ABSTRACT
There are so many difficulties which this research work is confronted with. Bank officers were so reluctant to give out helpful information of this project. And there is also the cost of research and limited time, for acquisition, analysis and proper interpretation of data.
Effort is made by the researcher to personally visit all the places where the above secondary data and primary data were located.
Personal effort was also employed in tracing out relevant information needed to the project.
After due analysis of the available data, the researcher discovered the statistical data of members of staff involved in frauds and forgeries, returns of commercial and merchant banks on frauds and forgeries and so on.
Experience has shown that even in the most regulated home, accident can still happen.
Bank staff should be properly screened before being employed, and adequate banking education should be organized for bank customers.
PROPOSAL
FRAUD IN NIGERIAN BANKING INDUSTRY: CAUSES AND POSSIBLE REMEDIES
Fraud is the number one enemy of the business world. No company is immune to it. It is in all works of life – in government, in export trade; in insurance; in banking everywhere. Special organizations like the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) have been formed to combat it, and international police commission tries to deal with it at international level, but it has not, and cannot be eradicated. It is waxing in strength, and it is an expanded industry. However the research was able to lay hands on some commendable write ups on the named topic.
The men of the underworld who are principally involved in the bank frauds are always ahead of the banks planning, and it is invariably difficult to predict when and how they strike. They are people whose intelligent quotient is much higher than the average banker. The fraudsters think fast and act fast because that is their stock in trade.
In the course of carrying out this research topic, some of these objectives will be revealed,
These objectives are:
- To discover the extent and key interest of Nigerians in fraud.
- To evaluate the consequences of frauds in the banking industry and economy at large.
- To discover ways in checking and preventing fraud in our banks.
- To suggest ways of checkmating fraud.
This project work will be divided into five chapters; chapter one will consist of the background of the study, introduction, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research questions, research hypothesis, scope, limitations of the study etc. Chapter two will be review of related literature, chapter three will contain the research design, methodology, necessary instruments used in carrying out the research work. Chapter four will consist of the data presentation and analysis, Chapter five will reveal the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations.
In handling the research, secondary and primary data where source with the use of questionnaire and oral interview, while secondary data sources are textbooks and internet browsing.
The analysis of data will be based on percentages and table presentation. It is on the strength of the finding that recommendation and conclusion will be made.
In conclusion, experience has shown that even in the most regulated home, accident can still happen. If the bank of England with all security built around it can be defraud, if frauds can emanate from our own Central Bank of Nigeria, it is doubtful if we can ever win the war against fraudsters, they are ironically the sources of delays and frustrations being experienced by customers. In view of the high taste of money in Nigeria, big time frauds are on the increase and banks loss amount running into billions of naira to fraudsters.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page ii
Approval page iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Abstract vi
Table of content vii
CHAPTER ONE
- Introduction To Back Fraud 1
1.1 Background of the Study 1
- Statement of the Problem 3
- Purpose/Objective of the Study 5
- Research Questions 5
- Research Hypothesis 5
- Significance of the Study 6
- Scope, Limitations and Delimitations 7
- Definitions of Terms 8
Reference 9
CHAPTER TWO
- Review Of Related Literature 10
2.1 What is Fraud? 11
- Causes of Fraud 12
- Methods Through which perpetuators
use cheques to defraud banks. 17
- Computer Frauds 18
- The Role of the Branch Manger on Fraud 20
- Types of Fraud 21
- Advance Fee Fraud (“419”) 24
- Effects of Fraud in Banks 26
- Reasons for Committing Fraud 28
- Techniques of Fraud Control in Banks 29
Reference 33
CHAPTER THREE
- Research Design And Methodology 35
3.1 Research Design 35
- Area of Study 35
- Population 36
- Sample and Sampling Techniques 36
- Instruments of Data Collection 38
- Methods of data presentation 39
- Methods of data analysis 39
- References 41
CHAPTER FOUR
- Data Presentation And Analysis 42
4.1 Test for Research Question 42
- Test of Hypothesis 47
References 56
CHAPTER FIVE
- Findings, Recommendations And Conclusion 57
5.1 Findings 57
- Conclusion 60
- Recommendations 61
Bibliography 64
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Fraud can be described as a conscious premeditated action of a person or group of persons with the intention of altering the truth or fact for selfish personal monetary gain. It involves the use of deceit and trick and sometimes highly intelligent cunning and know how. The action usually takes the form of forgery, falsification of documents and forgery of signature and outright theft.
Employees as well as clients of firms in all industries engage in fraudulent practices all over the world. Although the existence of frauds in our banks is not an uncommon or unexpected phenomenon, it is worrying because of all the various problems confronting the Nigeria banking industry, that of fraud is easily the most intractable. The bank industry worries more about fraud because of the rather obvious damaging consequences of the acts on health and for the existence of the institutions.
Frauds in banks nearly always lead to loss of monies – monies that ordinarily belong to someone other than the banks. This loss results in some cases in reduced level of resources available for the use in the operations of the banks.
According to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) annual report (2002), shows that 797 cases of fraud was reported in commercial banks and the amount involved in N12,919.55 billion.
In very bad cases where frauds occur with crippling frequency and in wholesale sizes, the bank may be formed to closedown as a result. When the bank loses money and it is wound up, the customers lose money. This leads to loss of confidence in the banks and reduced patronage. In our kind of financial environment where banking habit is being encouraged developed, this could result in a major set back for the efforts.
