Fifth of employees admit to ‘moonlighting’ for a competitor

One in five (19%) of professionals have admitted to secretly juggling two competing jobs – known as polygamous working – and nearly a quarter (24%) think it’s ‘justifiable’, according to research published by fraud prevention service, Cifas.

The ‘Workplace Fraud Trends’ research from Cifas surveyed 2,000 employees across different sectors – from HR to engineering and finance to IT – and seniority levels. It reveals a growing tolerance for behaviours once considered taboo and unacceptable – from faking job references and selling access to company systems, to working for competitors in secret.

Out of the five scenarios presented to respondents, using fraudulent reference houses to produce fake employment references and credentials to deceive recruiters and employers during the hiring process was deemed ‘justifiable’ by 30% of respondents. Expenses fraud – including claiming personal meals as business expenses – was the most commonly committed (24%) type of fraud.

One in eight (13%) employees admit to sharing company login details for money – often believing it’s harmless, whilst almost a fifth (19%) say they or someone they know has used fraudulent reference houses to cover employment gaps.

Gambling-related insider threats also emerged, with an eighth (13%) of respondents knowing someone who used company funds to place bets.
In a worrying trend, 88% of business owners and 70% of C-suite executives said certain unlawful behaviours are justifiable – underscoring the need for leadership for fraud prevention training and measures to be implemented throughout the whole company.

Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, said “These insights suggest a shift in workplace norms and raise urgent questions about organisational culture, risk management, and accountability.

“Our Workplace Fraud Trends research doesn’t solely reflect individual choices; it reveals systemic blind spots to a whole range of rising threats impacting the workplace – from polygamous working to UK professionals using fraudulent reference houses.

“Organisations must take steps urgently to build effective counter-fraud cultures in the workplace, strengthening prevention, and empowering employees to do the right thing.”

Keith Rosser, Chair of The Better Hiring Institute and Director of Reed Screening, said “Hiring fraud, driven by modern working styles and AI, is a quickly growing challenge for organisations. Since the Better Hiring Institute, Cifas, and Reed Screening launched the UK’s first guide on Tackling Hiring Fraud in Parliament the issue has steadily grown.

“Polygamous working and the use of Reference Houses are two of the largest issues impacting UK business, along with fake IT workers and AI-enabled fraud. It is essential companies protect themselves against this expanding issue.”