Marvin OnumonuOne in five (19%) UK employees admitted to secretly working for a competitor, according to research from Cifas.
Nearly a quarter (24%) said they believed this behaviour was justifiable.
Almost a fifth (19%) said they or someone they knew had used fraudulent reference houses to hide employment gaps.
13% admitted to sharing company login details for money.
Expenses fraud, such as claiming personal meals as business expenses, was the most common type of fraud reported, at 24%.
Gambling-related insider threats were also highlighted, with 13% knowing someone who used company funds to place bets.
Additionally, 88% of business owners and 70% of C-suite executives said some unlawful behaviours were justifiable.
Mike Haley, CEO at Cifas, said: “These insights suggest a shift in workplace norms and raise urgent questions about organisational culture, risk management, and accountability.
“Our workplace fraud trends research doesn’t solely reflect individual choices; it reveals systemic blind spots to a whole range of rising threats impacting the workplace – from polygamous working to UK professionals using fraudulent reference houses.
“Organisations must take steps urgently to build effective counter-fraud cultures in the workplace, strengthening prevention, and empowering employees to do the right thing.”
Keith Rosser, chair of The Better Hiring Institute and director of Reed Screening, said: “Hiring fraud, driven by modern working styles and AI, is a quickly growing challenge for organisations.
“Since the Better Hiring Institute, Cifas, and Reed Screening launched the UK’s first guide on tackling hiring fraud in Parliament the issue has steadily grown.
“Polygamous working and the use of reference houses are two of the largest issues impacting UK business, along with fake IT workers and AI-enabled fraud.
“It is essential companies protect themselves against this expanding issue.”
