BUSINESS SERVICES

Fraud accounts for 40% of the total cost of crime in Australia. Corruption on the other hand is harder to pin down but is considered to cost the world economy US$1 Trillion a year.  Many firms, particularly those that operate in the global economy are at risk of the effects of corruption and can find themselves in difficulty, quickly. Without the right governance systems to protect your business and a healthy understanding of the risks you face then your business may lose significant amounts of money, but more importantly reputation when something goes wrong.

In addition, the stakes can be high with firms being held to account for the behaviour of their people.  One mistake and your firm could face severe regulatory and financial sanctions as well as senior members of the business can face criminal sanctions.

All businesses need to be alert for both fraud and corruption in the workplace and build mechanisms to protect their people and their finances. This requires the business to know who they are dealing with, the rules of the game they are a part of; as well as engage in long term capacity building to be able to avoid the risks.

Due Diligence Checks

Have you ever been caught with a resume that looks too good to be true or deal that went bad because the other person just didn’t deliver?  Have you ever lost money due to a firm you thought was reputable going under? When dealing with firms or people, sometimes the marketing is better than the reality.  Dodgy resumes, fake websites and slick marketing programs can hide civil and criminal convictions of fraudsters.  Once inside your defenses, these types of people can steal your money, intellectual property and damage your reputation.

You can avoid these pitfalls by conducting some simple due diligence on your new employee, partner or service provider.

Our due diligence checks will look behind the marketing of the firms and people you intend to engage in business with.  With a sophisticated holistic approach, we will provide you with a risk assessment on firms and people who may have access to your finances or information so you can make an informed decision on the risk.

Knowing who you are dealing with makes it easier to do the deal.

Advisory Service

Do you know the risk of undertaking even the smallest act of bribery? Are you aware that even a small gift to a prospective client can lead your firm to be hit with severe financial penalties? Were you ever told that if you deal with US or UK companies that you are subject to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1997 and UK Bribery Act 2010, as well as Australian legislation?

If your answer to these questions is no, then Black Mouse Consulting can provide your firm with advice on the risks and pitfalls of operating in a global market, as well with global firms.  We can provide you with regulatory and operational advice on US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, UK Bribery Act, and Australian legislation; develop alert systems and methods to respond to integrity issues in the business that may see you subject to sanctions.

We can advise you on how best to deal with emerging issues and how the integrity and  behaviour of your team can be your best defense.

Governance Capacity Building

The key factor in the emergence of fraud and corruption is the lack of robust governance systems in an organisation.  Did you know that 80% of employees are unwilling to work with firms that are involved in bribery and corruption? Yet a large number of businesses do not listen to or provide the opportunity for their people to be heard. Talent is leaving through the front door due to poor culture and lack of proper systems.

Effective governance policies and systems not only meet the needs of the 21^st century workforce but also reduce the burden of governance. While regulatory compliance is increasing, smart policies and systems can meet governance needs while reducing inefficiency and costs within a business. Not only the cost of fraud and corruption but also the cost of inefficient practices that hide these problems.

Most of all strong leadership is required in dealing with ethical dilemmas faced by junior and senior people in your organisation.

We can enhance the capacity of your organisation by building fraud control and anti-corruption systems; as well the training and development of personnel and mentoring of senior management

Investigations

What do you do when the worst happens?  What would your answer be when you find you have been defrauded or one of your team has engaged in a corrupt act?

While calling the police is the right answer, you still need to know what happened and how the event occurred.  There may be others involved whose accountability needs to be determined, and systems that need to be changed or enhanced. While the police will chase the criminal, they will not provide you with the detailed answers as to how it happened.

Black Mouse Consulting has a strong and experienced team of investigators who can conduct investigations into fraud, corruption/collusion, probity, and misconduct. They will not only determine who should be held to account but also how your systems can be enhanced to ensure it does not happen again.

Cyber-Forensics

Does your business need the capability to produce evidence through recovering data from electronic or digital devices?  Do you need the capability to find that needle in the haystack inside your systems to find crucial information?

If so, then Black Mouse Consulting will be providing nationally certified training in the following courses from February 2018:

CT30115 – Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology.

This qualification provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a wide range of general information and communications technology (ICT) technical functions and to achieve a degree of self-sufficiency as an advanced ICT user. Persons working at this level will support information technology activities in the workplace across a wide range of ICT areas, including technical support, network administration, web technologies, software applications and digital media technologies.

This qualification is for personnel who will be seizing information in the field or office environment to pass to an analysis team.  The type of person with this qualification is a front-line law enforcement officer, a ICT professional inside an organisation with a role to assist ICT security or a professional investigator.

DEF43115 Certificate IV in Electronic Forensics

This qualification has been designed to provide a package of broad and flexible competencies reflecting the workplace responsibilities to conduct a forensic investigation to lawfully establish evidence that is often found in digital storage mediums and computers. It qualifies individuals who apply a broad range of specialised knowledge and skills in varied contexts to undertake skilled work in Electronic Forensics.

This qualification is for analysts and support personnel, who need to be able to seize, secure, analyse and report on digital media. In some cases, personnel with this qualification work individually within organisations and are required to undertake both seizure and reporting tasks.

DEF53115 – Diploma of Electronic Forensics

This qualification has been designed to provide a package of broad and flexible competencies reflecting the workplace responsibilities to conduct and manage a forensic investigation and to lawfully establish evidence that is often found in digital storage mediums and computers. It qualifies individuals who apply integrated technical and theoretical concepts in a broad range of contexts to undertake advanced skilled or paraprofessional work in electronic forensics.

This qualification is for team leaders, who need to integrate the activities of a range of technicians and analysts within the workplace.