ACCA Warns Asia-Pacific Organisations to Strengthen Fraud Defences Amid Rising Digital and Cultural Risks

Lahore, Pakistan: A new report released by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has cautioned that organisations across the Asia-Pacific region are facing an increasingly complex fraud environment, driven by rapid digital transformation, cultural barriers, and emerging financial technologies.

The report, Combatting fraud in a perfect storm, highlights procurement fraud (34%), bribery and corruption (20%), and widening vulnerabilities in crypto fraud and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) misrepresentation as the most pressing threats confronting businesses today.

According to ACCA, the expansion of digital payments, mobile financial platforms and super-apps has significantly increased exposure to fraudulent activity. Meanwhile, AI-powered deception tools are enabling criminals to conduct highly sophisticated and fast-moving fraud schemes that are difficult to detect using traditional controls.

The study also underscores the cultural challenges in the region. In several Asia-Pacific markets, openly discussing fraud is perceived as disloyal, while hierarchical workplace structures suppress whistleblowing. Junior staff, in particular, reported the highest levels of concern about retaliation, making independent investigations and robust protections essential.

Based on insights from over 2,000 professionals and 31 global roundtable discussions, the report stresses that conventional fraud-control mechanisms are no longer adequate. ACCA calls for organisations to adopt culturally informed governance practices, integrate behavioural risk assessments, and ensure transparency and leadership-driven accountability to build trust.

Regional survey results showed an average reporting-ease score of 3.82 out of 5, yet the persistent imbalance in organisational power structures continues to hinder upward reporting. The report’s accompanying Calls to Action and Thematic Typology provide guidance on reshaping fraud-prevention strategies, ensuring they reflect real-world behaviours rather than mere compliance protocols.

ACCA warns that only by embedding behavioural insights into risk governance can organisations transform fraud prevention from “compliance theatre” into effective, operational safeguards in the modern era of accountability.