An HR manager has been sentenced to three years in jail for embezzling £100,000 from her employer, following an investigation by City of London Police.

Fara Ahmed, who worked in the HR departments of a consultancy business and a property and construction firm, was accused of falsifying invoices and diverting funds into her own bank account.

She also directly paid off a debt recovery company for a vehicle loan on which she had failed to make repayments.

Ahmed held different roles in the human resources (HR) departments of both businesses.

During this time, she oversaw the hiring of new employees, internships and the career progression of employees, as well as serving as their primary point of contact for HR-related issues.

She was dismissed in November 2019 after the office manager at the second firm made a formal complaint.

Other colleagues were also found to have raised issues about her work ethic and approachability as an HR manager.

After Ahmed was dismissed, four additional invoices were found in her office that were intended to have been part of the fraud.  Luckily, they had not yet been processed and were dated after her dismissal.  

According to a City of London Police spokesperson, if Ahmed had not been dismissed and her fraudulent activity had not been uncovered, these additional invoices are likely to have resulted in further losses for her employer.

Roger Isaacs, Forensic Partner at Milsted Langdon, said “Employee fraud is common but is seldom sophisticated. 

“In most cases, the methods employed are relatively crude, such as the creation of false invoices that were used in this case. The fraudsters rely on weak financial controls and the trust of their colleagues.

“Once suspicions are raised, forensic accountants typically do not have to look too far to find evidence of wrongdoing.”

Sources: City of London Police