This article identifies why and how you can reduce fraud risks and enhance your reputation by vetting your partners, key workers, customers and suppliers.
First WHY is it worthwhile? Let’s recall real life examples frequently in the news. Hospital doctors and finance advisors with fake qualifications. Scam websites, counterfeit products and fake subscription services. Anyone can buy education certificates online for less than £100 to increase their salary. Professional recruiters report 50% of LInkedin profiles contain errors and omissions. 90% of businesses employing staff and contractors fail to check qualifications, criminal records, nor if their key suppliers and clients public accounts show problems.
So HOW do responsible businesses check all this when they have 101 other priorities? Here are some important checks you can do quickly at little cost. Supplier and client accounts are accessible on Companies House within minutes at no cost. Professional qualifications can be quickly checked at no cost by emailing the awarding body. You can ask any key worker to state if they have unspent criminal convictions. If you want business in the public sector, health, education, emergency services you can also obtain from a verified person a security clearance pass called BPSS Background Personnel Security Standard which opens doors to public tenders and major clients. Qualified HR specialists also offer brief online competency based checks covering knowledge skills and attitude.
I recently emailed to my own business partners a fraudulent scam by people claiming to be Intellectual Property trademark advisors. My IP clients had forwarded these suspicious offers to me. My checks showed no Companies House accounts for the company, no linkedin profiles of their advisory team, and no links to the UK IPO registration body. I also found over 100 reports online of others losing money so I’ve now reported the scam to Trading Standards Officers. If you see suspicious offers please check them out or get a qualified person to do that for you.
Clive Bonny of Strategic Management Partners has worked with the UK Fraud Advisory Panel and is certified to provide BPSS background checks on key workers.
https://consult-smp.com/check-invest/background-checking
