Report serious fraud and corruption

Case studies

These case studies tell the stories of New Zealand organisations that have been defrauded. The case studies include details on vulnerabilities in the organisation’s controls, how the organisation responded to the fraud and what actions it took to prevent it happening again.

These case studies also provide information on:

  • countermeasures organisations can use to protect themselves
  • understanding the seven common fraudster personas
  • how to identify red flags
  • how fraud and corruption impacts people and organisations.

Fraud involving gambling licences and grants

A well-known racing personality used deception to arrange a gambling licence application and influence the grants processes.

Financial fraud to cover up theft of $225,000

An employee stole cash from New Zealand Defence Force funds to support their gambling addiction.

$1.25 million fraud detected through anonymous tip line

An employee fabricated documents and the delivery of education courses to defraud the Tertiary Education Commission.

Undeclared conflicts of interest contribute to $2.2 million procurement fraud

An employee responsible for procurement helped his wife set up companies to supply goods and services at inflated prices.

$375,000 fraud detected while school employee on leave

An employee created false invoices to pay themselves from funds that should have been used for a school building project.

Procurement corruption fraud at Auckland Council reported by whistleblower

An employee failed to declare a conflict of interest and accepted a bribe to secure stationery contracts worth $140,000 for a supplier who was a long-term associate.

Employee pleads guilty to false accounting charges in $1 million fraud at Canterbury DHB

An employee redirected payments from patients to their own bank account to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Employee commits $1.2 million fraud against Waitangi National Trust

An employee responsible for financial administration created fake invoices and exploited weaknesses in the trust’s online banking processes.

Trustees defraud charitable trust of $500,000 to fund lavish lifestyle

Trustees stole government funding from a trust that provided community-based services for people with intellectual disabilities.

Lack of clear governance enables $1 million fraud by trustees

Trustees worked together to transfer funds from a trust responsible for maintaining forest for future generations to accounts that they controlled.

Red flags and employee tip-off led to detection of fraud at Auckland Transport

Corrupt team culture contributed to public officials accepting bribes from a supplier in exchange for awarding roading contracts.

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