This Time, It Wasn’t an Inside Job
Recently, a client had an unfortunate experience that has reminded me of a theft that occurred years ago and took me completely by surprise. I had worked all morning at a client’s, side by side with the bookkeeper. The client’s facilities were closed to the public that day, and anyway, the administrative offices were isolated on one side of the building where access by the public was not allowed. Eager to complete our project, neither one of us took an actual lunch hour – we each went into the lunch room for a short break. There was a span of perhaps two minutes when neither of us was in her office.
After I left for the day, I picked up my daughter from daycare and we went to get ice cream. That was when I noticed that I had no cash – it had all been taken. And my debit card was missing, too. Whoever had done it was very adept – they had left no clue that anyone had disturbed my purse.
Under the circumstances, I didn’t see how anyone but the bookkeeper could be the culprit: she knew where my purse was stashed and she had been in her office alone. I was due to return to that client’s the following Monday, and I spent the weekend wondering how I was going to bring this up, feeling very disappointed in her.
Monday morning came, and when I arrived at the client’s, I told the bookkeeper without hesitation what I had discovered. Much to my surprise, she told me that another purse had been stolen that same afternoon, this time from a colleague whose office was next to hers.
The security camera by the front door had been on all that day, and the film was viewed. Yes, this was back when there was actually film in security cameras! Unfortunately, the perpetrator could not be identified, but we did learn a lot about how he operated.
An employee of the organization had been working outside on a project and had made frequent trips into and out of the building, unlocking and locking the front sliding glass door each time. The camera showed the figure of the thief pacing up and down the street across from the building, his head down far enough that his face could not be seen. After a few trips back and forth, he saw his opportunity and followed the employee into the building, his head still down. Less than two minutes later, his back appeared on the film: he had already done his work and was leaving the building.
Charges were made to my debit card, but only on the day of the theft. I was able to get the bank to cover them, since the grocery stores where the charges were made had not done a good job of checking ID.
Remember the fraud triangle: motivation, rationalization and opportunity? Remember, too, that opportunity is what we have the most control over when we make efforts to prevent theft? For me, the point of this story is that practiced thieves don’t need much opportunity, and you never know when one might cross your path, looking just like your next client - or the even girl next door.
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