Remote Worker Fraud: Reclaiming Control in a WFH World

Remote employment and contractor scams are on the rise. It’s critical for legal practitioners to be aware of these exploits so they can help guide clients through this insider threat. Oftentimes, a retrospective of an investigation highlights that there are steps that companies could have taken prior to hiring, or during the on-boarding process that would have prevented a fraudster or mole from joining a company. In some cases, when outsourcing to placement agency contractors, companies are submit to further outsourcing, without their knowledge or consent. Paying attention to key indicators is critical to avoiding employment fraud. Often, OSINT tradecraft and simple individual diligence were leveraged to quickly review prospects and hire employees/contractors that avoided complicated network investigations. The risks of non-compliance include paying sanctioned actors and exposure/exfiltration of intellectual property.