result in an unprecedented loss for your company. 

From vendor and third-party screening to employment screening, CRI Group™ recommends background investigations as critical proactive measures to help keep your business safe. An effective background screening investigation will help screen for bad apples that can cause havoc down the road. Because we maintain a diverse talent base comprised of multilingual and multi-cultural professionals, CRI™ can traverse obstacles that often impede international background investigations. That’s why we are frequently contracted by our competitors to conduct background investigations in geographic regions not serviced or accessible by larger investigative firms. Contact CRI Group™ to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

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 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.

In 2016, CRI Group™ launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC™) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body that provides education and certification services for individuals and organisations on a wide range of disciplines and ISO standards, including ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management- Guidelines; ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organisations; ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management System; ISO 37301:2021 (formerly ISO 19600) Compliance Management system (CMS); Anti-Money Laundering (AML); and ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems ABMS. ABAC™ offers a complete suite of solutions designed to help organisations mitigate the internal and external risks associated with operating in multi-jurisdiction and multi-cultural environments while assisting in developing frameworks for strategic compliance programs. Contact ABAC™ for more on ISO Certification and training.

ABAC™ is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS CB number: 10613) against ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of the scheme’s management systems of ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS). This makes ABAC™ Certification the leading accredited certification body specialising in global anti-bribery and anti-corruption, risk and compliance management system standards. ABAC™ experts audit any existing compliance and anti-bribery anti-corruption management systems to assess effectiveness and vulnerabilities while ensuring your organisation complies with Internal Standards, FCPA, UK Bribery Act, Anti-Money Laundering regulations, and all other global, regional and local regulations while maintaining a competitive edge in the world marketplace.

If you are seeking to validate or expand your existing compliance frameworks to maintain a competitive edge in the world marketplace, ABAC™ can help you. Our experts audit your existing compliance and anti-bribery anti-corruption management systems to assess effectiveness and vulnerabilities while ensuring your organisation complies with Internal Standards, FCPA rules, UK Bribery Act laws, Anti-Money Laundering regulations, and all other global, regional and local regulations.

Let’s talk

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Risk Management New Approach. All Explained in this Free Playbook!

Risk Management New Approach. All Explained in this Free Playbook!

Risk management new approach. How do you manage risk? Managing risk effectively is essential to ensure businesses succeed and thrive in an environment of constant uncertainty.  All types and sizes of organisations face internal and external factors that directly impact whether an organisation can achieve their objectives or not. CRI Group™ can help you simplify risk management through a wide range of solutions that can be fully customised, regardless of the size, nature, or location of a business.

An organization can implement risk management across the entire company, and it can do so at any time. Risk management plans, such as ISO 37001 Audit Process, can offer several benefits that make them a worthwhile endeavor for every business. For example, risk management plans help companies to identify the potential risks they may face. Being aware of these risks allows businesses to make plans to avoid specific risks or deal with them when they arise. There are many benefits of implementing a risk management strategy:

• Can be used by organizations to compare their risk management practices with an internationally recognized benchmark, providing sound principles for effective management and corporate governance.
• Leads to more satisfied customers is a clear indicator to your customers and other stakeholders that as an organization, you are committed to managing risks in every part of your business.
• Increases public confidence in the organization as it demonstrates your management capabilities in protecting your business from internal and external threats.
• Gives you a healthier bottom line.
• Makes for consistent and efficient operations.
• In competitive bidding for commercial tenders, it will enhance your company’s reputation and give you a competitive advantage.

This playbook covers everything you need to know about Risk Management. Here’s a quick rundown of the playbook structure:

• What is Risk?

• What is Risk management?

• How is risk management evolving to tackle modern challenges?

• Business Risks Every Organization Should Plan For

• Principles of Risk Management

• How Risk Management and Due Diligence Interlock?

• and more

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BS 7858:2019 playbook: everything you need to know and more!

Times are changing, and the resources required to conduct background searches and investigations have strained businesses worldwide. With a dramatic rise in business liability associated with hiring the wrong individuals and the increase in penalties imposed on companies that extend from C-suites to Boards of Directors, businesses are taking a closer look at the systems, procedures and resources utilised to screen potential job candidates. It is important to know that the BS7858:2012 standard has been replaced with the new BS7858:2019 standard. The British Standards Institutions have released a new edition that has brought the standard up to date and features many changes. BS 7858:2019 employee screening offers you the complete solution now.

In balancing the effectiveness and accuracy of a background screening investigation with the limited time normally allowed to conduct such a search, the onus falls chiefly on the screening firm and its ability to acquire timely information. The Global Community has become one collective hiring pool. Thanks to technology, a top candidate for a high-level position in one corner of the world might hail from a remote province on the opposite side of the globe. This poses a significant problem for organisations looking to acquire the best talent:

• How can you be confident your candidate truly has the skills, credentials, knowledge and experience they claim to possess?
• How can you be certain of that candidate’s integrity, background, and personal history?

BS 7858:2019 Playbook

The premise behind the standard is to safeguard employers from bad or fraudulent hires. The price of a bad hire has far-reaching consequences for any business, including productivity loss, decreased employee morale, risks to employee safety, increased exposure to costly negligent hiring claims, and potentially devastating litigation. Cases of organisations that forego conducting due diligence on a new hire – especially a hire with high-risk exposure – often end badly for those organisations. Due to COVID-19, times are changing, and the resources required to conduct background searches and investigations have strained businesses worldwide. 

At CRI®, we know how important is your background screening to your company’s success and to give you an idea of what is new, we have produced this playbook detailing the differences between the BS7858:2012 standard and the new BS7858:2019 standard.

