Free Essay

Loss Prevention

In:

Submitted By joegatchell
Words 954
Pages 4
Loss Prevention 2/10/2013

If a corporate IT director has been asked by their boss to program software so revenue will appear higher than it really should you have several options? Basically you have three main paths to choose. You could do what you have been asked to do and program the software. You could simply tell the executive that you are not comfortable doing it and just leave it alone. Or you could not do what you have been asked to do and report it to human resources and or the proper authorities. If you should choose to do what you have been asked to do then you should at least be aware of what you are doing. If you go ahead and do it you are breaking the law. This could even be considered fraud. If you choose to do this you could be held liable. The SEC notes that IT directors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the documents and data generated by a company computer system. In additional they should know if any unauthorized changes have been made in general ledger, accounts receivable and other accounting software (Purpura 2008). This information shows you that the executive knows exactly what they are doing. If you choose to move forward with what they have asked of you, then this means that any investigation is going to come straight to you as you are responsible for ensuring that this information is accurate. It would be very hard for you to argue that you were instructed to do so by an executive. If you choose to refuse to do it but not report it then you could still find yourself in a difficult situation. Based on what was said above, about making sure everything matches being the responsibility of the IT director. If you will not do what the executive has asked you to do and you do not report it he could go to another IT person and ask them to do it. If this person is someone who works below you then this situation could still end up on your shoulders as the IT director. Also if it does end up in the hands of HR or authorities it may be found that this was already previously asked of you to do and you did not take any measures to ensure it never happened. There are many laws that can protect if you as an employee if you did decide to report this to human resources and or the authorities. Whistleblower laws are meant for a situation like this. Whistleblower laws protect employees from being retaliated against if they report a company or manager breaking or asking the employee to break the law. However, if you break the law and then try and report it later or try and blame your manager after the fact you may not have as much protection as you would have if you had reported it to begin with. There are many cases that show that just because your employer has asked you to break the law it does not mean you are not responsible. There was a recent case with a manager of an Abercrombie & Fitch store. He was asked by local police to take down risqué photos of models on the store walls. After corporate told him not to he decided to leave them hanging on the wall. Later authorities returned and the manager was personally given a citation and faced possible jail time. Even though what he did was through the course of his employment, the charges and fines were brought against him personally. Clearly, breaking the law can get you in real trouble, but blindly following orders and engaging in illegal or unethical activities on the job can wreak havoc on your career and possibly hurt other people (Tachmincioglu). Recently there have even been modifications to the whistle-blower laws to further protect employees fro retaliation of management for reporting such incidents. The 2012 Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act finally passed both houses of Congress and was signed by the president. It will not be easier to protect whistle-blowers and take disciplinary action against those who have retaliated against them (Bransford). This means that if you were to report this incident and the executive retaliated against you there are new and improved laws that could punish the executive and the company for such retaliation. You cannot be fired from your job for simply reporting this incident. You are protected by the whistle-blower laws and the company should be aware of such laws. With all of this information, I think it is easy to make a decision. If I was the IT director and an executive asked me to program software to inflate the numbers, I would not only refuse I would definitely report it to human resources and to the authorities. If I had done what he had asked me I could be accused of fraud. I could also be subject to charges and losing my job if the company or authorities ever caught onto what was going on. I also now know that if this did happen there are not many laws to protect me from being prosecuted personally even though I was following the instructions of my employer. I would have to be crazy to risk all of this when there are so many great laws to protect me for doing the right thing.

References Bransford, Bill. “New whistle-blower law helps guard against manager retaliation” Federaltimes.com 21 January, 2013. Purpura, Philip. Security And Loss Prevention. 2008. Print. Tahmincioglu, Eve. “Don’t wear blinders when dealing with the boss.” NBC News
25 February 2008. Web.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Loss Prevention Policies