Fraud in the Nigerian banking industry is therefore of special concern to the monetary control and supervisory authorities who are charged with the safety of individual banks and the soundness of the banking industry.
- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Banks operate on the pivot of public confidence and trust on the ability of the bank to deliver as and when demanded. The Nigerian society is bedeviled with the desire to get rich quick so as to feel important, as Nigerians believe that wealth is the measure of power and importance. It is in realization of this fact that these “get rich quick” minded set of people direct their attention to defrauding the banks.
Frequent occurrence of frauds ultimately distracts the attention of the management and leads to increased running cost. Time and energies that would have been spent improving customer services would be expanded on preventing frauds. Monies that would also have gone into service improvement activities would be expended in setting fraud control procedure and systems.
Moreover, during the year 2003, total of 23 banks lost N333.3million to theft and fraud according to the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) 2003, annual report.
Another reason why the banking industry like any other, worries about frauds is that it varies widely in nature, character and methodology.
There are two main sources of frauds in banks. The internal and external sources. Though distinguishable in theory, these sources are very often not separable in practice. That is to say, a successful often takes place and succeeds as a result of the collaboration, international or unintentional (i.e. due to carelessness or error of judgement, of an insider – bank employee). Indeed it was recently affirmed that “the public believes and rightly too that most frauds in banks are with the active connivance of bank staff. Otherwise, how does anybody explain for example, how a cheque drawn in favour of the federal government of Nigeria is paid into some private account and funds withdrawn? Or how does one explain how a draft prepared in the name of an institution or individual is collected by a completely different institution or individual?
Fraud has caused the loss of whooping amount of money, contributed to the liquidation of several banks and consequently unemployment and similar problems.
This study is therefore beset by the acute problem of discovering the genesis and cause of fraud in the banking industry.
- PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this study are as follows:
- To discover the extent and key interest of Nigerians in fraud practices.
- To evaluate the consequences of frauds in the banking industry and economy at large.
- To discover ways in checking and preventing fraud in our banks.
- To suggest ways of checkmating fraud.
- RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- How can bank staff contribute to preventing fraud?
- What are the ways of checking fraud?
- Why do people commit fraud?
- Can fraud practices be reduced?
- RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
- Ho: Nigerians are not fraudulent owing to economy
situation.
Hi: Nigerians are fraud owing to economy situation.
- Ho: Most bank frauds are not caused by management
lapses.
Hi: Most bank frauds are caused by management lapses.
- Ho: The borrowed nature of Nigeria banking system is not
capable of introducing fraud tendencies.
Ho: The borrowed nature of Nigeria banking system is capable of introducing fraud tendencies.
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study shall be remarkable in the following ways;
- It is significant to Nigerian banks to the extent of fraudulent activities.
- It is significant to the depositors.
- It is significant to investors, shareholders and so on.
- It is significant to supervisory authorities e.g. CBN and NDIC.
- It is significant for efficient internal control of banks.
1.7 SCOPE, LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS
Fraud practices have caused the loss of millions of Naira involved annually in our banks. This has led to the wounding up of many banks. This study will cover cases of fraud and forgeries in commercial and merchant banks and the amount involved in fraud – annually.
There are so many difficulties which this research work is confronted with. First, most banks officers approached were reluctant to give out relevant helpful statistical data on financial frauds occurring in their organization. None of them have accepted ever being a victim of financial frauds. They refused to let our such vital information, so that their competitors will not use it as a parameter to determine or measure their internal control efficiency. There is also the cost of research and limited time for acquisition, analysis and proper interpretation of data. Because of the limitation of time, finance and other reasons, the research deliberately excluded “banks response 80 NDIC fidelity insurance cover guideline.
This research will cover the extent of fraudulent practices in the Nigerian banking industry, the causes and possible remedies.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Fraud is an act or course of deception directed at the detriment of another. In legal terms, fraud is the act of depriving a person dishonestly of something which is or might be entitled to but for the perpetration of fraud.
Moreover fraud can be described as a conscious premeditated action of a person or group of person with the intention of altering the truth or fact for selfish personal monetary gain. It involves the use of deceit and trick and sometimes highly intelligent cunning and know how.
According of Gerald Klein (1995), dictionary of banking, fraudulent means practicing fraud, intended to deceive in bankruptcy, having the intention to defeat or delay creditors.
While practice is something done often. It is something that people do often, especially in a particular way.
Fraud practice: can be said to be the methods by which people engage in an act or course of deception directed at the detriment of another.
REFERENCE
GERALD KLEIN (1995), DICTIONARY OF BANKING. BRITAIN; PRENTICE HALL.
NDIC (2002), ANNUAL REPORT.
ORJI J. (1996), ELEMENTS OF BANKING,
ENUGU; ROCK COMMUNICATION.
FINANCIAL STANDARD NEWSPAPER. VOL. 5
- 39 JULY 19, 2004. MONEY COLUMN, Page d.
ORJIH J. (1998), SEMINAR IN BANKING AND FINANCE,
ENUGU: BOB BILLION PUBLISHERS.
FEMI ADEKANYE (1986), “FRAUDS IN BANKING
TRANSACTIONS” THE NIGERIA BANKER, JOURNAL OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF BANKERS. VOL. 6 NO. 1 PAGE 7.
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