The 11th Global Fraud Survey from Ernst & Young looks at how businesses have coped with increasing fraud and corruption risk during the financial crisis, and examines the growing pressures on the CFO, internal audit, legal and compliance functions. It reviews the risks and challenges that businesses will face as they navigate clear of the financial crisis and begin to focus on growth. This year’s survey reflects the views of over 1,400 senior decision-makers in major companies in 36 countries across the world.
Key findings specific to the UK include:
Increased enforcement against fraud, bribery and corruption is a priority in many major markets. The passage of the UK’s Bribery Act is the latest example of a more robust approach to punishing the unethical conduct of individuals and corporates. Individual executives and directors will not be immune from prosecution. 76% of UK respondents say their directors are concerned about personal liability for actions carried out by their company.
Despite this concern, organisations are not behaving in a way that would increase their own protection. Alarmingly, 18% of UK companies have not performed a fraud risk assessment over the last 12 months, and 1 in 10 (8%) have never completed one. Performing such an assessment will help prioritise actions to deal with the most significant fraud risks and is therefore fundamental when budgets and resources are scarce.
Having coped through the downturn, many companies are now looking for new growth opportunities, which may come through entering new markets or making acquisitions. These efforts can expose companies to numerous new risks, potentially including corruption issues. To minimise such risks, businesses should undertake thorough, focused pre-acquisition due diligence. However, 34% of UK respondents rarely or never perform fraud or corruption related pre-acquisition due diligence, while 47% rarely or never perform a similarly focused post-acquisition review.
When growth returns, Ernst & Young expect more challenges, more potential for fraud, more exposure to corruption and more interest from regulators. In the coming months, if they haven't done so already, companies will need to review or improve their procedures to achieve long-term sustainable and ethical growth.
Photo from Creative Commons: Flickr: Rosie O’Beirne
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