Wanted - whistleblowers

In the current economic climate when fraud is an increasing risk for companies, why is it that employees who spot and alert the authorities to corporate wrongdoing are often treated so harshly? asks Andrew Durant , Head of the Fraud Investigation and Recovery Team at BDO Stoy Hayward.

Andrew Durant may be contacted on tel: +44 (0) 20 7893 2562; email andrew.durant@bdo.co.uk

When appointed to carry out investigations, the first point of call is members of staff: they are the “eyes and ears” of a company. They know exactly what frauds are going on and who is responsible. They are also an extremely valuable resource that companies fail to utilise. What makes matters worse is that if used properly they could have stopped the fraud much earlier. An even better source of information for the investigator is the ex-member of staff as they have less to lose by blowing the whistle.