Greed, opportunity, need and the expectation of not getting
caught. Commonly known as the "GONE" theory, the presence
of these factors creates the perfect storm for workplace fraud. It
is not a coincidence that the acronym is symbolic of what happens
to company assets when an organization becomes the victim of
fraud—gone.
While organizations often focus on risks with the potential for
the greatest financial losses, one area of exposure that is
frequently overlooked is the expense report process. Often ignored
or dismissed for appearing to be insignificant (so what if we lose
$50 on that extra bottle of wine, look at our revenues!), this is
an area where the risk goes far beyond solely financial
considerations. An in-depth review of expense reports can tell a
lot about your employees and what they are willing to try and get
away with. It may be surprising to find out what some of your
seemingly upstanding employees will do for an extra buck.
