Startup Investments That May Be Too Good To Be True

Many startup companies require access to large sums of investment capital to take on well-established competitors. The need to raise such funding may encourage a startup’s founder to paint an overly optimistic picture of the business and exaggerate its ability to succeed. In some extreme circumstances, founders may resort to deception to convince investors to back their ventures. That’s fraud. Silicon Valley warning A medical testing startup provides a cautionary tale of what can happen when an aggressive entrepreneur plays fast and loose with the truth. Based on the extravagant claims of the Silicon Valley company’s founder, the startup raised more than $700 million and secured a $10 billion valuation. When evidence emerged that it couldn’t conduct extensive medical tests on tiny amounts of blood as it...

Make Your Fraud Contingency Plan a Blueprint for Swift Action

Over the past year, most businesses have been forced to contend with multiple crises, including COVID-19, social unrest and financial challenges. The last thing you need right now is a fraud incident. But if your company is defrauded, make your fraud contingency plan one that can help mitigate the damage. Identifying likely scenarios No contingency plan can cover every possibility, but yours should be as wide-ranging as possible. Work with your senior management team and financial advisors to devise as many fraud scenarios as you can dream up. Consider how your internal controls could be breached — whether the perpetrator is a relatively new hire, an experienced department manager, a high-ranking executive or an outside party. Next, decide which scenarios are most likely to occur given such factors...

New Fraud to Watch Out for in 2021

Whew, you made it through 2020! But don’t rest easy yet as there's new fraud to watch out for in 2021. The fraud perpetrators enjoyed a profitable year in 2020, and there are signs they may continue to feed off Americans as long as the pandemic is active. Here are several new scams. PPP fraud Struggling small-business owners have welcomed last month’s 11th hour extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). They aren’t alone: Fraudsters skilled at falsifying loan applications are also likely rubbing their hands in anticipation. The Justice Department has brought charges against at least 80 individuals for stealing $127 million from the first PPP. Law enforcement expects to charge more (likely many more) con artists as evidence is uncovered. Indeed, the House Select Subcommittee on...

Prevent and Detect Insider Cyberattacks

In one recent cybercrime scheme, a mortgage company employee accessed his employer’s records without authorization, then used stolen customer lists to start his own mortgage business. The perpetrator hacked the protected records by sending an email containing malware to a coworker. This particular dishonest worker was caught. But your company may not be so lucky. One of your employees’ cybercrime schemes could end in financial losses or competitive disadvantages due to corporate espionage.  Best practices Why would trusted employees steal from the hand that feeds them? They could be working for a competitor or seeking revenge for perceived wrongs. Sometimes coercion by a third party or the need to pay gambling or addiction-related debts comes into play. Although there are no guarantees that you’ll be able to foil every...

4 Tips for Preparing a Fraud Case for Law Enforcement

If you’ve caught an employee stealing from your company, you may think that turning the person over to the police will result in prosecution. That’s not necessarily true. Law enforcement officials pursue and reject cases for many reasons. So if you’re determined to request prosecution of an occupational fraud perpetrator, take the following steps to help in preparing a fraud case. 1. Make it easy to follow In the rush to submit a case to law enforcement, it’s easy to forget that the police and prosecutors won’t necessarily understand your industry’s jargon or understand your business’s accounting records. Make it easier for everyone to understand what the perpetrator might have done and why it deserves their attention. Preparing a document that defines acronyms and common terms used...

Prevent Retail Rturn Fraud from Damaging Profits

For most retailers, December is the most profitable season of the year. However, customer returns in January can cut deeply into December revenues — particularly if the returns are fraudulent. U.S. retailers suffer annual losses of $18.4 billion from fraudulent returns, according to data analytics company Appriss and the National Retail Federation (NRF). And as antifraud technology company Signifyd has found, the pandemic is encouraging higher retail return rates — as much as 80% higher than before COVID-19 hit. Such a shift is likely to mean even more fraud. Old dog, new tricks Return fraud isn’t new. Dishonest customers have long “returned” items they stole or purchased elsewhere for less to stores willing to issue full cash refunds. But growth in online sales has magnified return fraud...

When Investigating Fraud, Beware of Bias

Despite our best intentions, almost everyone brings some bias to human interactions — even business owners and executives investigating fraud. Sometimes bias can lead to the right conclusion. However, bias can also compromise an investigation’s integrity. If you suspect fraud in your organization and decide to investigate yourself, be sure to guard against bias that may lead you to the wrong culprit or into legal trouble. Banish stereotypes One of the most destructive types of bias is preconceived notions about employees based on their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and similar personal characteristics. Not only is this type of identity-based bias generally illegal in the workplace, but it can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding an employee’s guilt or innocence. Members of a fraud investigation team should make...

Balancing the Rights of Employers and Employees When Fraud is Suspected

Most fraud-prevention guidance advises owners and manager to monitor employees. But what exactly does this mean? Are you legally entitled to monitor employee computer use? What about security cameras in the workspace? Can you search an employee’s desk if you suspect the person is hiding something? The simple answer is that to stay on the right side of the law when fraud is suspected, your business must be careful about invading employee privacy. Their rights Many employment laws apply to employees’ privacy rights. In general, they attempt to balance employers’ interests in minimizing losses and injuries and maximizing production with employees’ interests in being free from intrusion into their private affairs. By adopting and clearly communicating employment policies, your company can, within limits, establish its authority to conduct...

The Holidays are the Season for Charity Fraud

Americans generally feel generous during the holidays and usually are eager to donate to worthy charitable causes. At the same time, they’re so busy and rushed with holiday activities they don’t necessarily vet charities that ask for support. Unfortunately, the holidays are the season for charity fraud.  Fraud perpetrators masquerading as non-profits usually find easy pickings. Charity scammers use every available channel to defraud charitable donors — door-to-door appeals, telemarketing campaigns, email messages, slick looking websites and even through social media “friends.” To ensure your donations reach the genuinely needy, exercise healthy skepticism and take precautions. Know your non-profit The best and easiest way to avoid becoming a charity scam victim is to donate only to charities you already know and trust. However, by doing this, it’s possible...

Is Your Business Vulnerable to Identity Theft?

According to data company Dun & Bradstreet, business identity theft increased more than 250% in the first half of 2020. You can thank the pandemic — and the government’s release of relief and recovery funds to qualified U.S. businesses — for this remarkable number. In a more typical year, crooks use stolen business identities to file fraudulent tax returns, apply for credit and empty bank accounts. Is your business vulnerable? However they might try to use your company’s information, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk. Protecting sensitive information Thieves often use malware to infect computers and gather sensitive data from businesses. They also create fake websites that trick employees into entering login and password information. To protect against these tactics, deploy patches when...