The only true difference between embezzlement and theft in Florida is duty. This is because if someone embezzles something, he or she has been entrusted with responsibilities and has abused his or her power. By contrast, an employee has committed theft if he or she unlawfully takes company property without any responsibility tying him or her to the theft.
How can you prevent embezzlement?
First off, you need to choose carefully and screen properly when interviewing candidates for a position in your company. View their social media profiles, and check to ensure that there is nothing inappropriate or suspicious.
How can you prevent embezzlement after the employees have been hired?
If your company uses computers, instruct the employees to sign a computer usage policy that acknowledges that the computers are a part of company property. Strengthen security measures, and break things up when assigning work tasks. Give your employees the ability to sign checks, but do not allow them to actually write company checks. Only give the employees one credit card at a time, and let them use and return it.
What are some warning signs of embezzlement?
Always keep on your toes even after you have hired the employees. If you find out an employee is struggling financially, you should stay wary. Another thing you should watch out for is if an employee is hesitant to take a vacation. He or she may be hiding illegal activities and doesn’t want to delegate the company finances.
What should you do if you find out that an employee has embezzled from your company?
If you do suspect that an employee is embezzling money from your company, it is important to contact a theft/general criminal defense attorney to receive advice that is pertinent to your situation. It is worth it to seek out expert advice in handling this situation because if you are not careful, the embezzling employee could figure out that you are catching on to him or her and evade getting caught.
Embezzlement is an alarming situation for anyone to deal with. While you need to put preventative measures in place, employee theft and embezzlement can sometimes be difficult to predict.