...Loss Prevention Policies Unit 5 IP Jessica Payne Loss Prevention Policies Each year companies stand to lose at least five percent of revenues to internal fraud. This may seem like a small percentage but it adds up. That five percent can be the difference between staying afloat or filing bankruptcy. When a company spends time and money to prevent fraud it is far less than running the risk of internal fraud. The most effective way to prevent fraud is to establish a proactive fraud prevention program. It is best if a company seeks the advice from a qualified fraud expert. A successful fraud prevention program requires three elements: education, investigation, and proactive preventative techniques. Most internal frauds are brought to attention from employees, customers, or vendor tips. Employees are the most likely source to provide tips of misconducts. So implementing a company-wide education program is a crucial part of a fraud prevention program (Coenen, 2011). Fraud education should focus on fraud awareness and should be presented to all employees. Investigating fraud is important to a comprehensive fraud prevention program. Although investigations are time consuming and costly the benefits are worth it. Investigations can have deterrent effects on potential thieves. Investigations send a company-wide message that management is aware and looking for fraud. Proactive fraud prevention techniques are the biggest asset in the company’s fraud prevention plan. Proactive...

Words: 1240 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Security and Loss Prevention

...KRISTI SCOTT SECURITY AND LOSS PREVENTION AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT This paper is information on preventing acts of fraud against corporate executives and the preventive measures that can be used for that purpose. Probably the most important step in protecting against fraud is to start with the top executives to set the tone for not tolerating any type of fraud within the company. A great way to start is by educating the employees of the company in ways of detecting different types of fraud because the employees can be, by far, the best line of defense against fraud for the company as well as the top executives. Another effective but rarely used method is to have surprise audits. Surprise audits can be very successful in detecting fraud before it gets out of control. Probably the most important benefit of surprise audits is preventing fraud by creating the perception that fraud will be detected. Check and double check employee backgrounds. This means, that companies should confirm all work history and education listed in any potential employee’s or executive’s resumes as well as following up with all references listed also. Any undisclosed or misleading information should be considered a red flag. The same scrutiny should be used to screen new and existing executives, suppliers, customers, and any business partners. With the help of an outside source such as the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners for example. I believe that creating...

Words: 438 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Security and Loss Prevention

...corporations. Individuals can hack into corporations’ computer systems from anywhere in the world. This makes it hard for investigators to find the individuals who are committing the fraud. Fraud can also be committed from within the corporation. There are measures a corporation can take to protect their assets against fraud. A corporation should have a comprehensive control program in place to help prevent fraud from being committed against the corporation by outside hackers and employees. Comprehensive Control Program A corporation should have a comprehensive control program in place to help prevent fraud from happening. A comprehensive control program should have three components: fraud education, fraud prevention, and fraud investigation (Fraud Prevention, 2011). This program should educate everyone in the corporation about fraud and how to help prevent fraud. The program would monitor the companies systems, records, and employees through the internal controls. Armed with the proper knowledge about fraud, employees can help monitor each other and prevent fraud. If fraud is suspected, this program should be equipped to investigate to determine whether or not fraud has been committed and how it was committed. This benefits the corporation by letting everyone in the corporation know that there are policies and procedures in place to protect the company and its employees. Internal Controls A big part of the comprehensive control program is the corporation’s internal...

Words: 864 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Loss Prevention

...Shanta Martin AIU CRJS270 Week 5 IP Internal controls prevent errors and irregularities from happening. If errors or irregularities do happen to occur internal controls will help ensure that they are detected in a timely manner. Internal controls also encourage adherence to prescribe policies and procedures. Internal control are also put into place in order to protect employees by outlining tasks and responsibilities, providing checks and balances, and also from being accused of misappropriations, errors and irregularities. There are several procedures that should be considered when implementing internal controls for your business. There should be a segregation of duties between different individuals to lessen the threat of error or unsuitable actions. For example, accountabilities for the acceptance of cash or checks, making the deposits, and reconciling the deposit and Balances should be separated. Organizational structure must be clearly well-defined so that employees know who they are reporting their performance of responsibilities, difficulties and questions associated their place and the business as a whole. An organizational plan is a great way to define the structure of the company. Part of the structure is also the rules that employees must adhere to are a part of the structure of the company. Having written policies and procedures gives employees a clear understanding of what their duties are; structure also provides clear rules on acceptable and anticipated...

