Fraud Management
Fraud is commonly described as any intentional or deliberate act to deprive another of property or money by guile, deception, or other unfair means. Fraud against an organization or company can be committed either internally by employees, managers, officers, or owners of an entity, or externally by customers, vendors, and other parties. Other schemes defraud individuals, rather than organizations.
Fraud Policy
Trinity College is committed to high standards of honesty, transparency and accountability. It endeavours to take all possible measures to minimise the potential for fraudulent activity in the way it conducts its business.
The University-wide Fraud Policy sets out the responsibilities of students, employees and management for the detecting and reporting of fraud or suspected fraud. It applies to all University staff, both permanent or temporary, and students, both on and off-books. The policy provides information on the types of activities that constitute fraud, including theft, misappropriate of University assets, false claims for reimbursement, acceptance of bribes or gifts, collusion with vendors or third parties, research, or unauthorised or illegal use of confidential or proprietary information. This is not an exhaustive list, so staff and students should familiarise themselves with the contents of the policy and the other relevant University policies, particularly the Protected Disclosures (Whistleblowing) Policy.
Reporting a Suspected Fraud
The process for reporting a suspected fraud is set out in section 6. Reporting Fraud of the University’s Fraud Policy.
Trinity aims to drive a fraud-aware culture and raise the need for high standards of personal conduct. It is expected that employees and students are familiar with the relevant policies and report suspected irregularities when they become aware of them. Members of the College community are reminded of their obligations to report under S.19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011. Consideration should be given by those reporting a suspected fraud to the nature of an alleged incident to avoid incorrect or false accusations. Care should also be taken to ensure that a potential perpetrator is not alerted to the report and any potential investigation as this may compromise an investigation.
Having identified or being notified of a potential fraud, the University will identify and promptly investigate any possibility of fraudulent or related dishonest activities against the University and, when appropriate, pursue legal remedies available under the law.
Office of the Chief Risk Officer
It is important that if you become aware of any suspected fraud that you note your concerns as quickly as possible using the Fraud Reporting tool or call the CRO office for guidance in complete confidence.
If you require more information on the topic of fraud, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of the Chief Risk Officer in complete confidence.
Learn more about Fraud
If you are interested in learning more about Fraud, including elements of fraud and the typical profile of a fraudster, please follow this link to the Risk Learning Centre.