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Metropolitan Police set to launch PREFIT Forum

15 Jun 09

As a direct response to alarming trends in employee-perpetrated crime, the Metropolitan Police Service and members of the screening industry are set to launch a cross-sector Forum entitled PREFIT.

By Brian Sims

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) estimates that fraud costs the UK £20 billion every year. It’s estimated that the majority of fraud-related crime is now perpetrated – or at the very least enabled – by organisations’ own employees. Indeed, fraudulent activity perpetrated by company executives is a recurrent feature of business failures.

Given that background, PREFIT – short for Protecting Employers From Internal Threats – is designed for practitioners to share information and advice, and generally help improve awareness of the vital role that can be played by vetting and screening in helping organisation to combat crime from within.

Sharing information and Best Practice techniques

In essence, PREFIT is a Forum set up by volunteers from a range of organisations who share a common goal. It provides a debating chamber for the sharing of information and Best Practice between employers and organisations with a wide range of investigative, enforcement and advisory agencies or other bodies. In turn, this will enable people who share its goals to further develop both their own and others’ strategies for screening and vetting and protect employers in all sectors.

The PREFIT launch takes place this coming Friday (19 June) at New Scotland Yard. With SMT Online acting as the Official Media Partner for the Forum, the event will be attended by a wide range of senior Human Resources and security executives from leading UK organisations representing both the public and private sectors.

The initial PREFIT Forum members include Control Risks Screening, Experian, First Advantage, G4S, KPMG Forensic, Kroll, the Metropolitan Police Service, The Security Watchdog, SOCA and World-Check.

Insider fraud now insidious

Speaking exclusively to SMT Online, David Chernick – the senior manager at KPMG Forensic, and the inaugural chairman of PREFIT – explained: “Insider fraud is insidious. It’s on the rise, and it’s now more professionally organised. The world is turbulent enough at the moment without having to worry about the damage caused by insider threats to job prospects, business survival and safe public services. We’re doing something about it.”

Chernick continued: “We all need to know who we’re dealing with, who we’re employing and who we’re working with. Not only that, we need to know how to do all of this effectively, fairly and lawfully. Launching PREFIT is the first step, involving victims and experts coming together from all sectors to collaborate in the fight against insider fraud.”

He concluded: “Leaders in Human Resources, the security sector, the Metropolitan Police Service, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the National Fraud Authority are already part of this growing network, and we’ll be asking for everyone’s support.”

The view from the Met

Detective Superintendent Russell Day from the Metropolitan Police’s Economic and Specialist Crime Command commented: “Over the past three years, the Metropolitan Police Service’s Operation Sterling has established a number of Forums or ‘Think Tanks’ in key business sectors as part of its approach to combating economic crime through partnership working. These Forums have already made significant progress, and I’m sure that PREFIT will follow on as a great success.”

Following the official launch, a dedicated, publicly accessible web site will be made available to raise awareness and to offer impartial advice for both employees and employers. There will also be a programme of workshops over the next 12 months available to those with an interest in learning more about specific aspects of employment screening and closely related topics.

Janet Williams – the assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service – will be speaking at the launch event, along with Paul Evans (the executive director intervention at SOCA), Chris Pope (personnel security specialist at the CPNI) and David Chernick.

Programme for the launch event

The inaugural PREFIT Forum event is entitled ‘Helping employers manage insider threats’. The programme is as follows:

10.45 am Welcome from the chairman

10.50 am–11.00 am Janet Williams (assistant commissioner, Metropolitan Police Service)

11.10 am–11.20 am Rachel Tiffin (LBWF)

11.20 am–11.30 am Chris Pope (personnel security specialist, CPNI)

11.30 am–11.40 am David Elbourne (assistant director, Maritime and Land Security Division, TRANSEC)

11.40 am–11.50 am Paul Evans (executive director intervention, SOCA)

11.50 am–12.00 noon Peter Hurst MCIPD (chief executive, CIFAS)

12.10 pm–12.20 pm Joy Hankins (employment lawyer, Blake Lapthorne)

12.20 am–12.30 pm Wrap-up and vision going forward: David Chernick (senior manager at KPMG Forensic and chairman of PREFIT)

For more information on the PREFIT Forum please contact Katie McBreen, account director, Friday’s Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London SW1D 3QL (telephone: 0845 500 1140, e-mail: katiem@fridays-group.co.uk)