Words: 791 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

External Loss Prevention

...Brinson_Laquita Jan 24, 2013 A retail loss prevention investigator is responsible for ensuring that a company’s shrink is kept under control. Now, there are many different causes of shrink and therefore the job is multi-faceted. The first, and most recognizable, form of shrink is from external theft, or shoplifting. The loss prevention investigator is trained in surveillance techniques and how to spot odd or suspicious behavior in a customer. Once this type of behavior is identified they will follow the individual either on foot or by using the store’s cctv system to gather evidence of a crime. The second form of shrink, and most dangerous to a company’s bottom line, is internal theft. This is when an employee begins stealing money or merchandise from their employer. In a similar way to shoplifters the loss prevention investigator will observe and look for the warning signs. Once found he will then initiate an employee theft investigation. This is a means of gathering evidence of the associate’s criminal activity. Once enough evidence is acquired they will then interview the individual and pass on their recommendation to upper management. Many companies also lose money because their employees are not following policies and procedures. This reckless behavior can lead to worker’s compensation claims, lawsuits, lost or stolen merchandise, vendor...

Words: 1368 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Hair Loss Prevention

...Hair Loss Prevention Hair loss is suffered by millions of women and men all over the world, therefore, the insatiable appetite for trying something that claims to stop hair loss and get hair to regrow, is forever growing. Therein lies the danger. This desperate mindset can lead numerous unsuspecting consumer into parting with their cash for very dubious hair loss remedies (Phillips, 2014). Hair loss has many causes, including diet, mineral deficiency, medications, stress, pollution, and your genetics. Up to one third of the population suffers from hair loss, and of that third, thousands are women. Whatever the cause of hair loss that might be worry you, it’s important to understand what hair loss is, how hair grows, and what you could be doing before hair loss even becomes an issue for you. Caring for your hair and taking care of your hair, does not guarantees that you can prevent hair loss, it is genetically programmed or has losses caused by factors not within your control. Be careful how you style your hair, some styles that require tight pulling and elastics, clips, can contribute to hair loss as well, if done on a daily basis. Wash hair regularly with mild shampoo and be gentle with you hair. A healthy body is more likely to have healthy hair than an unhealthy one. Avoid food or eating habits that can inhibit hair growth or encourage hair loss. Consider supplements. Dealing with stress, get your stress under control. Test your hair for thinning if you’re concerned...

Words: 426 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Loss Prevention and Risk Management

...Loss Prevention and Risk Management Phillip Meredith Pmeredith310@email.phoenix.edu University of Phoenix SEC/310 Bobby Sydnor Introduction In retail, carefully applied security measures clearly benefit the bottom line, however retail security and loss prevention covers a lot of ground. The list of security threats includes direct theft from random shoplifters to organized retail crime and dishonest clerks, as well as accidental loss and product diversion. Digital issues are no minor concern either, given high-profile attacks like card skimming and data theft through wireless networks. Point of sale Cash, cards, inventory and customer data intersect at the point of sale. Card skimming, under-ringing, and sleight-of-hand are a few points of sale security issues that I would identify and eliminate first. Point of sale issues are not just committed by a bad employee. We need to take in consideration the self-checkouts as well. Sleight of hand on certain small items cannot always be stopped. We should ensure all the self checkout counters have all of the proper security such as video scanning, (explained… video camera that views the items as they are slid across the self checkout counter.) Placing the monitor for the self checkout counters on the associates help stand located near the self check out section. This will allow security to act fast on merchandise that is not scanned. We should also ensure that the baggage weight scales as well as any other security tools located...

