What happens if two or more individuals in your organization collude to commit fraud? According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE’s) 2022 Report to the Nations, fraud losses rise precipitously. The median loss for a scheme involving just one perpetrator is $57,000, but when two or more perpetrators are involved, the median loss skyrockets to $145,000. When three or more thieves work together, it soars to $219,000. Unfortunately, collusion schemes are common — they make up approximately 58% of all fraud incidents. So these five steps are recommended: Enforce internal controls. Colluding thieves usually either ignore internal controls or take steps to hide noncompliance. For example, a colluding manager might override controls to allow another employee to commit expense reimbursement or payroll fraud. To...
