Courtney Wells, a 49-year-old woman in Connecticut admitted to embezzling over a half a million dollars combined from her two positions as a trusted bookkeeper. Appearing as a trustworthy employee at her job as treasurer of the Southington Lacrosse Association, she gained exclusive access to the association’s debit cards and the bank account. Authorities believe she had stolen approximately $100,000 from this position to fund personal needs such as concerts, traveling, or shopping.
Additionally, Wells embezzled $375,000 from her other job working as a part-time bookkeeper at Jones Engineering. She put this money towards a partial refund of what she had stolen from The Lacrosse Association. Wells finally surrendered herself to authorities according to Southington, CT police. Her warrants included first-degree larceny, second-degree money laundering, and first-degree forgery. There are steps you can take to help secure the well-being of your company.
Article source: https://fox61.com/2019/01/10/woman-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-from-youth-sports-group/
5 ways to protect your company from employee fraud:
- Install a POS System for Accountability
- Monitor your company books and the back office of your POS System on a regular basis
- Sign up for bank and credit card alerts when purchases are made
- Perform thorough Background Checks on all employees and independent contractors
- If you become a victim, prosecute the employee!
A criminal background screening provides a thorough insight into a potential hire’s criminal history. Not only does PCI 12.7 warrant a background of employees dealing with multiple forms of payments, but also taking proactive steps to reduce your risk of employee theft and possible violence in the workplace makes good business sense. Your company’s future is in your hands and now more than ever we need to be watchful of who we are letting in the door.
According to PCI…that dreaded term…
12.7 Screen potential personnel prior to hire to minimize the risk of attacks from internal sources. (Examples of background checks include previous employment history, criminal record, credit history, and reference checks.)
Article source: https://fox61.com/2019/01/10/woman-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-from-youth-sports-group/