Let’s Talk!

BS 7858:2019 accredited companies (such as CRI®) highlight to their clients that their security personnel are staff that can be trusted and relied upon to complete a high-quality job. The screening process highlights the level of conduct they have presented in the past. This reassures the safety of the people, goods, and property they have been hired to protect. If you have any further questions or are interested in implementing compliance solutions, please contact us.

Contact CRI® Group to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

About CRI® Group

Based in London, CRI® 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® also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

In 2016, CRI® 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.

Meet our CEO

Zafar I. Anjum is Group Chief Executive Officer of CRI®, a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organisations. Headquartered in London (with a significant presence throughout the region) and licensed by the Dubai International Financial Centre-DIFC, the Qatar Financial Center-QFC, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market-ADGM, CRI® safeguards businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking to affiliate with your business. CRI® maintains offices in UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China, the USA, and the United Kingdom.

Zafar Anjum, MSc, MS, CFE, CII, MICA, Int. Dip. (Fin. Crime)

CRI® Group Chief Executive Officer

t: +44 207 8681415 | m: +44 7588 454959 | e: zanjum@crigroup.com

Filed under: All Industries, All Regions, Background Investigation, Compliance Solution, Employee Background Check, Publication, Resources by admin
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The Importance of Background Checks

The Importance of Background Checks: A Case Study

The world is changing. Borders are opening up. Workforces are crossing international boundaries. Barriers to global competition are lifting and technology is simplifying communication and allowing virtually anyone to enter the global job market. The only constant that remains in today’s hiring equation is people. Resume fraud is a widespread problem for employers in every industry and at any size company. It’s persistent and sometimes even careful examination of a resume won’t immediately reveal red flags or problems. The only way to properly vet job candidates is to screen them with a thorough pre-employment background checking process.

The result of not comprehensive background screening checks was recently described on CNBC, 2018, titled: “HR Confidential: I hired him without performing a background check. Then he stole his colleagues’ identities”. Let’s have a look at the case study.

“I was a senior HR manager at a foreign banking company. An employee came to my office and informed me that someone had stolen his identity and applied for credit cards in his name. I took down a report but didn’t think anything of it because I oversaw payroll and other sensitive information. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for employees to notify me about changes to their banking information or if their bank account had been compromised. That way, I could make sure there were no issues with their deposits. But a week later, another employee came to me with the same problem and my red flag went up. By the third employee, I knew something was happening. I realised we had an internal problem because it’s too coincidental for three employees to have identity theft within a three-week span. My staff and I tried to figure out what was going on but we were getting nowhere.

The solution

After a few weeks, we hired an investigative company that specialises in fraud. They came to my office and requested the name, photo and address of everyone who has ever touched our employee files and I gave them a list of 15 to 20 people. One week later, they came back with the postmaster general and postal police officers who were armed with guns. They sat down, placed the list in front of me, pointed to a name and asked, “Who’s this person?” I responded, “Oh, he’s a temp in our file room.” They said, “Bring him in.” I brought him into my office and the guy’s in handcuffs in less than five minutes. I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock. The guy was a temp employee who we had hired through an outside agency to work in our file room. When you have 3,000 employees, their personal files quickly pile up so we hired him to clean up each person’s file, add information to them and put them away. However, he was going into these files, taking people’s social security numbers and stealing all of their information. The post office already had the guy under investigation for other credit card fraud that was linked to a particular address. Therefore, when they saw his name on our list, they were able to easily nail him. When he came into my office, he initially denied that he was the culprit. However, he eventually admitted that his friend talked him into stealing his colleagues’ information. He and his friend were stupid enough to fraudulently sign up for credit cards and got them sent to their home address. That address was the one that the postmaster spotted on our list. For the employees who had their identity stolen, this was such a nightmare. It took some of them more than a year to get this solved. I also felt somewhat responsible because I’m the one who hired the temp and this happened under my watch. I did the best I could in providing support.

As a company, we did feel obligated to offer help and paid the service fees to help them clean up their records. I felt terrible. This went on for months for them. Luckily, they didn’t sue us or anything but it was a mess.

The lesson

The first lesson here is this: Quickly determine when something is outside of your element and know when it’s time to get help. Doing an investigation of employee theft was outside of my staff’s expertise. Even though it cost us about $5,000 to hire the investigative company, it saved us time that would otherwise have been wasted. You need to know when you’ve reached your limit and when to outsource things.

The second lesson is to always perform background checks for temp employees (just like you would for a full-time employee), especially if the person is handling sensitive information.”

At CRI Group™, our EmploySmart™ pre-employment background screening process analyses a job candidate’s claims and credentials and digs beyond the surface to make sure the facts match up. Our experts conduct extensive checks that examine all of the following details of a potential employee:

• Employment History References
• Credit and Bankruptcies Checks
• Academic and Professional Qualifications
• Prior Work Experience and Business Success/Failure Searches
• Regulatory Registers, Compliance Databases and Regional Supplemental Searches
• Sanction List and Criminal Record Searches
• Identity and Good Conduct Certificate Validation
• Directorship Search
• Media and Social Network Search

Can you afford to let degrees and credentials go unchecked? Contact us today.

Source: CNBC, 2018, titled: “HR Confidential: I hired him without performing a background check. Then he stole his colleagues’ identities”, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/05/hr-confidential-i-hired-him-then-he-stole-his-colleagues-identities.html

Filed under: Background Investigation, Employee Background Check, Publication, Resources by admin
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