News Room

1/07/10 | International News Services
Reports of Organisational Fraud Leveling Off, Despite Recession's Glut of Commercial Crime
International News Services featured an article by The Network's CEO, Luis Ramos, entitled, "Reports of Organisational Fraud Leveling Off, Despite Recession's Glut of Commercial Crime." The article cites statistics from the Quarterly Corporate Fraud Index, published by The Network, Inc. and BDO Consulting. Ramos provides specific, actionable steps to help organizations become recession-resistant such as: educating employees about ethics, cultivating a positive tone at the top (and middle), finding and stopping fraud and ensuring the proper investigation of allegations. The entire article can be found here.

1/04/10 | Boardmember.com
A Light at the End of the Corporate Tunnel?
As reported in Boardmember.com, findings from The Network and BDO Consulting in their Quarterly Corporate Fraud Index indicate a leveling off of the reporting of fraud. Despite these findings, The Network’s CEO, Luis Ramos writes that the fight against fraud remains imperative. Crucial elements in these efforts include building a strong ethical foundation, understanding fraud and reporting trends and establishing proper investigative procedures. Click here to read the entire article.

12/28/09 | Mashable
HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
Online news source, Mashable, featured The Network in an article entitled, "HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy." Luis Ramos provides insight for incorporating appropriate policies and determining a level of engagement that is suitable for organizations. Ramos also points to logistical aspects of implementing social media into the business strategy. To read the full article, click here.

11/05/09 | Corporate Compliance Insights
Economic Downturn an Opportunity for CCO’s
Corporate Compliance Insights featured an article by-lined The Network entitled, “Economic Downturn an Opportunity for CCO’s.” This article provides statistics from The Network’s Quarterly Corporate Fraud Index and charges Chief Compliance Officers with a task of finding opportunity in this adverse economic climate. Providing a high level overview, the article touches upon several aspects of a comprehensive compliance program, including a code of conduct, a solid communications program and the importance of maintaining an environment of integrity. To read the full article, click here.

October/November 2009 | Fraud Intelligence
Ethics in a Web 2.0 World
Fraud Intelligence, a magazine based in the United Kingdom, featured The Network in its October/November issue. The article, “Ethics in a Web 2.0 World,” discusses the pros and cons of utilizing social media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, to communicate ethics in the workplace and also why companies should incorporate a social media policy prior to implementing social media strategies. Click here to read the article.

10/15/09 | Risk & Insurance Magazine
The Fraud Quarterly Report
Risk & Insurance Magazine featured The Network and highlighted data from the Quarterly Corporate Fraud Index, showing that fraud reporting data for the second quarter of 2009 remains higher than in previous years. Specifically, theft and fraud reports accounted for 20.7 percent of hotline activity in 2009 vs. 13.8 percent in 2007. This article was a "Web Extra" as part of a three-part series on fraud in Risk & Insurance Magazine. To read the entire article, click here.

9/30/09 | Atlanta Journal Constitution
Corporate Fraud May be Leveling Off
The Network’s CEO, Luis Ramos, provided expert commentary on corporate fraud for an article appearing in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Ramos provided new data from The Network’s Quarterly Corporate Fraud Index and revealed that the number of fraud reports received during the second quarter of 2009 has accounted for 20.7 percent of all hotline activity within corporations. When asked about driving factors influencing these numbers, Ramos provided a couple of reasons; employees could be making bad decisions or, “they want to make sure they don’t turn a blind eye to fraud while the company is struggling.” To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Summer 2009 | College and University Auditor
A Tale of Two Frauds
College and University Auditor ran an article by-lined by The Network’s CEO, Luis Ramos. “A Tale of Two Frauds,” sheds light on how two different universities – one located in the United States, the other in France – could follow five best practice tips for operating a successful hotline compliance program. The article presents information regarding compliance with global regulatory requirements, ensuring hotline access worldwide, conducting thorough interviews, delivering high-impact communications and employing proper incident management and investigation procedures. To read the article, click here.

August/September 2009 | Fraud Intelligence
Code Words
Fraud Intelligence, a magazine based in the United Kingdom, featured an article by The Network in its August/September issue. “Code Words” provides statistics that speak to the increase of fraud and discusses how a precisely written, designed and executed code of conduct can help organizations establish and build an ethical culture that is crucial for preventing fraud. The article also encourages organizations to include annual training and certification to strengthen the culture of ethics. To read the article in its entirety, click here.

June/July 2009 | Fraud Intelligence
Hotlines are Heating Up
The United Kingdom based magazine, Fraud Intelligence featured an article by The Network in its June/July issue. The article entitled, “Hotlines are Heating Up,” provides detailed information about corporate governance components needed for mitigating organizational risk. While the hotline is a critical piece of the program, several complementary components such as an efficient communications campaign, code of conduct, proper investigations and ethical culture maintenance all comprise an effective program. Being cognizant of global hotline legislation is another integral part of corporate governance.To access the article online, click here. Please note: membership may be required.

