New guidance launched for charities on spotting and preventing fraud and cybercrime.
More than 600 cybercrime and fraud cases were reported to the Charity Commission in the last year.
Between November 2023 and October 2024, the Commission opened 603 cases relating to fraud and a further 99 cases relating to cyber crime issues.
This has led the Commission to launch new guidance, and a separate shorter guide on fraud. Developed with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre and their Small Charity Guide. It links to several free online training modules designed for charities of all sizes.
These guides explain the importance of having robust internal financial controls, and signposts to the Commission’s more detailed guide about this.
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.”
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
