Business Fraud: What Is It Why Should You Know About It?
Stay updated with current accounting standards, business compliance, tax preparation tips, and latest news.
12 Sep 2023
Today, more people work remotely, more organizations experience staff churn and fewer internal controls are implemented by them. Due to these irregularities, the chances of corporate fraud have increased multifold.
However, even if you put the strictest controls & stringent policies, and keep the trustworthy long-term staff, your business is not 100% secure from fraud. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how business fraud cases have taken place in the past, and what ways we can prevent it from happening.
One can take several measures to avoid being a victim of business fraud. With this disparity between individuals who are aware of the hazards and the number of fraud-related crimes committed, it is more necessary than ever for you to educate yourself on the potential threats to your business.
To update you, we’ve derived information from some of the famous examples of fraud in business law. Keep scrolling to find out the in-depth details about how you can protect your business from fraud.
Employee theft is part of internal fraud that ranges from mismanaged items to unethical accounting procedures or the loss of financial and material assets. The external causes of fraud are substantially broader. Fake invoices, faulty checks, or the use of stolen credit cards are all examples of external fraud.
Tip:
The word business fraud has a broad definition. It might refer to offenses committed by top corporate people, or it could allude to an attack on the organization. Finally, commercial fraud nearly always entails stealing money from someone else under the pretense of business transactions.
Business fraud encompasses a wide range of illegal or unethical actions, including but not limited to:
While there is no sure method to eliminate commercial fraud. However, there are few precautions that companies can take to reduce risk.
Fraud prevention shares similarities with other forms of prevention in that it's often overlooked until a problem arises. It's crucial to proactively address fraud to safeguard your company and establish a strict zero-tolerance culture.
We understand that each business is unique; hence, we tailor our services to meet your needs. Contact CJCPA to see how we can help you prevent fraud in your organization. Explore our blogs for additional information on accounting, business, and finances.
What is Fraud?
Tragically, fraud may appear in a variety of ways. Some may look obvious, while others may be difficult to detect, especially for the novice eye. And it can sometimes originate from within your organization.
Employee theft is part of internal fraud that ranges from mismanaged items to unethical accounting procedures or the loss of financial and material assets. The external causes of fraud are substantially broader. Fake invoices, faulty checks, or the use of stolen credit cards are all examples of external fraud.
Tip:
- Check out the website of the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre online to report fraud.
- Consult tax accountant Surrey for taxation-related frauds.
What Is Business Fraud?
The word business fraud has a broad definition. It might refer to offenses committed by top corporate people, or it could allude to an attack on the organization. Finally, commercial fraud nearly always entails stealing money from someone else under the pretense of business transactions.
Business fraud encompasses a wide range of illegal or unethical actions, including but not limited to:
- Financial Fraud: Manipulating financial statements, embezzlement, insider trading, or false reporting to inflate profits or hide losses.
- Asset Misappropriation: Theft or misuse of company assets, such as inventory, cash, or intellectual property.
- Corruption: Bribes, kickbacks, or other illicit payments to influence decisions, gain contracts, or secure advantages.
- Consumer Fraud: Deceptive marketing, false advertising, or product misrepresentation aimed at defrauding customers.
- Cyber Fraud: Unauthorized access, data breaches, or phishing schemes that compromise sensitive information.
- Employee Fraud: Dishonest actions by employees, such as submitting false expense claims or time theft.
- Supplier or Vendor Fraud: Overbilling, delivering subpar goods or services, or colluding with employees to exploit the company.
Sources Of Fraud
Fraud can occur both inside and outside of a business or organization. In case your business has experienced different types of fraud in accounting in Canada, you can find out how to report in consultation with CJCPA chartered professional accountants in BC.
- al Fraud: Theft from employees is a common source of fraud. This theft can take numerous ways, ranging from misplaced inventory to corrupt accounting practices to genuine financial asset theft.
- External Fraud: The external causes of fraud are considerably broader. Customer fraud can take many forms, such as using counterfeit banknotes, issuing faulty checks, or making purchases with stolen credit cards. False returns can be a concern for firms with a retail component.
How Businesses Can Defend Against Fraud
While not every firm has the means to thoroughly monitor and implement effective anti-fraud procedures, this does not mean that you are without solutions for detecting and managing fraudulent activity in your organization.
While there is no sure method to eliminate commercial fraud. However, there are few precautions that companies can take to reduce risk.
- Separate Duties and Review Processes at the Institute: Divide responsibilities for money management among your team so that no single person has complete authority. That assures impartiality and avoids errors.
- Understand Your Employees: In today’s economy, when new employees join your team, verify their pasts to determine whether they are trustworthy and have not done anything illegal in the past, such as fraud.
- Keep internal controls in place: Solid protection inside a company is a powerful way to protect against fraud. Check to see if your team follows these standards to avoid fraud successfully. Strong measures are useless if they are not in place.
- Educate yourself and your employees: Knowing the indicators of unusual behavior and how fraud evolves is an essential safeguard against fraud. Recognize the area where your company may be in danger. Train your employees to spot strange behavior in coworkers.
- Remove company credit cards: Using Company credit cards is simple, but they may be misused. Using personal company credit cards should be avoided. To prevent harm, employ a refund scheme or direct business purchasing.
- Implement surprising bookkeeper audits: Perform surprise financial checks regularly without informing the accounting staff. Prevents fraud since even trustworthy employees may misuse their access. Make it clear that it is for prevention and that specific transactions will be subject to examination.
There Is No Better Time To Begin Than Right Now.
Fraud prevention shares similarities with other forms of prevention in that it's often overlooked until a problem arises. It's crucial to proactively address fraud to safeguard your company and establish a strict zero-tolerance culture.
We understand that each business is unique; hence, we tailor our services to meet your needs. Contact CJCPA to see how we can help you prevent fraud in your organization. Explore our blogs for additional information on accounting, business, and finances. 
