Five eyes agencies publish global red flags to detect foreign bribery |
The growing complexity of global business has created fertile ground for corruption to cross borders with unprecedented ease. In response, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), in collaboration with law enforcement agencies across the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, has taken a significant step toward strengthening global anti-corruption efforts. For the first time, the International Foreign Bribery Taskforce (IFBT) has jointly published a comprehensive set of guidelines titled “Indicators of Foreign Bribery,” aimed at helping businesses, professionals, and the public recognize warning signs of illicit conduct involving foreign officials.
This landmark guidance reflects a coordinated international effort by some of the world’s most powerful investigative bodies, including the SFO, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), New Zealand Police, the New Zealand Serious Fraud Office, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Drawing on decades of collective casework experience, the document offers a rare insight into the patterns, behaviors, and structures that frequently underpin foreign bribery schemes.
Foreign bribery remains one of the most damaging forms of economic crime. It undermines fair competition, distorts markets, erodes public trust in institutions, and weakens governance in both developed and developing economies. Unlike domestic corruption, foreign bribery often involves complex cross-border transactions, shell companies, intermediaries, and opaque financial arrangements designed to conceal the flow of illicit funds.
Recognizing these challenges, the IFBT’s guidance emphasizes the need for early........