Is Small Business Fraud Widespread?
July 22nd, 2009. Published under Legal. No Comments.
Setting up a small business involves some of the simplest steps. The ease of setting up a small scale business has encouraged a number of companies to set up shop overnight. Simultaneously the fraud associated with building up a small business empire has reached an alarming level.
According to experts, occupational fraudsters are the most common offenders found. The verdict given by most businesses surveyed were that most information about a possible fraud came from tipsters. In a financial statement, fraud cases mostly arose from excessive company pressures to perform well. A well-established fraud-proof company essentially has strict and tamper proof policies and conditions enforced.
Cheque tampering, corruption and fraudulent billing are some of the most commonly adopted methods that boost the number of frauds associated with small businesses.
For some of the most obvious reasons, a small business finds itself more vulnerable to fraud than a business set up on a large scale. Most small companies do not find the necessity to employ an auditor to track the respective funds flowing in and out of the company; the results are funds slipping out of the back door without a trace. Hiring incompetent staff is yet another reason leading to fraud. An inconsistent worker is always on the look out to earn easy and fast cash; a little guts and a little knowledge is all that is required to get away with big money - until the law catches up with them.
It is essential to ensure that the employees are trustworthy, reliable and consistent. Recruitment should be done taking into consideration the pre-employment history of the candidate and by emphasising that a criminal and civil clearance certificate is mandatory. Distributing financial duties over a group could prove to be a step in favour of eradicating fraud. By widening the number of employees involved it makes it a difficult task for a single employee to initiate any chances of a possible fraud. Reshuffling staff constantly could also aid in a more secure financial setup.
Most employees find it difficult to report suspected incidences due to the pressure from their peers, and the fear that it could cost them their jobs. Hence the most appropriate solution would be to allow and welcome suggestions and complaints while remaining anonymous. In order to maintain a fool-proof organisation one should constantly be on the look out for people who display an unusual demeanour. A close watch should be monitored on any suspected person.
Some of the typical people to be on the look out for could be a person who refuses to take a day off with the fear of someone else in charge of handling their job. People suffering from a drug abuse could be on top of the suspected list, however it does not necessarily imply that an addict should be directly involved in a fraud.
With the number of fraud cases approaching a higher level, the task of setting up a business on a smaller scale has become even more trying. However this should be no let down, as with appropriate strategies and a covert methodology one could transform a small setup into a booming industry.
If you are looking for expert legal advice regarding business fraud visit http://www.dpp-law.com/criminal-defence/