The size of your company doesn’t determine whether or not you could experience fraud in your Syracuse workplace.  While the banking and financial industries are typically targeted more, identity theft and fraud continues to threaten organizations in Syracuse and throughout the rest of the United States.  Because fraud can occur in many variations, it can be challenging to discover in some cases, until it’s too late and the damage has already happened. Fraud can include information theft, forgery, computer crime and other “white collar” crimes. If your company is targeted by such a crime, it can be financially overwhelming and may even damage your reputation.

What action can you take as a business owner to prevent employee theft and fraud?

Perform Strict Background Checks

The goal of any business owner is to hire trustworthy and qualified employees, but this is easier said than done in some cases. Unfortunately, dishonest staff members will look for avenues to break through even the strictest and detailed internal controls. Performing the necessary background checks prior to hiring is an excellent way to ensure you are hiring the right employees. A thorough pre-employment background check should address any history of crime associated with violence, theft, and fraud, as well as check for drivers’ violations and employment verifications.

Educate Your Staff

You need to notify your staff about your specific policies and procedures in place surrounding fraud. Not only that, but it’s important that they also understand the procedures that are currently in place to stop the chance of fraud, your company’s code of ethics policies, and if violations occur it’s critical that everyone is made aware of the consequences. Staff should sign contracts that indicate they were informed of these policies. Employees should also receive yearly training in these areas, including signs of fraudulent behavior and that they are willing to abide by the regulations.

Provide an Anonymous Reporting System

Every Syracuse company needs to supply a reporting system for employees, vendors, and customers so that they can anonymously offer up or report any suspicion of fraudulent behavior or any policy violations that may be occurring. Encourage your employees to use this reporting system whenever possible, and always take the information you receive seriously. The fact that they are anonymous does not dictate their importance or credibility. These helpful tips should be considered and investigated as quickly as possible to protect your employees and company as a whole.

Perform Regular Audits

Random and unannounced financial audits and fraud assessments can assist in discovering new vulnerabilities, and they can be used to measure the value of existing operations. Audits also communicate to your employees know that fraud prevention is a top concern for the business, and may prevent temptation among your employees. In some cases, it’s possible it’ll make any wrongdoers uneasy to the point where they will leave the company as well.

Be an Example for Your Staff

It’s important that policies are dictated and followed by top management to ensure effectiveness and participation among staff. Keep in mind that if there is a casual attitude toward rules and regulations by management, it will soon be reflected in the attitude of employees.

At PROSHRED® Syracuse, our team is made up of highly skilled and trained specialists who will provide you with document management services that promote a secure and organized work environment. Secure document shredding will drastically reduce your chances of experiencing internal fraud or information theft.

Contact us for more details regarding our mobile shredding services, where a representative will come to your place of business where shredding will be completed directly on-site.

Call 1-315-333-2727!

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