employee embezzlement Archives - Page 2 of 2

Think Computer Forensic Services if you are Concerned about Employee Theft

Employee theft can take many forms, not just stealing cash from the register or lifting product out the backdoor to an associate. In fact, in a recent article on American Express Open Forum, Barry Moltz lists several you might not have even considered, although he says they are common. Set up fake vendor accounts. Steal checks Falsify expense accounts. Buddy punching (timecards) Steal data Most of these can be precluded through strict protocol and a system of checks and balances. If you suspect employee theft, can step in and bring the truth to light. First, computer forensic examination reveals not just documentation to confirm wrongdoing, but also can identify groups of employees conspiring through email and other communications. Even if the employee deletes emails, a [...]

Investigations and Social Security Numbers

Few people think much about their social security number, other than protecting it from identity thieves. But the actual number was – in the past – very telling. conducts a lot of investigation of specific people for a wide variety of reasons: A missing person investigation An identity theft An asset search Due diligence for personal or professional reasons Insurance fraud And a social security number can be a source of leads and information. But a relatively recent change adds some new challenges – and opportunities. The first three digits of a social security number used to stand for something specific. Each state had a certain series of numbers and other groups, like railroad workers, their social security number always began with digits from 700 [...]

What Business Owners Need to Know About Theft by Employees and Employee Embezzlement

Theft by employees is rampant – just ask any business owner or CEO. And when you start talking about employee embezzlement, the impact can be catastrophic to some businesses, especially small businesses, for several reasons: Loss of assets – an employee stealing from a company can take anything from supplies and materials to money away from the company’s resources. Loss of credibility – if a large theft or employee embezzlement is uncovered and reported to the public, the perception of the company may be damaged. The “if they can’t manage their own house, how can I think they can manage mine” theory can result in loss of clients and potential clients – for a long time. Drain on future finances – Seeing a business embezzlement [...]

An Investigation Provides Answers When You Think You Have an Employee Stealing Customers

In order to protect their client list and trade secrets, many businesses formalize confidentiality and non-compete agreements with employees. Client data protection is also an element of the privacy organization strive to maintain. But sometimes employees or contractors see those agreements only as valuable as the sheet of paper they are written on and ignore the legally binding agreement. And it’s not only the people you hire, but family who work in the business, too. has had numerous investigations that revealed family members were involved in clandestine operations – sometimes. For instance, a small family business owner contacted about suspicions he had at work. He thought he had an employee stealing customers – and that employee was his nephew. Not only was he concerned about [...]

Confirm Employee Embezzlement with a Certified Financial Examiner

When an employer is faced with employee embezzlement, you might think that they just fire the person, or call the police and the insurance company. At the minimum, they call the insurance company if they have an employee fidelity policy. What you might not realize is that the insurance company might require proof that funds were actually stolen by the employee. Most employers call their attorneys and smart attorneys call in a firm like Theft in the workplace can be complicated and involve more than a single employee. Theft by employees could also implicate suppliers and clients. A recent case followed a common scenario. The situation where an employee forged checks, cashed the checks and doctored the books and records. called in the Certificated Forensic [...]

Computer Investigation Shows Employee Embezzlement is Digital Now, Too

Theft by employees is a problem for more than retail or restaurant businesses. It is a problem in the office, too. I am talking about more than office supplies and materials here. I am talking about the theft of ideas, processes, client lists and confidential corporate operations. This could include employee embezzlement through accounting or bookkeeping channels from corporate accounts, too. All of these things constitute theft in the workplace; some just look a little different than others. Instead of carrying something physically off, it’s moved digitally. And that is how exactly how it is found – digitally. Computers are the basis of most of the work done in many workplaces so when suspicions arise, a computer forensic investigation is one of the first steps [...]