Background Checks : Who is watching your employees?

Over and over the news covers employee fraud and employee embezzlement. Our goal at AccuScreen is to help business get wise about who their hiring, by doing a background check and a making each employee accountable to someone. Read below a recent case dealing with payroll fraud.

Geselle Savoy, 52, of Alamogordo, N.M., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Lemmon to conspiring to commit federal program fraud while working as a testing technician for the Jefferson public schools, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office.

Savoy admitted that from February 2007 to September 2009 she submitted fraudulent payroll documents for herself and three other school system employees to receive about $132,000 in payments and stipends from the district. The payments came through the LEAP program, Graduate Exit Examination tutoring fund, Education Excellent fund and general fund.

Neither Savoy nor her co-defendants, Amanda Jackson, Danay Jackson and Tracy Walker, were certified teachers or qualified to perform testing or tutoring. Amanda Jackson and Savoy are cousins, and Danay Jackson is Amanda’s daughter.

According to court records, Savoy admitted receiving about $38,000 in payments personally and she processed fraudulent payroll sheets for the other co-defendants that totaled thousands of dollars each. The employees were submitting false overtime records and were able to access the school system’s financial database despite not being authorized for that access, according to court documents.

Savoy is set to be sentenced Oct. 12. She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

How Popeyes is Preventing Fraud.

Popeyes is fighting fraud.

Popeyes has rolled out a preventive measure in 148 stores by using fingerprint biometrics as a part of their point-of-sale (POS) systems. By using the biometric readers for time and attendance, employees can no longer punch in for one another, dramatically reducing payroll fraud. This new system has improved employee accountability, increased sales, and reduced both unauthorized transactions and payroll fraud. As a result, the Popeye’s locations with fingerprint-equipped POS systems have experienced a decrease in overrides and inventory losses due to fraud.

How is your company fighting fraud?