Research has shown that the encouragement of anonymous reporting can significantly reduce fraud within an organisation.
A 2010 study conducted by The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) found that organisations with a whistleblowing hotline detect cases of fraud sooner than those without, and that 40% of fraud in the workplace was detected by tip-offs.
CEO of Crime Stoppers Queensland Trevor O’Hara said organisations of any size could benefit from a confidential hotline, but it was especially important for large employers with a diverse and dispersed workforce.
“Many organisations committed to best practice governance offer an independent avenue for making complaints or whistleblowing, because it reduces barriers and helps uncover corruption sooner.”
Crime Stoppers recently launched a new hotline and web-based reporting service to help Australian organisations detect internal fraud and misconduct.
The new 1300 Anonymous hotline aims to help organisations reinforce values of integrity and accountability, encouraging earlier reporting of wrongdoing to improve culture and potentially save businesses millions.
Organisations that sign-up get access to a 24/7 hotline and online reporting system that enables employees to anonymously share information about wrongdoing at work, that is compiled into a report delivered almost immediately to key representatives.
“Our service makes implementing a hotline easy and affordable. Eliciting sensitive information in a secure and confidential way is what Crime Stoppers Queensland does best,” Mr O’Hara said.
“To enhance our Crime Stoppers work and cater to the 1300 Anonymous service we recently established a new contact centre, with up-to-date communications technology and a larger team of operators.”
Mr O’Hara said Crime Stoppers has a proven track record of successfully handling incidents of fraud.
“Our team is highly skilled in unbiased and effective information-gathering, as well as developing engagement strategies that foster awareness of issues and prompt people to report incidents.
“One of the most important things we offer is trust. People know and trust Crime Stoppers to handle their information with due care – our market research shows 82 percent of people would feel confident contacting us.”
