Businesses Beware
Scammers are getting more sophisticated and are constantly evolving to avoid detection. And, within small businesses themselves, there are internal issues that may lead to a higher risk of further external scams. For example, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), who often lack a proper system of checks and balances, are especially appealing to fraudsters. In a report released in April 2018 by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, scams within businesses with fewer than 100 employees, led to the following:
- Median loses of $850,000 – this was due to fraud committed by an owner or executive within the small business, further emphasizing the need for checks and balances.
- Check and payment tampering was nearly three times more likely at a small business than a larger one (22% to 8%). Other frauds much more common at small businesses included skimming (20% vs. 8%) and payroll (13% to 5%).