Crime busters

Indian businesses that are prone to security threats and fraud now have a tool to draw up anti-fraud policies, courtesy Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International. The UK-based company, which interestingly is a spin-off from the University of Leicester and is run by professors and research scholars in the criminology department, has entered India. “We will primarily fill the research gaps in this area, focussing on fraudsters and their views of offences—why they did it, how they did so, their attitudes to various risk factors and the supposed impediments; this will provide new insights and provide a foundation on which anti-fraud policies can be planned,” says Dr Partha Das Chowdhury, CEO of Perpetuity’s Indian arm, who is also from the same university.

The five-year-old $20 million firm (Rs 80 crore), whose clientele includes the UK Home Office, UK Prison Services, UK Police Services, Crime Reduction Authority as well as banks like HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds, has other plans too for India. It is already in talks with airport authorities, port authorities, the police, various government organs, banks, oil companies and large steel companies to provide its business and technology solutions. These solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of the industries they serve and are delivered through global, industry-focussed lines of business.

Says Das Chowdhury: “We offer a comprehensive service that can cover physical and electronic measures, security personnel and management processes, tailored to client’s needs. We can evaluate requirements, analyse risks and advise on evidence-based solutions, leading to a more secure and sustainable environment-friendly and profitable company.”

‘Staff Dishonesty’ and ‘Identity Theft’ are the other areas Perpetuity will focus on in India, both areas in which organisations lose billions of dollars. Says the Perpetuity CEO: “When it comes to staff dishonesty, the scene in India, with its booming economy, is no different from the advanced world.” Incidentally, Perpetuity recently did a study on this along with Protiviti, a leading independent provider of business and technology risk and internal consulting services. And the study suggests that such fraud costs the British economy over £14 billion annually. Offenders exploit opportunities in the corporate structure; advances in technology facilitate some frauds and make them easier to conduct and more difficult to detect. Therefore, Perpetuity’s Indian arm will conduct similar studies here as an ongoing process, adds Das Chowdhury.

The British firm will eventually provide support services to a wide range of crime and disorder agencies, tackling problems of crime, fear of crime, substance misuse and anti-social behaviour. “By auditing crime and disorder problems, we can provide clients with a sound evidence base from which to plan and encourage investment. We can assist in identifying new ways of ensuring that the communities and individuals, including those affected by crime, are engaged and empowered in the community safety agenda,” says Das Chowdhury.