Insights

Last year, the Charity Commission for England and Wales opened more than 600 cases relating to fraud and cybercrime.

Taking some fairly simple steps can make all the difference, but it’s perhaps not surprising that trustees can feel daunted when it comes to working out what to do.

New guidance to help you and your board colleagues

Thankfully, help is available. The charity regulator has published bespoke guidance on how trustees can protect their charity from cybercrime and a separate shorter guide on fraud.

The resources, which replace the Commission’s previous guidance, are more concise and easier to use.  

You can access the bespoke cybercrime guidance here.

You can find the shorter guide on fraud prevention here.

Mazeda Alam, Head of Guidance & Practice at the Charity Commission, said:  “Protecting your charity from fraud and cybercrime can understandably seem daunting, but there are many small, inexpensive steps charities can take to reduce the risk of any potential internal or external fraudster being successful.

“Introducing a simple measure such as having dual authorisation for all financial transactions can help avoid these issues arising – which are often opportunistic.  

“It is every trustee’s responsibility to ensure they’ve done all they reasonably can to protect their charity from harm – reading our guidance is the best place to start.”