Words: 959 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Risk Loss, Prevention & Emergency Planning

...October 5, 2012 Risk Loss, Prevention & Emergency Planning Case Study #3 October 5, 2012 Risk Loss, Prevention & Emergency Planning Case Study #3 Risk Loss, Prevention and Emergency Planning Case Study 3 Disaster preparedness is achieved partially through readiness measures that expedite emergency response, rehabilitation and recovery and result in rapid, timely and targeted assistance. It is also achieved through community-based approaches and activities that build the capacities of people and communities to cope with and minimize the effects of a disaster on their lives. Disaster preparedness is a continuous and integrated process resulting from a wide range of activities and resources rather than from a distinct sectorial activity by itself. It requires the contributions of many different areas—ranging from training and logistics, to health care to institutional development. Viewed from this broad perspective, disaster preparedness encompasses the following objectives: • Increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of disaster emergency response mechanisms at the community, national and Federation level. This includes: * the development and regular testing of warning systems (linked to forecasting systems) and plans for evacuation or other measures to be taken during a disaster alert period to minimize potential loss of life and physical damage * the education and training of officials and the population at...

Words: 517 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Retail Loss Prevention: Doing More with Analytics

...[pic] Retail Loss Prevention: Doing more with Analytics February 2009 Abstract T he retail industry is in the middle of an unprecedented economic crisis. All retailers are trying to figure out how to cut costs, retain customers, conserve cash and more importantly stay in business. Recently, the National Retail Federation (NRF) polled readers of its SmartBrief asking them what was on top of their mind. Loss Prevention (LP) came in second only to the overall economy! It is no surprise given that every dollar saved from retail shrink is a dollar added directly to the bottom-line. Looking back in history, we have seen tough times like these are conducive for higher shrink numbers. This is mainly due to retailers cutting down loss prevention staffing and store personnel, slowdown in technology investments, and increase in theft owing from people who cannot handle the economic pressure. LP organizations are at different stages of evolution when we look at their capability to harness the power of analytics – From basic reporting on shrink to understanding the key drivers with high correlation to shrink and managing by exception with the help of predictive models. There is a need to utilize available data assets effectively by building capabilities to report, analyze and predict shrink accurately. This article reviews the trends in retail shrink, its sources and how analytical techniques can help attack shrink in a cost effective manner. Retail Shrink Trends ...

Words: 2545 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Risk Analysis, Loss Prevention and Emergency Planning

...Risk Analysis, Loss Prevention and Emergency Planning Case Study 2 By John McDowall May 19, 2012 Operating an ecommerce website carries risks for both the company and the customer. There are many worldwide, Country and State specific rules, regulations and laws that govern what type of business it can be how it should operate and what content, information and images can appear on the ecommerce website. In order to limit the risks and to ensure that we manage the expectations of our customers, it is essential that we clearly explain to our visitors what our e commerce web site, company and privacy policies are. So in the short term, the company will need to come up with policies both internally and externally for how customer data and information is handled and what our policies are. Since we are accepting online payments for purchases made using our e commerce web site, we will need to let our customers know in the Security Policy of our ecommerce web site, how we will protect their credit card details and personal information. We will also need to have a policy that requires all sensitive data to be encrypted. We should also include this in our security policy. We also need to insure that our ecommerce site and any other portion of our site that asks for personal information is being protected by an SSL Certificate. Operating our ecommerce web site also requires keeping a record of our customer’s details. It is very important to treat this...

Words: 587 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Respiratory Health

...body is infected by another microbial, such as a upper respiratory infection (Kid’s Health, 2011). Pneumonia can also be contracted by inhaling a liquid or chemical into the lungs (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2014). Pneumonia may affect anyone from children to adults. This disease can be prevented and treated. Disease Prevention Type Pneumonia falls under more than one prevention type category. Primary prevention of pneumonia in the form of vaccines is an effective method among children and the elderly. The infant vaccine series of the pneumococcal vaccine, Prevnar, has been incorporated into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunizations for infants between ages two months and eighteen months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). Other vaccines also contribute to prevention including Hib, Flu, and Pertussis (CDC, 2014). Because they're at higher risk for serious complications, infants born prematurely may be given treatments that temporarily protect against RSV, which can lead to pneumonia in younger kids (Kid’s Health, 2011). Hand washing and proper cleaning habits are also primary prevention methods against pneumonia. Hand washing help prevent direct contamination from hand contact and is critical especially when in contact with someone with the disease. As pneumonia is spread mostly through saliva and mucus from coughing, sneezing and sharing utensils or glasses with an infected person, it is important to...

