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How wills can be challenged and how charities can manage legacy disputes
Katherine Pymont
With large volumes of people self-isolating and working from home, instances of cyber-crime would seem particularly rife. In 2019, over a quarter of charities reported cyber security breaches, which included phishing emails, where others impersonate an organisation online, viruses or other malware, such as ransomware (a form of software preventing effective control of data stored on a device until a ransom is paid).
The complexity of cyber-crimes is ever evolving and it can be increasingly difficult to detect. In order to be best protected against all types of fraud, charities need to regularly review their own potential exposure and take the necessary steps to guard against the threat of fraud as well as have a plan in place to ensure an effective response if fraud is detected.
Below we outline some of the critical questions, which all charities, irrespective of size and stature, should be asking themselves to identify areas of risk and detect fraud and how to best respond if the charity has been a victim of fraud.
Ultimately, knowledge is key when it comes to charities guarding against fraud and implementing an anti-fraud culture in order to seek to avoid incidences of fraud should be high on every charity’s priority list. Charities must take preventative steps now to ensure that they do not find themselves unnecessarily exposed to fraud and the associated potentially devastating ramifications. If COVID-19 is to have a positive impact on anything from a charity’s perspective, let it be the impetus to prioritise dealing with the risks of fraud.
Please note that the information contained in this blog is correct at the time of writing and it does not constitute legal advice and specialist advice should be sought in individual circumstances.
If you are a charity or charitable body and would like to receive a copy of Kingsley Napley’s Fraud Prevention Toolkit please contact us.
For further information, you may also be interested in reading some of our other blogs about fraud. See also our blog series for charities with a range of topics including litigation, crisis management and investigations.
Should you have any questions, please contact a member of our team. We have longstanding experience of helping charities deal with fraud (civil and criminal), financial crime and financial abuse. Our multi-disciplinary litigation team leaves us particularly well placed to assist charitable bodies in civil claims dealing with fraud, whether that be helping to put in place the necessary measures to ensure that the charity is best protected or dealing with the situation once potentially fraudulent activity has been identified.
Ryan Mowat is a Partner at Kingsley Napley. He acts for private individuals, charities and businesses in a wide range of disputes and complex litigation. He is consistently recognised in the legal directories, including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, for his expertise as a litigator.
Katherine Pymont is a Senior Associate at Kingsley Napley. She has a broad spectrum of litigation experience including civil fraud, wills, trusts and inheritance disputes, reputation management, contractual disputes and professional negligence.
We welcome views and opinions about the issues raised in this blog. Should you require specific advice in relation to personal circumstances, please use the form on the contact page.
Katherine Pymont
Katherine Pymont
Katherine Pymont
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