|
I remember when I first met him. He
looked fabulous in his expensive suit. Every accessory was perfectly
coordinated, even the dapper handkerchief in his jacket pocket.
He looked great, and his family looked great. Sharp. Impressive.
He introduced himself as a new member
of our church congregation who had been transferred to Colorado
as the controller of a Fortune 500 company. Wow, I thought, this
guy has it all. Why can't I be more like him?
Months later I met him under different
circumstances. I was on a jury of sorts, and he was the accused.
He had been charged with fraud and embezzlement from a former employer
in the eastern United States. His crime had been discovered, and
his smooth, impressive persona was beginning to crumble. Within
a few weeks his life collapsed around him, and he and his family
left the area in haste and disgrace. I was sad for him.
A year or so later, I sought him out
to see if I could help him with his rehabilitation. Unfortunately,
he was in trouble again. He had been hired in a new financial position,
and his pattern of fraud and embezzlement had repeated itself. Another
quick relocation to an eastern city prevented the jail time. But
to this day, his job instability plagues him.
How sad! A pattern of dishonesty, coupled
with the lax employment practices of some employers, have been the
ruination of a man who appeared to have everything going for him.
Today his future, and the future of his family, is uncertain and
insecure.
I asked my friend what small-business
owners and entrepreneurs could do to prevent others from doing what
he did. His answers were direct, candid and made good sense:
. Segregate accounting duties. He said
the accounts payable should be reviewed by a different set of eyes
than the individual doing the bank reconciliation. My friend's dishonest
approach was to always perform both of those duties himself, so
he was able to submit bogus invoices from his own bogus business,
and then issue company checks to pay those invoices.
|