An accounts clerk who created an elaborate scheme and used it to steal more than £150,000 from her employers was jailed for 18 months at Exeter Crown Court this week.
The woman was employed as a purchase ledger clerk. She altered data on her employer’s accounting system, replacing suppliers’ bank details with her own so that payments due to suppliers were instead paid into her own bank account. She then requested that the suppliers re-submit their invoices before they were paid. The scheme netted her nearly £158,000 over a two-year period.
Employee fraud is a constant threat and prevention is better than cure. Make sure you have adequate internal control systems to prevent fraud. However, if your suspicions are aroused, do not take action without taking legal advice first: an unsustainable accusation could lead to an expensive settlement in favour of the suspected employee.