Gntfraud's Blog

Who will be the first sports star convicted under the UK Bribery Act?

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:01:35 +0000

So with FIFA still mired in controversy over corruption allegations, the recent resignation of its Vice President Jack Warner, and numerous other allegations of cricketers, footballers and jockeys taking ’bungs’, we ask the important question - who will be the first sports star to be convicted under the new UK Bribery Act?

Lets look at why they are so vulnerable even if they are squeaky clean themselves.

They operate as commercial corporate structures and therefore any of those ‘businesses’ which have a presence in the UK will be caught by the UK Bribery Act.

Most operate through intermediaries or agents. Those agents and intermediaries will be classed as associated persons under the UK Bribery Act.

Most will have sponsorship deals which span the world including dealings with countries which are high risk jurisdictions.

The value of the commercial deals involved makes them vulnerable to all types of financial crime: fraud, corruption and money laundering.

If push comes to shove and an ‘associated person’ did commit an act of bribery, how many of these sports stars would be able to prove that they have adequate procedures to prevent bribery? Most will not even have considered the risk let alone done anything about it, leaving them in the ‘dock’.

Burying their heads in the sand won’t work either – the controlling mind of the commercial organisation (in this case the sports star) could be personally liable to prosecution for a Bribery Act offence if they have willfully turned a blind eye to the actions of their agents.

So why not leave us your thoughts below – which sports star is most at risk and why?

Oh and of course if any of you sports stars want some advice on how to protect yourself from this and many other financial crime risks – please get in touch!

Information Security concerns about photocopiers

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 06:46:43 +0000

Could your photocopier be storing confidential data without you realising? Concerns have been raised about the data security risks associated with photocopiers. The concerns arise from the fact that some copiers have an internal hard drive that stores electronic copies of the images they have taken. Not a problem perhaps while the copier remains in your possession but what happens when you decide to replace it? It is important therefore to check with the manufacturer or your leasing company to see if your make and model is affected. You need to ensure that the disk is wiped before the copier leaves your possession. This should form a part of your IT Security policy in the same way that computer hard drives should be wiped when you dispose of them.

Speakers beware scam requests for your services

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:16:37 +0000

I have recently dealt with two cases where international keynote speakers have been contacted by fraudsters inviting them to speak at conferences in the UK. In both cases the conference didn’t exist but the scammers were seeking upfront payments to cover the processing of work permits for working in the UK. There were as ever a couple of signs that these were scams such as very poor English in the emails and the use of yahoo.com return email addresses.

Speakers should be very cautious if they are approached by anyone inviting them to speak at overseas conferences particularly if there is a need to pay a fee upfront to cover certain costs. Check with the venue if in doubt and note that the British Embassy does not use a yahoo.com email address!

If anyone would like further details or are worried they have received a scam email please get in touch.

Engage the honest majority to manage fraud risks

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 13:25:00 +0000

I have recently undertaken a number of fraud awareness staff surveys for clients and the results have been very enlightening. As well as identifying staff perceptions of the organisation’s attitude to fraud and bribery, staff were asked about fraud risks within their areas of work. The responses highlighted a number of specific fraud risks which hadn’t previously been identified by managers. This has provided a useful additional risk assessment for the organisation who can now ‘fraud proof’ those areas to reduce the risk of fraud occurring.

We should never forget that the vast majority of the people we work with, do business with or provide services to are honest, but we also have to acknowledge that there is a dishonest minority out there to spoil the fun. This example emphasises for me the importance in engaging with the honest majority to help tackle the dishonest minority.

The next step for me is to widen the scope of the surveys to adopt a similar approach with contracted suppliers.

If anyone would like further details regarding the services we provide please contact me through the website and social media links on this blog.

Company ID Theft

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:16:51 +0000

Company ID theft is becoming an increasing problem. This works in the same way as with personal ID theft. Company or Corporate ID theft can result in criminals taking out credit with suppliers using your company name and then fleeing without ever paying for the goods. The first you hear about it is when the supplier eventually tracks down the genuine company and starts chasing them for the debt. In such cases there are two victims. The company who has had its identity stolen has a good credit history and reputation destroyed. The supplier faces a bad debt that will never be repaid.

In other cases criminals have used fake documentation, usually fake letterheads to pose as a genuine supplier to a client. They will write or fax the client using the fake letterhead to tell the client of a change to the payment details for the supplier and asking the client to send all future payments to the new bank account details supplied. The unsuspecting client changes the payment details this sending all future payments for that supplier to the fraudsters’ account. Again the first the client will know is when the genuine supplier phones to query an outstanding payment. By that time the criminals will have disappeared with the money.

