Many companies have checks and balances in place to regularly review their financial books. It may raise their suspicions that there is some kind of fraud going on if things don’t appear to add up.
When an employer starts to suspect financial misdealings, it’s very possible for someone to end up charged with a crime like an embezzlement.
What may lead an employer to suspect embezzlement?
An employer may initially think that things are going well with their company. They may then go to secure a line of credit, file a corporate tax return, try to project growth or profits or meet with an investor to see about selling off their business. It may only be when an employer needs to gain a better perspective of their company’s finances that they look more closely at their financial books. This is usually the tip-off point when an employer realizes some type of financial impropriety is occurring.
A company owner may consult with their bookkeeper or accountant to gain some perspective on whether they correctly understand their businesses’ financial statements. They may then refer any suspected impropriety to law enforcement agencies to investigate from there.
Embezzlement is such a broad term that many people don’t realize that it entails just about any willful misuse of your employer’s assets. That can mean anything from walking off with old electronics or office furniture that you thought your employer wouldn’t miss, charging personal expenses on a company card, billing for hours you never worked and so on — not just taking money from their accounts for your own use.
If you’ve been charged with embezzlement, it helps to fully explore all your defense options as soon as possible. There may be several different avenues to pursue.
