The nature of modern fraud is almost unrecognisable to the prior tactics, patterns, and behaviours that surfaced during the online boom. Bad actors are no longer ‘trying their luck’ with unsophisticated attempts; instead, fraud is driven by mass organised crime networks that are highly sophisticated, coordinated, and operate at scale.
At the same time, the rapid development of AI has increased the volume of fraud. Organisations now face around-the-clock threats across every channel. This comes at a point when fraud education and awareness are at their highest, driven by public interest in AI-created threats, like deep fakes. Attacks are now likely to be highly personalised, catching unwitting employees off guard, and causing confusion and business vulnerability.
In this environment, everyone is at risk. Legacy protection tools are not enough. Businesses need to be proactive in the…
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.