Can Background Checks Prevent Employee Fraud in Nigeria?

By YourChecka on ยท 2 min read

Verification reduces risk and creates accountability. People rarely become dishonest overnight.

A fintech in Lagos employed an accounts officer. Everything seemed perfect until the business noticed unexplained financial discrepancies months later. After the audit, investigations revealed that some of the information provided during recruitment had never been verified. Not every fraudulent act can be prevented, but many risks can be identified, and even deterred, before an employee is hired.

What screening can and cannot do

Background checks cannot guarantee that someone will never commit fraud. However, they significantly reduce hiring risks by verifying identity, employment history, residential address, guarantors and character before employment begins. They also help identify inconsistencies, fraud tendencies, false claims and other warning signs that may warrant further investigation.

Just as importantly, a rigorous screening process creates accountability. When candidates know their information has been thoroughly verified, they are often less likely to engage in dishonest behaviour. A person rarely becomes dishonest overnight. Such a person would usually have shown tendencies over time at a previous place of employment or to their neighbours.

Filtering intent before it becomes a problem

At YourChecka, our process begins with obtaining the candidate's consent, collecting additional information and securing a signed Affidavit of Undertaking. Our experienced intelligence team then conducts field investigations, verifies addresses, engages guarantors, gathers character intelligence, captures biometrics and prepares a comprehensive intelligence report.

What makes YourChecka different is our focus on filtering malicious intent before it becomes a business problem. With over 20 years of intelligence experience, we have found that many vetted employees openly admit, "I know this employment is different; I must come correct." Should an incident occur, our report also gives investigators a valuable head start, saving critical time and resources.

Build a workforce you can trust

Protect your business from avoidable hiring risks. Visit YourChecka today and build a safer, more trusted workforce.

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