Hot Topics
When the Books Lie
Embezzlement doesn’t always look like a dramatic theft. Sometimes, it looks like an ordinary accounting entry.
A recent federal case involving a Kansas City, Missouri executive illustrates how a trusted employee can use access to company finances to steal millions of dollars while attempting to make the company’s financial records appear legitimate.
Recorder Ruse
A bookkeeper is in a position of trust.
They have the responsibility of reconciling payments and making sure the financials of a business match up to expense records. However, when a bookkeeper abuses this power it can be dangerous, depending on the amount of control over bank accounts one individual has. This was...
Ghost Employees
SDC has worked many cases involving ghost employees.
In these cases, an individual misappropriates pay by creating ghost employees who are paid for time not actually worked.
In 2024, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, announced the arrest of five individuals...
Fraud in Football
After the Super Bowl, a majority of football fans look forward to the offseason to see which teams make moves towards improvement.
However, after one Super Bowl, the Jacksonville Jaguars terminated an employee due to alleged misappropriation of funds.
The Jaguars franchise allegedly lost $22 million during the span of 2019 to...
Caregiver Crime
In Chicago, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a former nursing home employee with seven counts of wire fraud.
Alisha Richardson allegedly conducted a scheme to defraud the nursing home she worked for by falsifying records to pay individuals who did not work at the facility. After this, Richardson allegedly logged...
Security Unsafe?
Security by definition means “the state of being free from danger or threat”.
Brinks, Inc is an example of a security firm that provides such services by securing properties. In an unexpected twist, Brinks found themselves at the wrong end of theft of funds by an employee.
Ms. Makayla Small of Memphis,...
Mistrust in Toledo
How trusting are you? What aspects of your life are you willing to trust to others?
Trust can be as simple as enjoying a meal cooked by someone else. It can also mean being brave enough to trust another individual with your finances. Financial advisors can be a useful for investing money so...
Spam Scheme
Spam emails have arguably been around just as long as emails themselves.
We likely all relate to receiving spam emails and often hope these emails go straight to our junk folder. However, some individuals unfortunately fall for these scams.
Recently, six defendants were indicated for conspiring to commit wire fraud and money...
Postal Scam
Seven employees of the U.S. Postal Service were charged in federal court with conspiracy and theft of mail for participation in a mail theft ring spanning from 2023 through 2024.
While this may not be common, SDC has investigated numerous losses stemming from theft of mailed documents such as checks or other documentation.
...Editing the Books
Being a bookkeeper is a position of high trust.
Some individuals abuse that trust. For small businesses especially, employee fraud can cause significant damage and financial losses. Such was the case with Ms. Emile K. Rueda. While employed as a bookkeeper between September 2018 and February 2020, Ms. Rueda allegedly misappropriated funds in...