THIS week, I will be speaking at an event dealing with business crime and fraud. Many of you reading this column may own or be involved in a business that has suffered at the hands of criminals, whether through fraud, cyber crime, theft or dishonest employees.
On a national scale, the numbers are staggering. An estimate by the National Fraud Authority put business losses last year at £52bn, of which almost £19bn was suffered by small businesses.
Technology continues to develop at a breakneck speed, the internet has made the world a much smaller place and we now carry out a vast amount of business online.
As we have embraced new ways of working, so have criminals.
Without effective security, our businesses are vulnerable to attack from anywhere in the world, and the effects can be devastating.
The criminals who carry out this type of crime are developing ever more sophisticated methods of breaking into our systems.
Many of them view their activities as a victimless crime but nothing could be further from the truth – somebody somewhere is paying the price.
Even if you are insured, higher losses mean higher insurance premiums, increased costs for goods and services, and ultimately some people losing their jobs through businesses closing down altogether.
That's why it's vital that we combat fraud and identify the weaknesses in our systems which criminals will exploit.
Humberside Police has an experienced team of officers in the Economic Crime Unit, working hard to detect fraud and bring criminals to justice, but as always, prevention is better than cure.
The Business Crime Reduction Centre has been set up in Yorkshire to advise small and medium-sized businesses in preventing fraud and e-crime and you can tap into their knowledge for free at www.bcrc-uk.org or attend one of their regular seminars.
One in four businesses will be affected by fraud and often it's only after becoming a victim that action is taken to prevent it happening in future.
In our homes, we take precautions against "traditional" criminals.
We check doors and windows are secure, we are wary of doorstep traders, and we follow advice about disclosing our personal information.
It's the same in business, but the scams are ever more sophisticated.
I want to see less crime and fewer victims.
When we talk about victims, we tend to think of individuals, but organisations and businesses can be victims, too.
Reducing this type of crime will be achieved by making sure we arm ourselves properly before it's too late.
• Read Mr Grove's police and crime plan at www.humberside-pcc.gov.uk, email him at pcc@humberside.pnn.police.uk, follow him on Twitter @humbersidepcc or write to him at The Police and Crime Commissioner, Pacific Exchange, 40 High Street, Hull, HU1 1PS.
