One of the greatest concerns of corporate executives these days is security. International private investigators have been first hand witnesses that scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but not exactly in the way many people think. Criminals are more aware than ever that the security fails are more often and likely to happen in the human part of the business than in what concerns to technology. It is certainly easier to find a crack into the most confidential information of any company through a live human being, than being able to hack robust information security systems.

According to a study in the United States, human error accounts for 52 percent of the root cause of security breaches.  Failing to follow policies and procedures, as well as general carelessness, are cited as two of the most common causes of human error.   You’d be surprised how much information a criminal can learn about you by simply making phone calls and asking the right questions.

“The experience of our investigation team confirms that mistakes usually originate in the trusting nature of human beings, and the belief that skipping safety procedures once or twice will not be a problem”, says Paul Fletcher, Vice President of Due Diligence Services at Wymoo International.

Only a few months ago, eight immigrants from Europe allegedly conspired to dupe major multinational companies out of millions of dollars. The criminal group did not use any sophisticated software, nor did they employ any genius hacker to commit the fraud. Instead, they telephoned employees at some of Europe’s biggest companies, identified themselves as top executives and tricked workers into transferring large sums of money to bank accounts in their control. It is highly unlikely that the procedures of these companies included a telephone authorization from the boss to transfer six or seven digit figures, but yet the criminals were able to convince the victims to do so.

The above is just one of the recent examples of the most profitable scams affecting businesses today. In the meantime, every CIO in the world is trying to cope with the responsibility of keeping confidential data safe, while the rest of the organization is usually falling behind.

Human resources and recruiting departments all over the world are failing to properly screen their candidates, leaving the doors open to criminals and fraudsters who can infiltrate in the organization and gain access to important information. Prioritizing fast results over the quality of information is misleading many recruiters to the use of databases, instead of real employment background checks.  Many think that checking criminal records is a “background check” when the fact is, checking criminal and court records is only a very small part of a proper and professional background check investigation.   Companies that want to be successful long term need to verify their new employees with real investigations, not a cheap service that only checks a database and the internet.

Real background check investigations are comprehensive and mitigate the risk for clients, and include fraud screening, address and DOB verification, criminal and court records, references and reputation, bankruptcy, ID and passport verification, employment and education history, and more.

Most criminals and persons conducting fraud have no criminal records.

Proper training is essential for the existing employees. Unfortunately, it is common to find employees that do not know well the security procedures. Too often, procedures are presented in a thick manual on the first day of work, and they are never mentioned thereafter. People within a company that do not know the procedures will act according to their criteria instead of checking the protocol, generating situations like the one described before in the case of the fake CEOs.  Important decisions cannot depend on someone’s gut, but on protocols designed and tested by an expert.

In cases with international hiring or international business, the risk for fraud and scams is much higher, so it is essential that managers work with a professional investigation company to stay safe.

Corporations should understand that is equally important to develop and set robust data systems, as it is to focus on the details and the simple decisions that can greatly affect an organization. Risk management is not only a task for the information technology department. Every department needs to participate, collaborate and be able to manage their own related risks. Professional international investigation firms can reduce the risks and save you money in the long run.

Need a free and confidential quote?  Contact us today!

C. Wright
© 2016 Wymoo International

© Copyright 2016 Wymoo International.  All Rights Reserved.  This content is the property of Wymoo International, LLC and is protected by United States of America and international copyright laws.  Wymoo® is a registered trademark.