Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Fraud study links gambling and fraud "Gambling is increasingly a major
motivator for serious fraud," says John Stansfield, CEO of the Problem
Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF). "Since the last KPMG Fraud Survey
in 2004, there has been a 60% increase in the amount of New Zealand fraud
that was motivated by gambling. The 2004 study found that gambling was the
highest motivator for serious fraud, and I would expect that trend to
continue in 2006," says Mr Stansfield. "We are hearing of more and more
fraud in New Zealand organizations. Studies such as the 2006 KPMG Fraud
Survey and the 2006 BDO Not-For-Profit Fraud Survey both identify gambling
as a motivator for fraud, which shows just how much gambling costs New
Zealand organizations," he says. "We believe that the figures really are
higher than reported, as a significant number of gamblers are not caught, so
the crimes don't get discovered. In other cases, the crime is discovered but
the link to gambling wasn't," says Stansfield. "Gambling crime is growing at
an alarming rate, and gambling is the reason for the most serious property
fraud in a number of cases." Some recent examples of fraud in New Zealand
organizations include: Catering manager stole $6872 from his employer for
gambling (Christchurch, September 2006)

Man defrauded friend out of $101,000 by lying so that he could gamble
(Hamilton, July 2006)

WINZ case manager fraudulently accessed $102,475 by inventing a client so
that he could gamble the money (Christchurch, July 2006) Man with a history
of fraud, defrauded second employer of $5761 for gambling (Christchurch,
July 2006) Woman committed benefit fraud of $11,000 for gambling (Nelson,
July 2006)