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Learn more about fraud prevention at UM

Mariianne Mays Wiebe — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:00:09 +0000

Fraud Prevention Month in Canada is an annual campaign that seeks to help you recognize and report fraud. According to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre, $530 million was lost to fraud in 2022 – a 28% increase from 2021.

In addition to being alert to online scams, we also have a responsibility as a university community to uphold standards of honesty and ethical conduct with regard to all UM-related work and finances. All university employees, in particular, have a duty to report any suspicion of fraud or irregularities.

Fraud prevention at UM

Last summer, the Board of Governors adopted the University of Manitoba’s first fraud and financial irregularity reporting policy. The policy can be found on the Governing Documents website and reflects UM values of accountability and integrity and our commitment to the highest standards of honesty, ethical conduct and fiduciary responsibility.

Take time to review the policy and complete the associated course, entitled Financial Stewardship & Ethical Conduct (“Fraud”), on UM Learn, the university’s online learning platform.

Download the “Financial Stewardship” one-page overview for more about what you need to know.

What is fraud?

Fraud is any illegal act characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust. These acts are not dependent upon the threat of violence or physical force. Frauds are perpetrated to obtain money, property, or services; to avoid payment or loss of services; or to secure personal or business advantage.

Financial irregularities are broader than fraud and include violation or deliberate disregard of university financial policies and ethical standards, or questionable accounting practices. Financial irregularities also include excessive spending, waste, or failing to properly safeguard and protect assets.

Do you know what fraud looks like?

Some examples of fraud include:

Purchasing personal items on the university purchasing card or through a travel and business expense claim.
Payroll manipulations such as claims for hours not worked (including overtime), unrecorded vacation, unauthorized pay rate adjustments, or adding non-existent employees to payroll.
Theft or use of the university’s property (inventory, gift cards, equipment and supplies, intellectual property) for personal advantage or gain.
Receipt of kickbacks or gratuities from vendors.
Bid rigging and bribery related to purchasing transactions.
Failing to appropriately identify and address any real, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.
Breach of fiduciary duty, such as through neglect, override of internal controls, or intentional failure to act.
Altering or deliberately recording incorrect financial information for either a personal or university advantage.
Aiding fraud by other parties.
Unauthorized staff signing approval documents (forgery).
Any other activity that deliberately misrepresents or conceals material facts, disregards University policies, internal controls or is perceived to be contrary to the ethical values of the university.

If you see something, say something

Learn how to report fraud (Audit Services “Special Review” webpage).

Here you can confidentially report your concerns of fraud or financial irregularities.

Questions regarding UM’s fraud policy and procedures can be directed to Audit Services at audit [dot] services [at] umanitoba [dot] ca

How to avoid becoming a target of business email fraud and phishing

See also the Fraud Prevention Month website (Govt of Canada)

Thank you for your commitment

Mariianne Mays Wiebe — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 19:03:04 +0000

Thank you for your commitment to familiarize yourself with the new fraud and financial irregularity reporting policy at the University of Manitoba! As of December 9, 2022, over 2,500 UM faculty and staff have completed the associated course in UM Learn.

The overwhelming participation in the online course demonstrates our collective commitment to the highest standards of honesty, ethical conduct and fiduciary responsibility.

Though the promotional campaign concluded Nov. 18, the online course entitled Financial Stewardship & Ethical Conduct will remain on UM Learn. If you have not yet had a chance to complete the course, please take some time to complete it now.

The course is a simple and helpful 45-minute video that explains financial stewardship, ethical conduct, fraud and financial irregularities and how to recognize them. There is no quiz component.

All members of the UM community are strongly encouraged to review the policy and complete the associated UM Learn course. As members of the UM community, we all have an obligation to report good faith concerns or suspicions of fraud and irregularities and to follow processes to report concerns to protect funds and property owned by or in the care of the University.

A reminder that the course is mandatory for all staff reporting under: the Office of the President; Provost and Vice-President (Academic) – members of the Provost’s Office; Vice-President (Administration); Vice-President (External); Vice-President (Indigenous); and Vice-President (Research and International).

Please note: Course attendance is also being recorded in VIP on a weekly basis; managers can review progress in their areas through the Manager’s portal in Employee self-service.

Learn more about the policy and how to access the course in UM Learn.

Protecting UM from fraud and financial irregularities

Mariianne Mays Wiebe — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 18:31:29 +0000

UPDATE — Nov. 7, 2022

If you have not yet reviewed the new Fraud and Financial Irregularity Reporting Policy and completed the associated course, please take some time to do so now. All members of the UM community are strongly encouraged to review the policy and complete the associated UM Learn course by Nov. 18, 2022.

The course is mandatory for all staff reporting under the following portfolios:

Office of the President
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) – members of the Provost’s Office
Vice-President (Administration)
Vice-President (External)
Vice-President (Indigenous)
Vice-President (Research and International)

Faculty participation is optional but is encouraged. Student participation is optional. Student employees (teaching assistants, lab assistants, etc.) are strongly encouraged to complete the course.

The new policy, which can be found on the Governing Documents website, reflects UM values of accountability and integrity and our commitment to the highest standards of honesty, ethical conduct and fiduciary responsibility.

How to access the course in UM Learn

You can access the course, entitled Financial Stewardship & Ethical Conduct (“Fraud”), on UM Learn, the university’s online learning platform.

It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. (To access, you must be logged in with your UM email address and password.)

Find UM Learn on the Faculty and Staff webpage or access from UM Intranet.
Log in to UM Learn and select the waffle menu (a square made up of 9 dots located near the middle top of the screen).
Select the course from the waffle dropdown menu by clicking on it. Most users have been automatically registered in the course, which means the course will appear in the waffle dropdown menu.

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OCTOBER 12, 2022 —This summer, the Board of Governors adopted the University of Manitoba’s first fraud and financial irregularity reporting policy.

As members of the UM community, we all have an obligation to report good faith concerns or suspicions of fraud and irregularities and to follow processes in order to protect funds and property owned by or in the care of the University.

A course has been created to review the policy and associated procedures. The course can be accessed on UM Learn and is entitled Financial Stewardship & Ethical Conduct (“Fraud”). It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

All members of the University community are strongly encouraged to review the policy and complete the course by Nov. 18, 2022.

Questions regarding the new policy and procedures can be directed to Audit Services at audit.services@umanitoba.ca