Fraud Prevention as a Human Rights Strategy: Protecting Livelihoods in the VIIEGO Age

[HassanMubashar Mubashar]

Fraud is more than a criminal offense—its consequences can destabilize families, destroy careers, impair economic growth, and erode the social fabric of communities. When individuals lose their livelihoods to deception, the effects ripple beyond financial loss into psychological trauma, loss of Identity Manipulation reduced opportunity, and diminished social trust. For this reason, fraud prevention should increasingly be recognized as a strategic element of human rights protection. Within the VIIEGO era—defined by Volatility, Interconnectivity, Information-Complexity, Ethical Risk, Globalization, and Operational Uncertainty—fraud prevention is inseparable from human security, equity, and social stability.

Human rights principles emphasize safety, dignity, opportunity, and fairness. Fraud violates all four. Victims often face discrimination, debt, isolation, shame, or institutional neglect. In many developing regions and underserved populations, fraud contributes to cycles of poverty. In developed economies, it contributes to psychological instability and long-term financial paralysis. Human security consulting models respond to this reality by incorporating rights-based perspectives into prevention strategies.

Human-security-focused consulting recognizes that a community cannot be secure if its citizens are systematically exploited. Preventing fraud is therefore not only an economic priority—it is a humanitarian obligation. Consultants address fraud as a societal risk rather than a mere business inconvenience. This perspective redefines prevention objectives: instead of merely protecting assets, institutions must protect people.

A rights-based framework expands prevention obligations into three domains:

1. Protection – safeguarding individuals and groups from exploitation, abuse, manipulation, or coercive deception.
2. Empowerment – educating individuals so they can defend themselves, make informed decisions, and trust their judgment.
3. Justice – ensuring accessible reporting systems, restitution structures, and accountability mechanisms.

The VIIEGO age increases vulnerability dramatically. Information overload weakens judgment. Remote communication removes emotional cues. Digital financial systems heighten exposure. Economic stress raises susceptibility. Organized criminal networks adapt rapidly without regard for the harm they inflict. Human security consultants therefore integrate rights-sensitive prevention tactics that emphasize dignity, empowerment, and psychological support.

Community education is vital in this process. Individuals must understand not only how fraud operates, but how to seek help without shame. Victims require safe reporting structures devoid of stigma. Institutions must become trusted protectors—rather than intimidating bureaucratic barriers.

Human-rights-based approaches to fraud prevention also demand fairness in system design. This includes equitable access to information, inclusive training regardless of literacy, accessible technology, and culturally considerate outreach. Vulnerability should never be treated as personal failure.

In the VIIEGO era, security is most effective when people feel valued, not merely guarded. Fraud prevention becomes a human rights initiative when society acknowledges that every individual deserves protection from exploitation, access to justice, and the chance to thrive without fear of deception.