Survey finds 80% of companies victimized.

• Author: Marshall, Jeffrey
• Position: FRAUD

Four out of five companies have suffered corporate fraud in the past three years, according to a survey by Kroll Inc., the world's leading risk consulting company.

New technologies, new investors and expansion into new overseas markets have opened the door to different forms of fraud, the report concludes. In some sectors, more than a fifth of companies have lost more than $1 million.

"The risks of fraud for business are greater today than in the past," said Andres Antonius, president of Kroll's Consulting Services Group. "Even the whiff of a fraud may sometimes be sufficient to place a company under severe scrutiny or in financial distress."

The report draws on a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit of 900 senior executives worldwide. It reveals:

* Theft of physical assets or stock, which was experienced by 34 percent of surveyed respondents, is particularly widespread. In addition, a fifth of companies suffered from information theft, self-dealing, financial...