Workplace Fraud

Recent figures suggest that there are more than 280,000 bar staff employed throughout the 57,500 public houses in the UK. If each one of them gave away ONE pint of beer a year, the cost to the trade would be £798,000 in lost income. To compensate for that they would need to generate additional sales of over £2 million, simply to cover these losses.

Where establishments tolerate ‘a little bit of staff fraud’ the attitude spreads throughout the management and staff. That ethos is reflected in the way that business relates to its clientele and a reputation is established, and becomes known within the local community in a very short time. Whether it is the electrician who does the job his company sent him to do, but then arranges a few private jobs on the side (using company components), or the timber merchants assistant who slips a few extra planks onto the lorry for ‘a drink’, or the waiter or waitress who turns a blind eye to a free meal for one of his or her friends, we, as consumers, have to ultimately pay the bill for it. Small businesses whose profit margins have been squeezed ever tighter may be driven to the wall by the losses inflicted by its own employees. In the film starring Richard Pryor, he made millions by merely by skimming off the rounded up portions of a cent. If enough people take a small piece, it soon adds up to a very expensive cake.

By working with employers we can help identify those believed to be carrying out fraud against a company, be it an employee or customer. We can then assist in preparing a case for civil or criminal prosecution, or merely provide sufficient grounds for dismissal, as well as advising on measures to prevent future similar actions being carried out in the future.

Often these acts are be carried out abroad. By working with international colleagues, borders present little obstacle to the successful investigation, apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators of such frauds and scams. We often assist individuals and companies who have been defrauded by other companies and assist in the collation and presentation of evidence to trading standards authorities for further action.