Stopping fraud: digging deep, checking employees’ past

The time for depending on your pet dog and a cutlass to protect your business has past. According to Andrews there are systems that allow you to do just about anything with security. You can have locks that open at a particular time, automated gates and even motion sensor lights. But when it comes to protecting yourself from fraud, you need to dig a little deeper into your pockets and into the past of the people who work for you. Andrews recommends that companies do background checks on all employees, especially in an environment like banking or insurance, where money is constantly switching hands.

He also recommends that companies have protective software installed to ensure employees cannot tamper with information. While these measures may make a difference, Andrews stressed that putting a stop to fraud within a company takes a lot more time and effort on the part of a professional. Those who are untrained may ignore information that can be key to solving a crime. To illustrate his point he said local security companies often sell clients more cameras than they actually need to protect their businesses. “It is irresponsible for a company to give you more cameras than you actually need. Not from an economic or moral standpoint but from a security standpoint.

Because the amount of cameras visible in a particular space is an indication of what you are trying to protect. Cameras make people suspicious about the type of business you have,” said Andrews. He said that while security companies try to be responsible, in their quest for money, they lose track of this and give people bad advice. He added that the key to having a successful security practice is selling people integrity and honesty, because if you cannot trust the person protecting your home and your business, you cannot trust anyone.