A Chester County, Pennsylvania woman is accused of stealing more than $3.2M from taxpayers. The former Kennett Township manager worked for the township for over 20 years and when promoted into her role as manager, she had oversight and access to all of their financial operations.
Officials reported that over the past 6 years the 46 year old engaged in several prolong multi-faceted schemes that extended from simple to more complex efforts, ranging from using a rubber stamp with the Chairman of the the Supervisor’s signature in order to access the township’s money to faking a marriage so that a cohort could receive health insurance benefits financed by the township.
According to investigators, the former township manager used the money to bolster a lavish lifestyle that included trips to Italy and France to purchasing high-end jewelry and clothing.
Since the incident, Kennett Township supervisors have instituted a multitude of safeguards in place and acknowledge that it will take some time for them to build trust again.
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Prevent This From Happening To YOU!
Fraudsters come in all shapes and sizes and many of them share certain traits. When trying to find who the culprit may be, it’s important to be aware of some common characteristics. According to KPMG’s research, below is a list of those common characteristics of culprits:
- the largest percentage are between the ages of 36 and 55
- are predominantly male, with the proportion of women on the rise at 17%
- usually a threat from within
- holds an executive or director level position
- employed in the organization for at least six years
- described as autocratic and are three times as likely to be regarded as friendly as not
- esteemed, describing themselves as well-respected in their organization
- likely to have colluded with others
- motivated by personal gain, greed and the sense of “because I can”
Obviously, simply meeting the profile outlined above doesn’t mean that an individual is going to commit fraud, nor should someone who falls outside the profile be immune from suspicion. Thinking about the people behind the processes, transactions and numbers – and considering what might lead those people to succumb to the pressure, opportunity and rationalization to commit fraud – is critical to protect your entity’s resources from dishonest employees. Source: KPMG: https://home.kpmg/xx/en/
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Make sure your clients have crime insurance. Take the steps to ensure that your clients are covered by calling one of the Berkley Crime team members listed below.
Sincerely,
Michael Beranek
Berkley Crime
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