You are the owner of a local department store in a small town. Many of your employees have worked for your company for years, and you know them and their families very well. Because your business is relatively small, and because you know your employees so well, you haven’t worried about establishing many internal controls. You do set a good example for how you wish your employees to work, you are actively involved in the business, and you provide adequate training to new employees. One day, you become suspicious about an employee at a checkout desk. You fear that he may be stealing from the company by altering the day’s totals at his register. He has worked for you for 15 years, and he has always been honest and reliable. After several weeks of investigation, you discover that your fears are correct—he is stealing from the company. You confront him with the evidence, and he admits to stealing $25,000 over several years. He explains that, at first, he stole mainly to pay for small gifts for his wife and young children. But then last year, his wife lost her job, they had another child, and he wasn’t sure how to pay all of the bills.
1. What elements of fraud are present in this case?
2. How might you have detected this fraud earlier, or prevented it from happening?
3. How will you approach your employee interaction and relationships in the future?
4. Do you feel a better system of internal controls, such as surveillance cameras and an improved computer system, is necessary or justified to prevent future frauds?