Theft in business is a sad but true reality. It happens whether you like it or not. But it's the way that some people go about it that truly amazes me. Let me tell you about a true situation that actually happened to me a couple of years ago.
This situation actually happened with a former office assistant of mine. In my business I'd always had an office assistant that would help with some of the day to day accounting functions. Simple things like writing out invoices and paying bills. Nothing that hard or easily messed up so the situation usually worked out pretty well. Just basic day to day tasks that had to be handled in house. I'd used this arrangement for years and had never had any real problems. We used QuickBooks which was easy enough to teach and of course I still signed all the checks.
Well I'd been having problems with my latest office assistant and had been contemplating letting her go. I'd already given her a number of chances and she was pushing my last nerve. So finally I'd decided I'd had enough. It was time for her to be on her way. So I came in early the next morning to give her the news and allow her to depart before everyone else showed up. When she came in I sat her down and explained that because of her performance I thought it was best for us to part ways. She seemed to take it well enough and told me she was thinking of leaving anyway. I handed her a final paycheck and she left. End of story right? Well not quite.
It was a bit later in the day while I was writing out some checks that I noticed one was missing. I immediately double checked my books but sure enough the next check in the sequence was gone. Right away I thought something might be amiss so as soon as my bank opened for the day I gave my banker a call. I told him that I had just let somebody go and I thought they might have snagged a check on the way out. He put a stop payment on it just in case somebody tried to cash it.
Well a few days went by but sure enough that missing check finally showed up. It was actually caught because of how much the check was. It had been written out to the tune of $5000. When my banker saw it he called me to ask about it. My former office assistant had written it out to her mother and put it in her mother's bank account instead of her own. She thought she was being slick that way I guess. But her mother's bank put a hold on it anyway. And because of the hold she couldn't get a dime till my bank cleared it.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to have her arrested for the crime as she had already skipped town. But at least I'd saved my $5000. For me it was a lesson in the need for strict internal controls. It also reminded me to be wary of whom I trusted in the office. Business owners need to be especially wary of who they hire for the office side of their operation. Otherwise something like this could come back and bite you in the rear. It took a big chunk out of my behind that's for sure.
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