Private Sector Services for Fraud Control "To Fight Crime and Win...Clients" (From Fraud Prevention and Control, P 1-8, 2000, Australian Institute of Criminology -- See NCJ-186569)

• NCJ Number: 186577
• Author(s): Tim Phillipps
• Date Published: January 2001
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper presented at the Fraud Prevention and Control Conference convened by the Australian Institute of Criminology on August 24-25, 2000.

Annotation

This paper describes how private-sector companies have become involved in fraud control in Australia.

Abstract

In Australia, private-sector fraud services have expanded considerably in the past 5 years due to the void unintentionally created by the resource restrictions of public-sector law enforcement agencies. The outcome of private-sector fraud services may be preparing a brief of evidence to bring to public-sector criminal justice agencies, civil recovery, insurance assessment or internal control reviews, or a negotiated outcome. Given the complex nature of many business frauds, the private-sector's specialized fraud services and global reach can often achieve results not ordinarily available in public-sector agencies. The financial resources of the private-sector organizations can provide a proactive and immediate response to fraud, because the client pays (sometimes a lot) for such a response. Private fraud control companies use electronic technology, computer networks, and sophisticated software programs that target frauds against businesses. Although the private sector's services in countering fraud clearly fill a gap caused by the public sector's limited resources for complex fraud investigations, private-sector organizations must balance their legal obligations, their relationships with the public enforcement agencies, and the expectations of the client. This can be a difficult challenge.