Uncategorized

The check looked harmless. That is usually how these things start. A business owner writes it. Maybe it is for rent. Maybe insurance. Maybe a vendor who still insists on paper checks because “that is how we have always done it.” The check goes in an envelope. The envelope goes in the mail. Everybody moves … Read more

A $4 charge does not look like fraud. It looks like coffee. Or an app. Or some random thing someone bought online and forgot to mention. That is what makes it dangerous. There was a Washington Post story recently about a woman who found more than 1,700 charges on her credit card that she did … Read more

Some fraud cases feel high-tech. Fake emails. Spoofed websites. AI voices. Cryptocurrency wallets. And then there are the old-school ones. A business writes a check. The check goes into the outgoing mailbox. Someone steals it, creates a fake company with a name that looks almost exactly like the real vendor, deposits the check, and drains … Read more

There is something a little terrifying about how easy it is to move money now. That is great when you are paying a vendor at 9:30 p.m. because you forgot earlier. Not so great when someone on your team gets a fake “urgent” email and sends money to the wrong place before anyone has time … Read more

There is a certain kind of email that makes even a smart business owner pause. “Your antivirus protection has expired.” “Your devices are at risk.” “Renew today and save 89%.” Sounds urgent, right? That is exactly the point. A recent Guardian article covered fake antivirus renewal scams that impersonate well-known security software brands, including McAfee. … Read more

She was 81. That is the detail that makes people stop scrolling. An 81-year-old former finance director in Kingston, Tennessee pleaded guilty after investigators found she had overpaid herself more than $131,000 in unearned salary and benefits. And yes, that detail is surprising. But here is the part business owners should pay attention to: this … Read more

Fraud does not look like it used to. That is the part I keep coming back to. Years ago, when people talked about fraud, they usually meant a stolen check, a shady employee, a fake invoice, or maybe somebody messing with the books. And to be clear, all of that still happens. But now? Fraud … Read more

When most business owners picture fraud, they imagine some mysterious hacker in a hoodie, sitting in a dark room overseas, trying to break into their bank account. But sometimes the real risk is much closer. Sometimes it is the person who already has the password. A recent case out of Colorado is a painful reminder … Read more

Most business owners imagine fraud like a scene from a crime show. A hacker in a dark room.A stolen password.A bank account drained in the middle of the night. But in many real-world fraud cases, the criminal does not need to break into anything. They just need someone inside the business to open the door. … Read more

Every fraud case has a moment where the business owner looks back and thinks: “How did we not see this sooner?” That is the painful question behind a recent Iowa embezzlement case involving a veteran-owned business and a trusted bookkeeper. According to federal prosecutors, the bookkeeper stole more than $500,000 over several years. She did … Read more