Business crime

Criminals know there is a lot of money to be made by duping people into handing over cash or security details and it can be difficult to know how to protect yourself, especially as criminals' tactics are becoming more sophisticated and varied.

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Business fraud

Criminals will sometimes go to great lengths to trick you into ‘working with them’, in some cases setting up seemingly genuine businesses.

A common type of fraud committed in the business world is receipt fraud, where employees will steal incoming cash or cheques or when records of amounts owed by customers are adjusted in return for cash rewards or other incentives.

Protecting yourself:

Control who has access to equipment, documents and computers to prevent any unauthorised use.
Train your staff in your security systems and your disciplinary policies and procedures.
Where possible, divide duties between staff so any irregularities will be spotted. Introduce appropriate supervisory and monitoring controls. Random spot checks are effective at preventing fraud.
Take steps to tackle credit card fraud. Routinely check the dates credit and debit cards are valid from and to, phone for authorisation where appropriate, check the card and its signature strip for signs of alteration, check the signature you're given against the one on the card and check the number on the card matches the number on the till printout.
If you accept credit card payments without seeing the actual card, ask your bank about ways to help reduce the risks of fraud.
Beware of suppliers and customers offering unrealistically low prices or high payments. Remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Discover more about cyber security & crimes, and find out how to keep your business safe:

Find out more

Visit the National Business Crime Centre website to find out about tackling crimes against businesses, where you can see a series of Crime Prevention Guides and videos to help police and businesses learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

29 January 2025