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Facebook, Bluetooth, the iPod, “smart” televisions: innovations in the past few years have transformed the way we live. Nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone. By 2020, it is expected each person worldwide will have more than six connected devices on average.

The “internet of things” is a technological...

Mary, Dr. Martin’s “second wife”, worked as the doctor’s office manager for thirty years. Mary knew Dr. Martin’s habits. She managed the practice, had access to company and personal credit cards, performed banking and even picked up Dr. Martin’s dry cleaning. A trusted employee, Mary was efficient. Mary was nice. But Mary was a thief –...

Richard Hy, a New York policeman, found out the hard way that joking on social media about stealing cocaine from the evidence room was a bad idea. Hy was suspended without pay. A waitress was recently fired for posting complaints about a customer on Facebook. A woman lost a job offer at  Cisco because of...

Tips are one of the most common fraud detection methods. In 2016, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners analyzed more than 2,000 cases of occupational fraud in 114 countries. In approximately 39% of cases, the fraud was discovered by receiving a tip. Organizations with reporting hotlines are more likely to detect fraud than organizations without...

Crime tends to require three elements: motive, desire and opportunity. Employee theft is no different. Being aware of the reasons leading up to employee theft and learning to identify likely perpetrators can give employers a leg up on protecting their companies from theft.

Motive & Desire

Employees who steal usually have their motives. For example,...

Make no mistake. Payroll fraud is real. Recently, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) found payroll fraud occurred in 27% of all businesses, nearly twice as often in small businesses. Worsening the outlook, payroll fraud lasts for an average of three years, with businesses taking a median hit of $145,000.00. That’s three years...

Sunset Villas is a condominium complex with fifty units on the shores of Lake Michigan. Owners pay $550.00 a month in dues towards neighborhood and maintenance, including the upkeep of the pool and common areas. When the owners hired a property management company, they didn’t realize Sunset Villas was a tempting, lucrative target. Homeowners associations...

On October 31, 2017, SDC held our annual Halloween Costume Contest. Costumes ranged from Peter Pan to a giant grumpy white cat to a witch and even a lamp (complete with cord). This year’s prize winner dressed as an Identity Thief – wearing a black cap and black clothes covered with name tags. All joined...

India is the world’s second-fastest growing economy. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, India’s consumer market is expected to quadruple over the next twenty years. For U.S. small businesses, India holds the promise of tremendous opportunity. As the number of U.S. companies doing business in India increases, the number of Indian policy holders is expected...

In Asia, there is a popular fidelity claim involving the person-in- the-middle scheme. These schemes have increased as more foreign companies enter the market in Asia due to the rapid economic growth and significant consumer market. Language differentials, lack of access to sales channels, requirements of joint ventures, ownership and control by citizens of the...