The Sarbanes-Oxley Act hasn’t helped in the long-running battle against corporate fraud, according to a recent survey of certified fraud examiners — a staggering 76 percent of whom reported that fraud is more prevalent today than five years ago.

The 2007 Report on Corporate Fraud, conducted for governance software vendor Oversight Systems Inc., noted that that was up nine percentage points from its survey in 2005, and that a mere 3 percent of respondents felt that fraud was less prevalent, down from 7 percent in 2005.

“This survey indicates the checklist approach to compliance is not effectively reducing fraud,” said Oversight Systems chief executive Patrick Taylor, in a statement.

Furthermore, 43 percent of respondents felt that “vigilance and interest by corporate leaders” in creating a culture of integrity and fraud prevention had “already started to fade.”

[1] WebCPA: Survey: Fraud Is Up, Despite SOX