Ryan FowlerCifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, has reported a concerning trend of increased dishonest conduct committed by new recruits against their employers.
According to their latest findings, over a third of employees (38%) flagged for dishonest activities on the Cifas Insider Threat Database (ITD) have been in their position for less than a year, a significant increase from 21% in 2022.
The data, revealed in conjunction with the release of the Fraudscape report, shows a 14% rise in filings to the ITD in the past year, with nearly half of these (49%) relating to employee dishonesty. This uptick is largely attributed to heightened financial pressures facing individuals.
Duncan McLellan, senior fraud intelligence analyst at Cifas, said: “As the uncertain economic climate and cost-of-living pressures continue, some employees are driven to commit dishonest acts. Hybrid working environments, which can complicate employer supervision, also provide opportunities for fraud.”
Tracey Carpenter, insider threat manager for Cifas, added: “While it’s encouraging to see improvements in fraud detection and staff training, the rise in dishonest conduct, particularly among new recruits, remains a critical risk for businesses. Continued focus on staff awareness, wellbeing, and fraud prevention measures is essential to mitigate these risks.”
The Fraudscape report also highlighted that long-serving employees are not immune to committing fraud, with 17% of those in post for over ten years being filed for dishonest conduct in 2023.
