Cifas, the UK’s largest cross-sector fraud sharing organisation has urged its members to screen both new applicants and existing employees to help prevent fraud.

A Cifas spokesperson said: “Internal fraud is one of the most damaging causes of a data breach – and the average internal fraudster has usually worked for the organisation for seven years, so don’t only vet new staff.

“Make sure you have a really thorough process in place for applicants and existing employees, including a whistleblowing policy to allow colleagues to highlight concerns.”

A recent report from First Advantage found that nearly 25% of employment verifications revealed discrepancies between the details a candidate provided to their new employer and information from a previous employer. These discrepancies could reveal previous dismissals and other serious misconduct.

The warning from the UK’s leading fraud prevention service highlights the importance of a rescreening programme to protect your employees and brand. First Advantage’s solutions can verify a candidate’s qualifications, employment history and professional qualifications.

For more information on backgrounding checking solutions contact EMEA@fadv.com