Words: 845 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hjghjk

...DATE: January 12, 2012 TO: All Employees of Denver Branch FROM: Leonard Schwartz, Branch Manager SUBJECT: New Loss-Prevention System As you may have heard, we received news from corporate headquarters that it would be in the best interest of the company to pay more attention in matters of preventing accidents or any safety related measures. This would include both office and field related activities. Every employee should be mindful in this regard, so that each and every one is efficient and effective in their performance of everyday tasks. With this goal in mind, I believe that we should put more emphasis on safety. Everyone should consider their training they received in the beginning and also throughout their employment at M-Global, so that we are always aware on how to operate in a safe manner. Also, the training vehicle should provide each of you with the elements of safety that relate to the specific requirements of your particular job. I’ve come to a conclusion that we need to give greater scrutiny and analysis in a way that we can prevent accidents and emphasize the concern of safety for every employee. Kendra Jones will be assembling a written training program for every employee that will take effect June of this year. When this plan has been approved and written, I will be conducting a meeting with every department to emphasize the major and minor components of the safety program. It is my great pleasure to announce that effective February; I will be giving...

Words: 371 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Suicide Prevention Draft (for Proofreading)

...Draft for Suicide Prevention Paper by Mariegold H. Bulquerin-Robles. Suicide is the third leading cause of deaths among 10-19 year olds in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with males (81%) more common than females (19%). Foremost risk factor for suicide among youths is mental disorders, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, with depression as the most common of the mental disorders associated with suicide. Other risk factors include substance or alcohol abuse, exposure to suicide or history thereof, exposure to violence, impulsive behavior and life-changing stress. The stressors that most youths encounter that may overwhelm their ability to cope include disciplinary problems, interpersonal loss, family violence, sexual orientation confusion, physical and sexual abuse, and being the victim of bullying. Any combinations of these risk factors increase the likelihood of suicide among youths, and identification of these factors help chances to identify those at risk. Warning signs such as changes in behavior, social withdrawal, erratic sleeping and eating patterns, low self-esteem, poor hygiene and loss of interest in personal upkeep should be paid attention, and talking or writing about dying or killing one’s self, along with prior suicide attempts are the foremost warning sign that signals that one is contemplating suicide, and should not be ignored. Primary prevention for suicide includes educating parents, educators, coaches...

Words: 462 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Health Promotion

...own health, and able to make healthy choice” (Denise and Suzanne, p. 87). Historically, health promotion deal with protecting society from contagious disease, such as to providing safe water and reduce environments hazards, and treat of preventable disease rather than preventing them. Conversely, the contemporary health promotion is aimed to increase the society’s awareness of healthy prevention, improve their quality of life and reduce health care budget. Health promotion range from smoking cessation to diagnostic and screening test, injury prevention, and chronic diseases management. There are three levels of prevention can be applied to health promotion, which are primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary prevention is cheapest method to prevent disease or injury by increase the health awareness of individuals, families and society, an example of primary prevention is smoking cessation. Secondary prevention is to take diagnostic testing or screening in order to treat disease at the early stage if needed, such as diabetes, Pap smear test, mammogram screening and colonoscopy. Tertiary prevention actually is to treat disease has already been detected and prevent recurrence of condition. This paper will discuss the purpose of health promotion, and the role of nursing in health promotion process. The purpose of health promotion is to increase public health awareness and wellbeing; decrease preventable illness and health budget. One of the most preventable disease such as diabetes...

Words: 910 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Review of Literature

...difficult to define (Peckham, Hann, & Boyce, 2011), but according to Jadelhack the definition of health promotion is “the process which enables people to improve control over the determinants of health and as a result to improve their own health” (2012, p. 65). Purpose The goal of health promotion is to give individuals the knowledge and power to control certain aspects of their health in order to protect them from disease, accidents, and other ill-health issues, as well as sustain their quality of life (Jadelhack, 2012; Peckham, Hann, & Boyce, 2011; Wiwanitkit, 2010). It ideally would decrease illness and disease rates in the community. If a person knows that eating healthy and exercising is going to result in not only weight loss/maintenance but...

Words: 1231 - Pages: 5