The 2016 Global Fraud Study released recently by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners shows that asset misappropriation occurred in more than 83% of the cases reported. Asset misappropriation includes billing and check tampering schemes. According to the study, billing schemes were most common, comprising slightly more than 22% of the cases, and check tampering schemes were the costliest, with a median loss of $158,000. Not surprisingly, businesses with poor internal controls, or no internal controls, were the most susceptible. Contact us at 646-688-2807 for tips and suggestions for keeping your business assets safe.
Take these steps to help prevent fraud in your business.
How can you prevent employee fraud in your business? Here are four suggestions.
- Screen job applicants. Check work references, criminal records, and professional recommendations. By instituting a screening policy, you may save a lot of cash and grief. Just remember to treat every applicant equally, and get written permission for background checks.
- Reconcile bank accounts. A standard and simple internal control is to separate employees who pay bills and make deposits from those who reconcile accounts. As an owner, making time to personally review deposits and disbursements on a regular basis can deter fraudulent billing or cash skimming schemes.
- Secure inventory and supplies. This can be as simple as regularly changing combinations on warehouse doors or locking supply cabinets. Laptop computers are especially vulnerable to theft, so make a priority of securing them.
- Get a cash control review. Having a trained set of eyes inspect your books, records, and operations can pay for itself many times over. Skilled auditors can ferret out scams and help your business develop stronger controls against criminals, both inside and out.
If you’d like assistance with this or any of your business concerns, give us a call at the number above.