Suppliers and clients need to be aware of these risks and protect themselves by ensuring that suppliers undertake proper due diligence checks on new clients, and clients confirm any changes to payment details back to the supplier using previously verified contact details.

Top Scams of 2010: Scam 3 – On-line shopping scams

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:33:17 +0000

There are increasing numbers of scams aimed at online shoppers. According to figures compiled by Action Fraud and the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) the top five products likely to feature in online shopping and auction fraud are:

Smart Phones
Digital Cameras
Designer goods including jewellery and branded boots
Laptops and notebooks
Video game systems.

Specific scams have included:

Online car buying scam

People are still being taken in by adverts selling top-of-the-range cars at incredibly low prices. The seller (usually claiming to be English) will say they are abroad and that they need to sell the car quickly. Victims are told they are unable to see the car as it’s already with a shipping company. Guess what? Not surprisingly there is no car and unfortunate victims have already parted with their cash by the time they realise this is a scam.

iPhone 4 auction scam warning

Thousands of pounds worth of stolen iPhone 4 handsets from Vodafone, are being sold on eBay. Police are warning that anyone found to be in possession of a stolen iPhone could be liable for arrest and prosecution for possession of stolen goods.

Online ticket scams

Fake websites take payment for non-existent tickets then close down and disappear. These scams are too numerous to mention but key ones this year have included:

Take That ticket scam ‘Take That’ fans were ‘Taken In’ by fake websites selling counterfeit tickets for the ‘Progress Live’ tour.
Olympic ticketing scam Fraudsters are offering tickets for the 2012 Olympics. These tickets do not exist and any company or website claiming that you can buy or reserve tickets now is fake. Tickets will go on sale later in 2011 and will only be available via official London 2012 channels.

How to buy tickets safely

Anyone wishing to buy tickets for any event should only buy them from well-known websites. They should also be aware that fraudsters often create websites to look very similar to well-known sites. Check that the website’s url is that of the legitimate ticket seller, and if in any doubt at all, call.

A website has been set up aimed at helping people avoid ticket scams by listing information about companies and websites selling tickets. TicketSafe has a ‘Red List’ of websites they suggest you think twice about before buying tickets, and a ‘Green List’ of websites they can recommend. Users are also able to enter in the url of the website they’re think of buying tickets from to see if it’s legitimate or not. Finally, users can add their feedback and experiences of companies they have used to buy tickets from.

Read more about buying tickets safely on TicketSafe’s website.

How to Shop Safely Online

To make sure your online shopping is safe and secure, remember these top tips:

Use secure websites that you trust.
Do your research before making a purchase.
Check online forums for feedback
Do they have a real-world presence? Can you see their address and phone number? Is it a valid UK registered phone number?
Check the browser address changes from ‘http’ to ‘https’ to indicate you have a secure connection and look for a padlock or an unbroken key symbol on your web browser
If website prices for designer items, games and smart phones seem too good to be true, they probably are. Legitimate popular technology and designer items are rarely discounted

Visit getsafeonline for other tips on staying safe online.

Be certain to look at Top Scams of 2010 posts 1 and 2.

GNT Fraud Solutions

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Bribery Act – coming ready or not

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:01:28 +0000

Check out the latest news on the UK Bribery Act

via Bribery Act – coming ready or not.

Top Scams of 2010 – Post No 2 Phishing emails

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:37:59 +0000

Here is the second scam in our review of some of the top scams of 2010.

Scam 2 – Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are still a common problem. These involve fraudsters sending scam emails which look convincingly like genuine emails with the aim of getting you to click on a link which will take you to the scammers’ website where they will try to obtain your login details to on-line banking, paypal or other online accounts. Common phishing emails in the last year have included:

PayPal emails

In this scam individuals receive an email message which appears to be from PayPal. The email says that an issue with the user’s PayPal account has been identified, and that an attachment will help to restore the user’s PayPal account access.

Opening the attachment takes you to a ‘phishing’ page, which is designed to look exactly like a legitimate PayPal web page. The user is then asked to enter information which can include their name, date of birth, and address. The fraudsters may also ask the user for their mother’s maiden name, employer, credit or debit card details and even the card’s PIN.

The Fraudsters will then use this information to commit fraud against the individual by buying goods and services in their name and using their credit card, bank or PayPal account.

Linkedin

Linkedin users need to watch out for bogus emails that appear to be reminders for outstanding requests and messages from the social networking website. The hyperlinks in the email look genuine, but they take users to a fake site that installs a version of Zeus malware on their computer. This enables fraudsters to steal individuals’ personal information and see usernames and passwords for other websites, such as on-line banking.

