Fraud Policy Statement
HubEurope Ltd requires all staff to act with honesty and integrity at all times and to safeguard the resources for which they are responsible. Fraud poses a constant threat to these resources and must be a concern for all members of staff. The purpose of this policy is to outline responsibilities regarding the prevention of fraud.
What Is Fraud?
Although no precise legal definition of fraud exists, many offenses referred to as fraud are covered by the Theft Acts of 1968 and 1978, and the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. Fraud encompasses acts such as theft, deception, bribery, forgery, corruption, false accounting, and conspiracy to commit these offenses. For practical purposes, fraud can be defined as the use of deception with the intent to obtain an advantage, avoid an obligation, or cause loss to another party.
Organizational Responsibilities
The organization is responsible for:
- Developing and maintaining effective controls to prevent fraud.
- Conducting vigorous and prompt investigations if fraud occurs.
- Taking appropriate legal and/or disciplinary action against perpetrators of fraud.
- Taking disciplinary action against supervisors where supervisory failures have contributed to the commission of fraud.
Managerial Responsibilities
Managers are responsible for:
- Identifying the risks to which systems and procedures are exposed.
- Developing and maintaining effective controls to prevent and detect fraud.
- Ensuring that controls are being complied with.
Individual Responsibilities
Individual members of staff are responsible for:
- Acting with propriety in the use of official resources and in handling corporate funds, whether involved with cash, payment systems, receipts, or dealing with contractors or suppliers.
- Reporting details immediately to their line manager or the next most senior manager if they suspect that a fraud has been committed or observe any suspicious acts or events.