More whistles blown are a sign of a healthy company, not a sick one. Firms whose hotlines get used more, tend to be more profitable and have less legal exposure, with less damage to brand reputation and stock price. High usage shows open communication between staff and management (and a belief that issues raised will be resolved), rather than real trouble. https://blog.fraudcracker.com/whistle-blowers-are-a-sign-of-healthy-companies/

Social media has made democracies more democratic by giving everyone a voice. But it also makes cyberbullies with large followings dangerous enough to make the lives of journalists so unbearable, that they quit. In a worrying trend called cyber-misogyny, women reporters are often the targets of scathing, sexually humiliating, online abuse. How do we protect these courageous reporters who risk their lives in the pursuit of truth for us? https://blog.fraudcracker.com/social-media-a-rising-threat-to-journalists-freedom/

In her TED talk, fraud researcher and filmmaker Kelly Richmond Pope shares lessons from some of history’s most famous whistle-blowers – and why they need our trust and protection https://blog.fraudcracker.com/how-whistleblowers-shape-history/

Yesterday 30-July was Whistleblower Appreciation Day in the US, while 23-June was World Whistleblower Day. It’s our way of saying a big thank you to the people with the courage to speak out against corruption, fraud and wrongdoing. Let’s celebrate them and protect them! They make the world a better place for us and our kids. https://blog.fraudcracker.com/thank-you-to-all-the-whistleblowers-out-there/

Are you paying salaries to people who don’t work for you, or who don’t exist? Ghost worker fraud on payroll is very hard to detect, especially in bigger companies without proper controls. It can lead to substantial financial losses, killing your company over time. So how can you stop it happening? https://blog.fraudcracker.com/ghost-workers-could-kill-your-company/

The FTC, a US government agency, has slapped tech giant Facebook with a record $5bn fine over privacy breaches – 20x more than any privacy fine imposed so far worldwide. Facebook must pay the fine, submit to new restrictions and a revised corporate structure, and set up strong new mechanisms from board-level down that will hold the firm and its execs accountable for their decisions about users’ privacy. Find out more at https://blog.fraudcracker.com/facebook-slapped-with-record-5bn-fine-over-privacy-breaches/

We can’t expect others to do the right thing when we continue to do wrong. When balancing the needs of the 4 stakeholders in any business, a guiding mantra is this: we serve the customers, not the shareholders; we reward the shareholders; we support our staff to serve the customers, and we improve our communities. Read more at https://blog.fraudcracker.com/ethical-leadership-means-first-do-no-harm-in-business-and-in-life/

Eight people. That’s all. Just eight people out of EOH’s staff of 11,500 put the entire firm at risk through a systematic process of fraud, corruption and bribery that saw R1.2bn of shady flow out of the company between 2014 and 2017. EOH believes it has stopped the rot. Only time will tell. https://blog.fraudcracker.com/a-r1-2bn-pot-of-toxic-soup-at-eoh/

According to an update today, law firm ENSafrica has found evidence of and is investigating R1.2bn in suspicious transactions at EOH. These may be valid transactions, theft or bribery and corruption payments. Yesterday EOH announced the resignations of 3 top execs. Find out more at https://blog.fraudcracker.com/forensic-probe-uncovers-r1-2bn-in-suspicious-transactions-at-eoh/

Creating a culture of trust fuels stronger performance and is good for business. Leaders get this. But in order to build trust, where do you start? Find out more at https://blog.fraudcracker.com/the-neuroscience-of-trust/