International Journal on Criminology Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 2014 | Page 81

Crime and Business
We must finally mention the particular
problem of social networks. Today
the interactive Web constitutes a potential
source of information leaks for businesses,
as indicated in the following summary.
The Protection of Businesses’ Immaterial
Assets: Information Leakage and Social
Networks 4
–1 out of every 7 profiles, all social networks
included, is the source of an information
leak.
–30% of people publish professional information
on the Internet
–58% of people publishing professional information
do so on Facebook.
Internal Fraud
The danger often comes from within
organizations themselves—beginning
with fraud. Let us explore
this question through a fictional scenario.
Here are a series of exchanges taking place
between the brand HERCULE, part of the
retail group HERAKLES, and Risk Team (a
provider of economic intelligence), following
the discovery of a case of internal fraud.
Report on Meeting of February 18, 2012,
called by Risk Team:
Following our interview on Tuesday February
14, 2012, with Mr. NÉMÉE and
Mr. LERNE, we have been advised of the
following:
A tax audit having been carried out on
the Nice branch of HERCULE, false invoices,
implicating local associations,
have come to light. The information has
been brought to the attention of the National
Tax Fraud Squad. Following the
discovery, a tax claim (dated November
14, 2000) has been made against HER-
AKLES (the company that owns the
HERCULE brand). The associations have
also turned against HERAKLES. These
fraudulent practices are apparently not
endemic in the region, since nothing
similar had been discovered in Cannes.
Mr. MINOS, the official in charge of the
case, wished to go to the Etampes branch
(whose manager was appointed in 2010).
But because of damages sustained to the
files of that store (which were kept in
poor conditions and destroyed for the
period 2002–2005, and are missing for
the period covering 2006–2008 and the
second half of 2009), Mr. MINOS agreed
to focus on the Amiens branch instead.
In regard to the above, our recommendations
are as follows:
– The interview with Mr. DIOMEDE,
manager of the Nice branch since 2010,
should include a series of precise questions,
which we propose to explore with
Mr. NÉMÉE.
– It is necessary to audit urgently the
Amiens branch, so as to verify various
things: the absence of any activity similar
to that discovered in Nice, the respect
for procedures concerning cash receipts
for the associations (on certain products
in particular), and the general good conduct
of the store in regard to all legal obligations.
4
See the study carried out by IFOP for the Atelier BNP Paribas Group (November, 2010), entitled “Le Personal
branding au service de la marque” (“Personal Branding in the service of the brand.”)
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