With the rise of COVID-19, many families have had to switch to online or home school learning for the safety and wellbeing of their children. Kudos to all of the parents out there right now – I cannot begin to imagine the hardships and challenges this year must have brought. One choice that many parents …
We all know the saying about “death and taxes”, but sometimes it seems like scams should be added to that list. Every year, and probably even more frequently than that, scammers are coming up with clever new ways to trick taxpayers out of their personal information, money or both. In a year like 2020, the …
We know the fraud triangle is made up of opportunity, pressure and rationalization. For many businesses, all three can occur. Dishonest employees learn the ins and outs of your organization and find ways to commit fraud without raising suspicion. Discussed below are the three biggest areas employee fraud can occur within your organization. Don’t miss: …
Internal controls should be designed to safeguard assets and help prevent or detect losses from employee dishonesty or error; the owner’s involvement in a small organization is important in maintaining good internal controls. One area of focus should be segregation of duties, which largely means having different people responsible for authorizing transactions or contracts, recording …
Most people have something they enjoy shopping for. And when it comes time to pay for the item, what’s the best part? Paying the sales tax of course! Okay okay, maybe that’s not the best part. If you’re anything like me, you pay it because you have to, not because you want to. And then …
What exactly is the fraud triangle and a better question is how does it apply to you? One thing to know about the fraud triangle is that it is designed to help explain why internal fraud occurs. Like most triangles, it has three points that make it what it is. These three components are Opportunity, …
We’ve all heard about IQ, as the measurement has followed us through school and in pursuing careers. However, what about EQ? Emotional Intelligence matters both in the workplace and in interaction with the public. So, what is it? Emotional intelligence is “the capacity to be aware of, control and express one’s emotions, and to handle …
Recently the Federal Trade Commission put out an alert on phone spear phishing and caller ID spoofing scams that are on the rise among consumers and companies. I imagine you experience the same relentless calls from phone numbers you don’t recognize as I do every day on my personal devices. Usually I just ignore and …
I recently read an article about fraud within the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). The author, a former MSP trooper, outlined an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. The investigation involves a minimum of 46 troopers with the allegations including payroll fraud and conspiracy, among other federal violations. …
If you filed for an extension on your taxes, you’re probably finalizing all your information for the October 15 deadline. But those last-minute details aren’t the only thing you need to be concerned with. The IRS is warning taxpayers that criminals are still after your personal information and money. Scams are on the upswing right …