Philippe FEMEL (PHF) / An act is considered fraudulent if it is intentional, illegitimate, covert and carried out with the aim of obtaining an advantage.
There are four main types of fraud: corruption, misappropriation of assets, forgery and other concealments which can take different forms, such as conspiracy or stock price manipulation.
Every day, fraudsters are becoming increasingly inventive about finding new fraud techniques. One of the most classic examples is sending a malicious file via e-mail or transferring it via a USB stick. The file contains an attachment or an infected link which will probably lock the employee's computer. Fraudsters can also use phishing with or without identity theft. By pretending to be an employee or a manager, they encourage the user to communicate personal data (login, password, invoices, bank details) or to make a transfer or payment.

 

PHF / We have seen a significant increase in fraudulent purchase orders over the last two years. How do they work? Fraudsters place an order with companies, which know us by reputation only, by posing as an employee of Bouygues Construction. Any supplier who does not check is duped and delivers the goods, which are then recovered by the fraudster. However, it’s Bouygues Construction who gets the invoice! When this happens, a complaint is automatically filed to protect the interests of the group and there is full cooperation with the supplier when they collect information relevant to the investigation of complaints.

PHF / Bouygues Construction takes action on two fronts. Firstly, we have to engage our suppliers and external stakeholders. A warning banner appears on the Bouygues Construction suppliers’ website reminding them, for example, that our order forms follow a strict format with a QR code. If in doubt, they should contact their usual contact person. We also rely on our employees who are in regular contact with our suppliers to remind them of these basic prevention policies.
Internal dialogue and awareness raising are essential in addition to these measures. It is essential to check e-mail addresses and domain names used in the communication chain to combat fraud and reduce the risk of identity theft.
The Bouygues Construction procedure for modifying/creating third parties must be strictly applied and a confirmation call routinely made to the supplier in order to combat any fraudulent changes to the bank details of suppliers and subcontractors,
More generally, every employee is asked to take note of our code of ethics and to follow the programmes available, such as Fair Deal - an e-learning module which raises awareness about ethics and compliance issues in our business practices. Each employee must play their part in the fight against fraud and demonstrate exemplary behaviour.