Would you believe the phrase, “They owe it to me,” is dangerous?
Ernst and Young, in collaboration with the FBI, conducted research that found that the phrases “grey area,” “nobody will find out,” and the aforementioned “they owe it to me” are among the top terms used by employees in emails discussing fraud.
Rashmi Joshi of Ernst & Young’s Fraud Investigation & Disputes Services told Computer Weekly that companies can be proactive in searching emails for these red flags instead of waiting for those emails to be seized by investigators after the damage is already done.
Ernst and Young also has a software program that monitors employees’ emails specifically to catch over 3,000 phrases that typically signal fraud.
According to the firm, the top 15 phrases are:
- Cover up
- Write off
- Illegal
- Failed investment
- Nobody will find out
- Grey area
- They owe it to me
- Do not volunteer information
- Not ethical
- Off the books
- Backdate
- No inspection
- Pull earnings forward
- Special fees, and
- Friendly payments.
