Openness in govt. triggers 7m fraud

[Walsingham]

Story.

 

Fraudsters used documents obtanied from transparency material to siphon off millions of pounds.

 

I'm not against transparency, but this is precisely the sort of irrseponsible, unedited material that 'powers' Wikileaks.

[Rosbjerg]

Councils said fraud cases were rising because the current economic climate was putting pressure on people's personal finances and "tempting" them to commit fraud.

 

Chicken or the egg. If the financial sector had been more responsible and the government before that had been more open about rolling back regulations and if the public had been more vigilant etc etc. This isn't just a product of openess, but an underlying problem about how society handles disproportional greed.

[Walsingham]

Councils said fraud cases were rising because the current economic climate was putting pressure on people's personal finances and "tempting" them to commit fraud.

 

Chicken or the egg. If the financial sector had been more responsible and the government before that had been more open about rolling back regulations and if the public had been more vigilant etc etc. This isn't just a product of openess, but an underlying problem about how society handles disproportional greed.

 

I don't follow you, Ros. If you read the story these are external (apparently) fraudsters. Probably professionals since they worked the human angle using the copied materials. I don't think "stop people wanting to take millions of pounds" is the solution.

 

EDIT: Although it would also help if fraud convictions carried more than a slap on the wrist. And were actually pursued with vigour.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Walsingham

[Rosbjerg]

EDIT: Although it would also help if fraud convictions carried more than a slap on the wrist. And were actually pursued with vigour.

 

Yeah that was what I was getting at, right now the biggest fraudsters get bonuses and a nice retirement fund. Which is sending a signal that it not only pays to be a greedy bastard, you'll also get away with it even if caught.

[Walsingham]

EDIT: Although it would also help if fraud convictions carried more than a slap on the wrist. And were actually pursued with vigour.

 

Yeah that was what I was getting at, right now the biggest fraudsters get bonuses and a nice retirement fund. Which is sending a signal that it not only pays to be a greedy bastard, you'll also get away with it even if caught.

 

I'm willing to debate it, but I'd come down heavily on the notion that internal fraud and external fraud is committed by the same sort of people working to the same motivations.

 

In my experience internal fraud is something committed by improperly supervised individuals who undergo some sudden shock to their motivations. Either transition to a greedy lifestyle, drugs, or unexpected financial loss. External fraudsters are a profession in their own right.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Walsingham

[Gorgon]

Councils said fraud cases were rising because the current economic climate was putting pressure on people's personal finances and "tempting" them to commit fraud.

 

They also said a reduction in staff numbers due to cutbacks was weakening internal fraud controls.

 

Transparency in budgets is done out of consideration for the taxpayer who is supposedly interested in where his money goes and that there is not too much waste. I don't see the link to politically charged leaks and Wikileaks.

[Darth InSidious]

Isn't much of this information kept in limited circulation precisely because if it were in wider circulation it would be open to abuse?

[Walsingham]

Councils said fraud cases were rising because the current economic climate was putting pressure on people's personal finances and "tempting" them to commit fraud.

 

They also said a reduction in staff numbers due to cutbacks was weakening internal fraud controls.

 

Transparency in budgets is done out of consideration for the taxpayer who is supposedly interested in where his money goes and that there is not too much waste. I don't see the link to politically charged leaks and Wikileaks.

 

My point, which may be wrong was that splurging unedited mass data like this is precisely the aim of sites like Wikileaks. But there are consequences in doing so.