EY put out a piece in April 2021 entitled “Why COVID-19 made fraud and compliance a bigger issue”.  The piece states, among other things:

“Another major source of risk is supply chain disruptions, which have led many organizations to begin new third-party relationships without typical due diligence.  Just one-third of respondents to the EY 2020 Global Integrity Report said they were ‘very confident’ that their third parties demonstrate integrity in the work they do.  Corruption and bribery stemming from external relationships increase the risks of litigation, regulatory fines and reputational damage.  Unvetted vendors can also compromise supply chains and pose risks to customers.  The European Anti-Fraud Office has identified hundreds of companies acting as intermediaries, or traders of counterfeit or substandard products linked to the pandemic.”

Read the full piece here.