Beyond the Checkmark: Why Modern Integrity Risks Require Intelligence

Recent arrests for healthcare certificate fraud¹ demonstrate how vulnerable the current screening system is. Documents and diplomas appeared to be in order, but genuine integrity was completely absent. Such incidents make clear that traditional screening falls short in an environment where criminals operate with increasing professionalism.

The Evolution of Organized Fraud

Screening once began as checking diplomas and criminal records. Fraudsters have understood this logic and are increasingly learning to circumvent it. The extensive EVC fraud - where an estimated thousand-plus certificates were issued invalidly or fraudulently² - shows how systematic this has now become.

The Public Prosecutor's Office and police report that the number of healthcare providers without valid diplomas is growing³. This represents a shift: from incidental forgery to organized infiltration. Criminal networks create documents that effortlessly pass existing controls, creating a paper reality that contradicts actual integrity.

We see the same pattern internationally. The Netherlands is not alone in this, but faces additional vulnerabilities due to its open economy and high trust in certification systems.

While healthcare is currently the focus, the vulnerability is broader. Financial institutions, government services, and critical infrastructure organizations are equally at risk. Wherever personnel integrity is essential, organized fraud can have serious consequences.

When malicious networks deliberately position people in crucial functions, risks arise for business continuity, information security, and even national security. The question then becomes: is an apparently trustworthy employee part of a larger network?

This new reality demands a fundamentally different approach. Organizations must not only verify whether information is correct, but analyze what patterns emerge based on the 'FIRE methodology', where risks are classified into categories such as:

• Financial risk: fraud, theft, bribery, money laundering, and selling sensitive information.
• Conflict of interest: information abuse, insider trading, manipulation, espionage, conflicts of interest, and unwanted influence.
• Reputation: negative publicity, blackmail, damaged client/prospect relationships, and reputational damage.
• Ethical risks: transgressive behavior, information leaks, sabotage, moral objections, undermining organizational standards.

Proximities combines this intelligence-driven methodology with in-depth research and expertise from intelligence world analysts. Where algorithms signal superficial connections, experts recognize the subtle patterns of deception and cover stories.

A New Standard

Relying on administrative checkmarks now offers only an illusion of security. For organizations, this means: evolve or fall behind. Intelligence-driven screening is not a luxury, but a necessary investment in risk management.

Screening must therefore shift from administration to intelligence. No longer ticking boxes, but exposing patterns and networks that operate beneath the surface. Only then can organizations ensure the integrity they need in an increasingly complex threat landscape.

1. NOS (July 9, 2025). Arrests for healthcare certificate fraud.
2. Dutch Government (November 6, 2024). EVC fraud: over a thousand certificates invalid or fraudulent.
3. Police.nl (July 9, 2025). Growing number of healthcare providers without valid diplomas.