July - 2009 | Directors & Boards
Reader Profile - Luis Ramos
The Network’s CEO, Luis Ramos, was featured in the Reader Profile of Director & Board’s July issue. In this executive spotlight, Ramos discusses results from The Network’s bi-annual benchmarking report such as the notable increase of fraud during the economic downturn. Ramos provides additional information for organizations on how to best leverage ethics programs in order to be proactive in their fight against fraud. To read the article in its entirety, click here.

6/23/09 | Compliance Week
Study: Fraud Complaints Filling Hotline Calls
Compliance Week covered the 2009 Corporate Governance and Compliance Hotline Benchmarking Report produced by The Network and BDO Consulting. The article revealed statistics such as an increase of overall hotline reports, fraud-related incidents and more. Timothy Mohr, principal at BDO Consulting noted that “a hotline is the number-one way companies learn about fraudulent, irregular, or unethical behavior.” Mohr also notes the importance for organizations to take hotline allegations seriously and to be prepared to fully investigate reports – as noted in the report, 71% of all allegations were serious enough to warrant an investigation. To read more, visit www.complianceweek.com. Please note: membership may be required. 

5/28/09 | Business to Business Magazine
What the Economic Stimulus Means for Technology and Compliance
Business to Business Magazine recently featured The Network’s Vice President Clark Bosley in their “Technology Thursday” podcast to discuss the how the economic stimulus package is changing the technology and compliance landscape. In the podcast, Bosley explains that organizations receiving funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) must maintain proper fiscal oversight of their government-funded contract. Organizations can promote transparency by implementing comprehensive ethics and compliance programs. To listen to the podcast click here. 

5/20/09 | Time
The Reasons Fraud Spikes in a Recession
Time magazine’s online portal featured a news story about The Network and the release of  the 2009 Corporate Governance and Compliance Hotline Benchmarking Report. The article discusses several reasons for the increase of fraud during tough economic times including the change in middle management, increased rationalization of fraudulent behavior, and the unearthing of long term illegal activities that tend to occur during a recession. Luis Ramos, CEO of The Network, provides insight into the increased reporting of fraud and suggested employees are more likely to report fraud to protect their jobs when their companies face increased economic pressures. To read the article in its entirety, click here.

5/16/09  | Human Resource Executive
‘Idol’-izing Ethics
Cisco System’s Ethics Office continues to make headlines with its popular ethics program. Besides touting award-winning components such as Ethics Idol and the new and improved code of conduct, this article discusses metrics. More than 10,000 Cisco employees viewed and voted on the ethical dilemmas presented in Ethics Idol. Within 10 weeks of deploying the code of conduct, 99.6 percent of employees certified that they reviewed and received the code. To read the article in its entirety, click here.

5/16/09 | Human Resource Executive Online
Upgrading Ethics
The Network’s Vice President, Clark Bosley, shared his ethics communication expertise in an article for Human Resource Executive Online. The article begins with Bosley’s experience in working with organizations vested in facilitating ethical cultures. When visiting these organizations, he asks employees if they have a copy of the code of conduct and takes note of the response as a quick way to identify the current state of ethics among employees. Bosley also offers five elements of an ethical culture which includes the importance of the code of conduct, messaging that permeates through each level of management and more. To read the entire article, click here.

5/12/09 | Fox Business News
Report: Employee Theft is on the Rise
Fox Business News conducted a live interview with The Network's CEO, Luis Ramos, about the increased reporting of workplace theft. Ramos discusses an emerging trend from The Network's 2009 benchmarking data that shows fraud-related incidents reported during the first quarters of a four year period surged from 10.9 percent in 2006 to 21 percent in 2009. In the report, Ramos also differentiates between the number of actual incidents of fraud rising versus a tendency for employees to feel an increased need to report fraud in a down economy. To watch the full report, click the icon below. Please note: the latest version of Flash is required for optimal viewing.

5/11/09 | Financial Times
In-house Fraud Cases Surge
Financial Times featured The Network in an article discussing the 2009 benchmarking data that shows an increase of fraud-related hotline reports (which include theft, corruption and conflicts of interest, etc.). During the first quarter of 2009, fraud-related reports have increased to 21 percent. Luis Ramos, CEO of The Network said there may be an increase of fraud within organizations, but there also might be an increase of employees reporting fraud. According to Ramos, "Employees...are sensitive to the fact that their companies are in precarious situations and if they don't help the company safeguard its assets, then they may find themselves out of a job as well." To read the entire article, click here. Please note: registration may be required.

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