UN Ghana Hosts Webinar to Strengthen Fraud Awareness and Resilience.

The event, hosted via Zoom and organized by the Operations Management Team (OMT) in collaboration with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) – Ghana Chapterand E-Crimes Bureau Ghana, aimed to raise anti-fraud awareness and educate UN staff on mitigating fraud risks within and beyond the UN in Ghana.

In his opening remarks, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr Charles Abani emphasized on the importance of vigilance, knowledge and proactive measures to identify, report and prevent, as well as combat fraud in all forms. He commended the OMT for this webinar to enhance staff’s understanding of the risk, their responsibility and the consequences of fraudulent activities. “We continue to express our commitment to combating fraud both within our organization and externally and recognize the significant negative impacts that this can have on our personnel, their families and the integrity of our organization” he said, adding that the UN cannot deliver efficiently and effectively if they have fraud in the UN. 

A consultant from the Financial Crimes and Anti-Money Laundering e-Crime Bureau, Mr Eric Kwaku Mensah made a presentation on “Financial transaction fraud impacting UN staff welfare and organisations”. He shared useful insight into the state of financial transaction fraud, the techniques fraudsters employ and the dos and don’ts that staff need to be aware of during financial transaction, especially online.

A Cybersecurity Professional from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), Mr. Theophilus Botchway, touched on cyber-related fraud and E-mail fraud, and what staff need to know to mitigate their risks and that of the organisation. 

The webinar was highly engaging, featuring practical scenarios to emphasize the importance of proactive measures in mitigating fraud risks and fostering integrity within the United Nations and in the personal lives of staff.