Near one in five (19 per cent) of UK work people surveyed have admitted to secretly juggling two competing jobs – known as polygamous working. Nearly a quarter (24pc) think such pairing (or more) of jobs is ‘justifiable’. That’s according to research published by the UK fraud prevention trade body Cifas.
The ‘Workplace Fraud Trends’ research from the trade association of insurers, payment firms, banks and others surveyed 2,000 employees across sectors – from HR to engineering and finance to IT – and seniority levels. The associations says it sees a tolerance for behaviours once considered taboo and unacceptable – such as faking job references, selling access to company systems, and working for competitors in secret. Of five scenarios presented to respondents, using fraudulent reference houses, to produce fake employment references and credentials to deceive recruiters and employers during the hiring process, was deemed ‘justifiable’ by 30 per cent of respondents. Expenses fraud – including claiming personal meals as business expenses – was the most commonly committed (24pc) type of fraud
Among the findings, about one in eight (13pc) of employees admit to sharing company log-in details for money – often believing it’s harmless. Almost a fifth (19pc) say they or someone they know has used fraudulent reference houses to cover employment gaps. Gambling-related insider threats also emerged, with an eighth (13pc) of respondents knowing someone who used company funds to place bets. Most, 88pc of business owners and 70pc of C-suite executives said certain unlawful behaviours are justifiable – which for Cifas pointed to the need for leadership for fraud prevention training and measures to be in place throughout a business.
Workplace norms shift
Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, said: “These insights suggest a shift in workplace norms and raise urgent questions about organisational culture, risk management, and accountability. Our Workplace Fraud Trends research doesn’t solely reflect individual choices; it reveals systemic blind spots to a whole range of rising threats impacting the workplace – from polygamous working to UK professionals using fraudulent reference houses.
“Organisations must take steps urgently to build effective counter-fraud cultures in the workplace, strengthening prevention, and empowering employees to do the right thing.”
And Keith Rosser, Chair of The Better Hiring Institute and Director of Reed Screening, added: “Hiring fraud, driven by modern working styles and AI, is a quickly growing challenge for organisations. Since the Better Hiring Institute, Cifas, and Reed Screening launched the UK’s first guide on Tackling Hiring Fraud in Parliament the issue has steadily grown.
“Polygamous working and the use of ‘reference houses’ are two of the largest issues impacting UK business, along with fake IT workers and AI-enabled fraud. It is essential companies protect themselves against this expanding issue.”
Among Cifas’ suggestions, it recommends that employers scrutinise qualifications and work history thoroughly; and consider using specialist vetting services to verify authenticity.
Earlier this year, another Cifas survey of 2,000 UK adults into attitudes among consumers found that 17pc did not believe it was illegal to falsely claim non-delivery, and so carry out fraud against a retailer.
About the survey
It was carried out by Opinion Matters in Jul 2025 on behalf of Cifas with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK-based employees (aged 18-plus) working in companies employing 1,000-plus people with UK operations.