An important action in fraud prevention and detection is the establishment of an appropriate internal control
system tasked exactly with this responsibility. It should aim to: respect the principle of separating functions (no
function should allow an employee to execute a whole cycle of transactions, i.e. an employee should not have the
authority to execute both front office and back office activities); examine the staff on their qualifications,
competence, education, previous jobs, regular evaluations of their performances, taken leave; access the public
resources to compare the accounting data to their physical existence; properly investigate the employees and third
parties, especially in cases of authority positions in the process of financial reporting.
The means of proactive data analysis concerning the acts of fraud (such as searching information in databases in
order to identify connections between different persons, screening the employees’ background in terms of
convictions, financial incidents, loans, etc.) can help to detect possible frauds and professional transgressions that
may otherwise continue to go on unnoticed by the management.
Furthermore, a complex assessment of fraud and professional transgression risks can help the management to
better understand the unique risks that their company faces, to identify the gaps and deficiencies in their controls,
and to formulate a plan to identify the appropriate resources and procedures of control.
Another aspect that could prevent fraud refers to the attitude towards fraudsters. An important step in creating a
culture of intolerance towards fraud is to act consistently when an economic infraction is discovered. In this way, the
staff understands what are the consequences of a possible involvement in a fraud and that its detection is certain and
inevitable thanks to the efficient system of control and risk management. Such an attitude can lead to the dissuasion
of most wrongdoers. It is also essentially to demonstrate to the employees that all wrongdoers will be equally
treated, regardless of the position they hold in the company.