Charities need to be on their guard when it comes to operating in a cost-of-living crisis. As budgets tighten, they have become more vulnerable to a number of issues.

This can include a higher likelihood of staff or volunteers being tempted to commit fraud (from need not greed), and reduced oversight due to staff cuts.

Other risks include staff or volunteers cutting corners to save money on items like background checks or policies such as for insurance not being paid.

A culture of needing to save money can also lead to people falling for ‘too good to be true’, which turn out to be scams.

Overworked or overstretched staff or can also be more likely to fall victim to phishing via email or smishing, where criminals try and collect personal information via fake emails or texts.

If you are concerned about the potential for scams or you feel your team would benefit from some advice, please speak to us.