The medical places had been allocated. The rankings were done. The offers had gone out. Then another place appeared from nowhere. Then another place appeared from nowhere. Where did it come from? Who authorised it? And who was going to get it?

She was the sort of person organisations like to have at the front of the room. Passionate. Accomplished. Articulate. A champion for migrant and refugee women. Eman Sharobeem had built an impressive public reputation after arriving in Australia from Egypt. She became CEO of the Immigrant Women's Health Service and was also in day-to-day charge of the Non-English Speaking Housing Women's Scheme. She was invited to government events. She advised on issues affecting multicultura

Every scandal begins with a warning that was ignored. The first time he lied his way into a public sector job, nobody caught him. Nor the second. Or the third. Or the fourth. Or the fifth. Or the sixth. Six job applications. Four public sector organisations. By the time the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption finally put the pieces together, Zoran Ribicic had spent more than a decade using false or misleading qualifications, employment history and references to secu

There is a quiet, dangerous comfort in the phrases we use to brush aside warnings. “That’s just how this industry operates.” “Let’s deal with that when we have to.” “It’s not that big an issue.” “I don’t want to know.” Deliberate blindness may offer temporary comfort. But it often ends with a crisis and a knock at the door. All too often, what follows is a shift from accountability to blame and obfuscation, accompanied by the silent wish that earlier warnings had been heeded

Most organisations invest heavily in preventing integrity risks from entering the workplace. Far less attention is paid to what happens when employees leave. Behavioural research suggests employee departures may represent a heightened corruption and misconduct risk period. As opportunities disappear, the temptation to take one final benefit can increase - particularly when people can convince themselves their actions are fair, harmless or deserved.

Everyone knew something didn't add up - but nobody asked enough questions. He called himself a prince. Not metaphorically. Literally. Joel Barlow told colleagues he was descended from Tahitian royalty. He claimed to have a law degree. He drove luxury cars, wore designer labels, handed out expensive gifts and hosted lavish parties worth more than $100,000. The only problem? He worked for Queensland Health on a public servant's salary. People noticed. They talked. Some thought

When one trusted executive turned government contractors into the builders of his dream home. John was one of the most senior executives in Western Australia's health system. He oversaw infrastructure and maintenance contracts worth many millions of dollars. Contractors wanted his approval. His decisions determined who won work and who missed out. From the outside, nothing appeared unusual. Invoices were paid. Contractors kept working. Projects continued. But according to the

How an Investigation Undermined a Bulletproof Case. The investigator reviewed the access logs. The employee was on extended leave. Yet, the system showed he had entered a restricted facility. His security pass had expired. But he had simply "tailgated" his way through the security gates, following a co-worker inside. But that wasn’t the most alarming discovery. A forensic review of his workstation revealed a massive data transfer. More than 30,000 files had been quietly sipho

On paper, everything looked perfectly legitimate. A security guard had worked the overnight shift. Their name appeared on the roster. Their security licence number was valid. A timesheet had been signed. An invoice had been submitted. The University of Sydney paid for the service. There was just one problem. The guard had never been there. In some cases, they didn't even know their identity had been used. When most people hear the term ghost employee, they picture someone who

The accounts payable officer stared at the screen. The supplier was adamant. "We've been chasing this invoice for weeks." That couldn't be right. The system showed the invoice had been paid. She checked the payment report. The money had left the organisation's bank account exactly as it should have. So why hadn't the supplier received it? She ran another report. Then another. Something wasn't adding up. Within hours, what appeared to be a simple payment query had become somet

Every organisation has approval processes. Timesheets are approved. Leave is approved. Procurement requests are approved. Corporate credit card transactions are approved. Travel claims are approved. Invoices are approved. Ask an executive whether appropriate controls exist and they'll often point to these approval processes as evidence that they do. But here's the uncomfortable reality. An approval is only a control if the person approving something is both willing and able t

The team at Lift Strategic have seen countless examples of employees misusing corporate credit cards. In many cases, credit card misuse can go undetected for months or years, resulting in significant financial losses to an organisation which are often difficult to recover. Whether it be a public sector agency or private company, all organisations can be at risk. While we can investigate credit card misuse in your organisation, prevention is always better than cure. And preve

If you are a company executive, the recent decisions of the Federal Court relating to Star Entertainment executives should act as a stark reminder of how governance failures can lead to devastating personal consequences. The decisions, which centred on Star Entertainment Group’s handling of money laundering risks and misleading communications, found that senior executives fundamentally breached their statutory duty of care and diligence. So what are the lessons for EVERY comp

People are your greatest asset - but also your greatest risk. For most organisations, they represent not just your workforce, but your reputation, your culture, and your most significant financial investment. That’s why recruitment is one of the most important - and riskiest - things you can do. Research consistently shows that confirmation bias plays a strong role in recruitment decisions. Once we decide we like someone, we unconsciously start to shape the process to justify

The moment your operations intersect with public funds, government decisions, or regulatory approvals, you are firmly on the radar.

Compliance theatre occurs when organisations focus on appearing compliant rather than being compliant.

Between eye-watering prices at the petrol bowser, climbing grocery bills, and relentless interest rate hikes, most Australians are feeling the financial squeeze right now. But here’s something business owners and managers might not have considered—this immense personal financial pressure is a massive risk factor for your organisation. When the cost of living skyrockets, the risk of workplace fraud rises. Why? It all comes down to something experts call the "Fraud Triangle", w

The infamous ink cartridge scams that plagued Australian businesses and government occurred more than a decade ago, but could something similar happen again?