Internal fraud is a risk that all business owners face. This type of crime can cause significant financial and reputational damage. To reduce the risks, ensure no one person has full control over your functions or transactions. Taking steps like this will help to keep your employees on their toes and prevent fraud.
Limit Access to Sensitive Data
The more information an employee can access, the easier it is for them to steal from your business. To protect your data from thieves, limit access to the information that each employee requires to perform their job duties. It is especially important when dealing with PII (Personal Identifying Information) such as Social Security numbers, credit card or financial information. It’s also essential to keep paper documents and files containing sensitive information locked in a secure room and only accessible to authorized employees with a business need. Additionally, it’s a good idea to require that all passwords be strong and regularly changed. It should be against company policy for employees to share their passwords with coworkers or post them near their workstations.
Internal fraud is common, and it’s often the result of a lack of checks and balances. Taking steps to prevent fraud now can mitigate the effects of theft in the future and help your business recover from unforeseen losses. Perhaps shockingly, people commit fraud by using their personal information on occasion. Alternatively, they may mistakenly sell it to criminal organizations, which would pile up thousands of pounds of fictitious credit card debt. First-party fraud constitutes both of these offenses. You might also think that first party fraud impacts banks, but as telecoms transform into payment processors and handset financiers, they also suffer the pain. Fraud prevention and fraud analytics are two crucial technologies that may be used to prevent and battle first-party fraud for businesses, including financial institutions, telecommunications providers, and gaming agencies.
Train Employees
Aside from theft, fraud is one of the most common problems businesses face. It costs businesses billions in losses and damages and can be incredibly damaging to a company’s reputation and financial health. Employees should be trained on the different types of fraud and the red flags to look out for. They should also be taught how to report suspicious activities and that doing so will not result in retaliation. The rise in friendly fraud is the result of trends coming together.
First, there has been a rise in transaction confusion due to the growth in e-commerce, people’s increased use of digital transactions, and the sheer number of payment card transactions vs. cash purchases. When a clear and recognizable merchant name is missing from the transaction details displayed on card statements, it commonly causes cardholders to believe a purchase is fraudulent when it isn’t. Training should be accompanied by policies that outline preventative measures. For example, employees should be instructed to segregate duties so that a single person cannot run payroll or pay expenses without the approval of another. Additionally, if an employee receives an unusually large amount of money via wire transfer, they should immediately contact the bank and law enforcement to verify that it is legitimate.
Have a Fraud Tip Line
Fraud is a very common threat to small businesses, but it is not something you should live with. As a business owner, you need to implement preventive measures to reduce your fraud risk. These steps should include educating employees, setting clear policies, and ensuring they are followed. Putting these steps in place will help reduce your chances of fraud, but you should also watch for suspicious activity. If you suspect a problem, it’s best to report it to authorities so they can investigate. Having a fraud tip line so employees can report potential fraud is also a good idea.
Whether the cause is employee theft or cheque tampering, the impact of fraud can devastate your business. Ensure you protect your business from internal fraud and its costly ramifications.
Check Your Accounts Daily
Fraud is a serious problem that can destroy small businesses. Partners and customers lose faith, and they can’t rely on to adhere to fundamental accounting principles, resulting in losses beyond just money. Business owners review their accounts daily to identify any unusual activity that may indicate fraud. It is an easy and effective step that can save a company thousands of dollars. Establishing procedures meant to prevent fraud and ensure that employees follow these procedures is also a good idea. Even the most dependable and devoted workers may be persuaded to perpetrate fraud if appropriate. Creating strong internal controls, like locking up blank checks and separating handling (receipt and deposit) functions from record keeping and payments, will help deter fraud. Conducting background checks on all new team members can also reveal red flags and prevent fraudulent behavior. Read more interesting articles on Tech new master
