New data from fraud detection software company Medius shows more than half of financial professionals in the UK and US (56%) have spotted or suspected internal fraud in their workplaces yet four in five (81%) stayed silent. When asked why, 45% of professionals cited the fear of recrimination.
Whistleblowers Sherron Watkins, Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith have joined forces to reclaim the derogatory names they were called after reporting serious internal financial fraud.
To help empower others to come forward, the whistleblowers are reclaiming the terms “snitch”, “rat” and “traitor”.
Sherron Watkins is the former Vice President of Enron Corporation who alerted the CEO to accounting irregularities, warning the organization “might implode in a wave of accounting scandals.” Watkins received national acclaim for her courageous actions and TIME magazine named her along with two others as their Persons of the Year in 2002, calling them simply ‘The Whistleblowers.’
Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith are the stars of Apple TV’s The Big Conn after they exposed a fraud scheme of more than $550 million while employed at the Social Security Administration. In efforts to silence their disclosures, they experienced multiple acts of severe retaliation and were denied protection. Ultimately, both Carver and Griffith were forced from employment.
Concerns of repercussions are vindicated – the survey reveals the extent to which financial professionals in the UK and US have witnessed negative consequences for whistleblowers firsthand:
- 59% have seen whistleblowers subsequently left out of important decisions
- 33% have seen whistleblowers moved to a different team
- 32% have heard whistleblowers called derogatory names behind their backs or directly to their face
When asked what would encourage them to flag suspicious activity, 93% of workers surveyed would feel more comfortable doing so if they had more evidence, yet nearly half (48%) said the legal system simply does not adequately protect whistleblowers.
Jim Lucier, CEO at Medius, a leading global provider of cloud-based accounts payable automation and spend management solutions, said:
“White collar crime is on the rise and no organization is safe. Employees are the last line of defense against fraud but confidence to report suspicious activity is declining. AI anomaly-detection technology can provide employees with the evidence and assurances they need to be more forthcoming. Building a culture where employees feel comfortable to report their suspicions could save organizations millions in the long-run.”
Medius works with over 4,000 customers across 102 countries and processes $200 billion in annual spend. It uses the power of AI and automation to detect fraud, the moment invoices are submitted safeguarding against bad actors and potential threats, internal and external.
Sherron Watkins, whistleblower who was called a “snitch” said: “When someone is troubled by corporate wrongdoing and they attempt to sound the alarm, the pathway is uncharted, things happen organically. Normal rational people speak about their concerns with their closest friends and work colleagues, who often suggest staying safe saying “keep your head down, if you must report, go soft, nothing black and white.” Yet black and white evidence is what is needed to get the attention of those in power, either internally or with media or outside watchdog groups to prevent or stop fraudulent activity.”
Jennifer Griffith, whistleblower who was called a “traitor” said: “Choosing to blow the whistle involves more than just the desire to right a wrong. It’s about protecting their employers from fraud. However, it’s more often than not seen as causing trouble for the employer, or as a self-serving action to get a financial reward. No one who chooses to blow the whistle expects to have their reputation attacked, their credibility impugned or to lose their job. The cost of ignoring a whistleblowers complaints are far greater than acknowledging that a problem exists and taking steps to fix it. It’s been 19 years since I blew the whistle and the problems that existed then with the Social Security Administration still exist today. We must do more to protect whistleblowers.”
Sarah Carver, whistleblower who was called a “rat” said: “The government’s attempt to conceal the fraud resulted in exacerbated damage, whereas a more prudent approach would have entailed immediate acknowledgement and rectification upon initial disclosure. The retaliatory measures aimed at silencing me made me stronger and fight harder to find someone to listen and stop the fraud.”