Student Finance England ‘scam email’

Students are being urged to be vigilant and not to disclose any personal or bank details in response to emails that look like they are from Student Finance England or the Student Loans Company. The phishing scams are particularly common at the three main instalment payment dates in September, January and April. Students requiring further advice on using online services safely should visit the online security page at: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance.

BT Phishing Emails

BT warned customers that fraudsters were sending out phishing emails asking them to update their billing information. BT is reminding customers that they never send emails to customers in which they ask for any sensitive information. Anyone who receives an email that looks like it has been sent by BT asking for personal details such as password and account details, is being advised that it’s likely to be a phishing email.

Tax phishing emails

HMRC warn that they have closed down hundreds of websites responsible for sending out fake tax rebate emails and other tax phishing emails. Users should be wary of any official-looking emails they receive, and if in any doubt, should not click in any links in them.

Scam advice

Anyone who receives a scam email should not:

click on any links in the email
reply to the email or contact the senders in any way
supply any information on a website that opens if they have clicked on a link in an email
open any attachments that arrive with the email.

Instead, type the known url of the company you have an account with directly into the address bar to access the website.

If there are any outstanding requests or messages, they will also be available to view.

For more information visit www.getsafeonline.org

Top Scams of 2010

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:43:39 +0000

Scams Review of 2010

Forget the annual celebrity reviews, the TV reviews, sports reviews etc, here is a review that could really save you money – a review of some of the top scams of 2010. First on the list….

Scam 1 – The Facebook Scams

There are enough Facebook scams out there to fill a whole book so here is just a select few to get the idea. Most of these scams work in the same way – by getting you to click on a link with the aim of gaining access to your face book profile and any personal information the scammers can obtain from it. Additionally the links can take you on-line surveys which earn the scammers money while the message and link is spread virally to users’ Facebook friends.

Common tactics include: offering Facebook users unbelievable offers; new buttons; applications, or interesting ‘news articles’. Examples include:

Free Airline tickets

Such adverts have included JetBlue Airways and Delta airline tickets. Clicking on the link takes you to a ‘connection’ page which asks you to grant access to your profile to a third-party application. Instead of getting free airline tickets you allow the scammers to get personal information from your profile, send spam emails in your name and post to your wall. In this scam you are also asked for your phone number, which signs you up to a premium rate telephone service.

Free i-phones

A similar scam tempts users by offering free iPhones. In this case when the link is followed a message is posted to the victim’s profile. Typical messages include:

Free iPhone 4 Facebook scam “Anyone want my old phone? Claimed my free iPhone today, so happy lol.. If anyone else wants one go here: [link]”

“Just testing Facebook for iPhone out Received my free iPhone today, so happy lol.. If anyone else wants one go here: [link]”.

Early access to a facebook.com email address.

Typically a scam message is posted on Facebook, for example

“Just got my own email @facebook.com! Quickly get one before someone takes your name [link].”

Who blocked you on Facebook

This scam takes advantage of Facebook users who want to know who has blocked them or removed them from their list of friends. By clicking on the link a third-party application called ‘Who doesn’t like me’ is installed, the scammers can then gain access to your Facebook profile. A further element of the scam gets users to complete surveys, which earn scammers money.

Who viewed your Facebook profile?

A similar scam encourages users to find out who has been viewing their profile by clicking on a link. There is no legitimate way for users to find out who has been looking at their profile on Facebook.

The message on Facebook typically reads:

“See who viewed your profile original version 2.0: now you can see who viewed your facebook profile [link].”

Install a ‘dislike’ button.

This scam tempts users to click on the link to download the ‘dislike’ button. Scam messages include:

‘Dislike’ button scam on Facebook“I just got the Dislike button, so now I can dislike all of your dumb posts lol!!”

“Get the official DISLIKE button NOW!”

Initiating a download of the button tricks users into giving the application permission to access to their profiles, post spam messages on their accounts and get them to complete an online survey.

10 things adults never tell their kids – Facebook scam

This page has been specifically designed to entice younger facebook users but is just another scam:

’10 Things Adults NEVER Tell Their Kids!!’

The link asks you to ‘like’ and then ‘share’ the page, which helps spread the link virally across Facebook. Users are then taken to a blog about the lies parents tell, but an online survey appears in front of it, demanding the user fills it in before they can view the content. Fraudsters earn a commission on every survey answered.

Other such headlines have included:

“Justin Bieber trying to flirt”,

“Student attacked his teacher and nearly killed him”

Use the link below to subscribe to this blog and look out for the next post on our Scams Review of 2010.

Football and money laundering

Gnt Fraud Solutions — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:30:27 +0000

Here is an interesting study from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on why football is attractive to money launderers