Business impersonation scams are a large and growing risk for high-net-worth individuals, closely held business owners, and institutions. Scams have claimed victims in all 50 states and more than 100 countries and there is every reason to believe the threat is growing. Learn seven steps that can help you protect yourself and your business from impersonation and other types of fraud.
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Overall, the insurance market in Asia remained competitive in 2015, with rates remaining stable or decreasing in most lines of insurance. However, certain lines did experience rate increases and these were generally driven by loss experience, as in the case of the Tianjin explosion in August and its impact on property catastrophe-exposed coverage, or rising costs, such as has been seen in the medical malpractice and employee benefits lines.
Ample capacity and insurer competition generally put downward pressure on rates in most coverage lines in 2015, a trend expected to continue in 2016, barring unforeseen changes in condition. Other significant developments that bear watching throughout 2016 include demand for cybersecurity coverage across all industries, large-scale mergers and acquisitions, executive leadership changes, and recent announcements regarding potential and actual reinsurance underwriting.
Identity theft is a risk that continues to grow and change daily. Due to the many forms identity theft can take, including medical, credit, and financial, the threat remains prevalent and affects millions of people every year. Keeping up-to-date with the latest prevention methods is the surest way to protect the assets and identity. There are a number of steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of identity theft, including reducing access to personal information and maintaining a list of credit card issuers and phone numbers.
All businesses face cyber threats. Almost every company has some kind of network, database or online presence that puts it at risk for a cyber breach. Smaller businesses can be more vulnerable than larger ones as they often use third-party hosting and information processing that can be an entry point for cyber attacks. By following various proactive efforts, companies can protect their employees, their clients, the products, and their intellectual capital.
Each year fraudsters are stealing millions of dollars through sophisticated fraudulent use of Email Compromise Scams targeted at individuals and employees who regularly perform wire transfers. The scam involves a fraudster creating a false email or alternatively, hacking into a real email account of an executive, business partner, employee or financial advisor in order to generate a fraudulent request for a transfer of funds. The email is normally well designed and appears legitimate. Stay protected and secure by following preventive measures and developing good security habits.
Before executing a commercial property lease or sales contract, the parties may prepare a letter of intent or an agreement in principle. The letter of intent or a similar document (the “LOIs”) generally signals that the parties have agreed on the outline of a deal, but not on all of its provisions or details.
Last year, the Western world experienced the twin surprises of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. Elsewhere, geopolitics will play out in 2017 through numerous elections, the possibility of succession in several countries, continued economic polarization, and more. Multinational organizations must be aware of, and prepare for, such political and economic risks in both developed and developing markets.
The social and political volatility witnessed last year is rooted in trends and phenomena that have been building up for more than a decade. It has altered the political agenda in advanced economies and emerging markets alike. Companies need to think hard about the structural shifts that may confront them in five specific areas: security of company property, ease of doing business, viability of strategic investments, strength of corporate reputation, and cohesiveness of their workforce.
Political events in 2016 gave rise to increasing nationalism and populism globally. Combined with a global slowdown in economic and trade growth, international integration may already have plateaued and could begin to reverse over the coming decade. Multinational organizations should prepare for potentially significant implications by carefully considering the political threats in the countries in which they operate.