Corporate Governance And Fraud

Abstract

The main bank fraud cases of the past decade are examined to identify warning signs that could and should have been recognised. Brown (2001 and 2004) has rightly highlighted doubling as a key feature of the Leeson and National Australia Bank derivatives losses. This paper takes a wider view of this and other similar events-the Allied Irish fraud, the Sumitomo copper case, the Daiwa Bank losses and the National Australia Bank case – and examines the other warning signs that could and should have been recognised. If these can be seen as easier to identify while the fraud is in progress than the doubling of transactions, then these may be used to structure an early warning system of some potency.