InvestigAid 2026: tackling fraud in an increasingly complex digital world

Under the theme "Too Complex to Control? Rethinking Anti-Fraud Investigations in the Cyber Age", this year's InvestigAid 2026, hosted by the Netherlands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), focused on how investigative bodies can respond to an increasingly complex environment for international aid and development funding.

On 1 and 2 October, more than 60 participants, including anti-fraud experts, investigators and representatives of international organisations gathered in The Hague to explore how to protect international aid from technology-enabled threats and put artificial intelligence to work in fraud investigations. Discussions also addressed the impact of cybercrime and corruption on foreign aid, an outlook on future financial instruments, and how to protect whistleblowers.

Practical exchanges were at the heart of the conference. Participants shared examples of investigative challenges and successes, including lessons learnt from cases where investigations had not gone as planned.

The conference drew on expertise from OLAF, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission, Europol, ENISA, the European Investment Bank, the World Food Programme, Dutch investigative authorities and other national and international organisations.

The first InvestigAid conference was hosted by OLAF in Brussels in 2021. Since then, the annual event has grown into a forum for sharing expertise and strengthening international cooperation against fraud affecting external aid.

InvestigAid 2026 built on this cooperation to assist national development agencies to strengthen their capacity to prevent, detect and investigate fraud in a rapidly changing environment.