Howell Haunson wrote a great post about spotting fraud perpetrators. Thankfully his audience was industry insiders (in this case it was mortgage and real estate industry professionals).
In many industries, education is focused on fraud spotting and "red flags" as it pertains to the consumer. That is to say that we're all worried about how to protect our companies from those bad eggs out there who are trying to pull one over on us, i.e. the mortgage, CPA or the banking professional.
This education is vitally important. There are sneaky, organized con artists that could cost your company millions. However, lets not forget - about 80% of all fraud losses are due to the collaboration or collusion of industry insiders.
So, this means that we still have to watch out for each other.
For more on fraud, ethics, public speaking visit JeromeMayne.com
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Will Your Son Wind Up In Prison?
I had the unfortunate experience of serving a little over a year in federal prison. I took notes and have come up with what I believe to be a pretty accurate profile of a would-be inmate. To those of you who are mothers and fathers, this might explain a lot!
His name is Bubba
This one can easily be avoided. There are literally tens of thousands of other names to choose from. All you have to do is pick one of these other names. Caution: think twice about choosing a girl’s name – just in case. If you’ve named your daughter Bubba – why?
Has a hairy back
Sorry to say folks but its true. Prisons are full of hairy backed men. I don’t know if children with hairy backs grow up full of anger from the years of ridicule, and then work through the resentment by committing crimes? I’m just not sure. But you’d swear the Federal Bureau of Prisons has rounded up all of the “missing links” and locked them up.
He murders a lot
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised at how many people commit crimes and avoid prison.
He is loud
If your boy enjoys communicating at between 110 and 120 decibels during normal conversation, beware. Look on the bright side – he’ll get to kick it up a few notches once the cell slams shut. They like LOUD there.
He snores
We’re not just looking for a light rumbling snore. Here’s a little test: Assemble two 24 oz. slabs of raw prime rib (2 inches thick, min.). Take them to the car wash and pull up to the car vacuum area. Insert the hose halfway in between the two cuts of meat. Then, turn it on. The loud, percussive flapping sound that will be created as the air is sucked through the meat sounds exactly like that of an inmate snoring. Compare this with the timbre of your son’s snoring. Check!
He is an idiot
I’m not saying that your kid is doomed if he gets Ds or even Fs. I’m talking about the complete and utter morons. I’m talking about the stumped-for-an-answer-when-you-say-hello type of idiot. I know that this sounds harsh, but if you think your son might actually be a stupid idiot – just get it over with and call the cops. Tough love people.
I’m not suggesting that we pre-judge. I took advantage of a rare opportunity to conduct this research and now I’m sharing it with you. For me, only one of the above held true – I think.
Jerome Mayne is a public speaker delivering keynotes and workshops for conferences and conventions. His topics deal with prison, crime and ethics.
His name is Bubba
This one can easily be avoided. There are literally tens of thousands of other names to choose from. All you have to do is pick one of these other names. Caution: think twice about choosing a girl’s name – just in case. If you’ve named your daughter Bubba – why?
Has a hairy back
Sorry to say folks but its true. Prisons are full of hairy backed men. I don’t know if children with hairy backs grow up full of anger from the years of ridicule, and then work through the resentment by committing crimes? I’m just not sure. But you’d swear the Federal Bureau of Prisons has rounded up all of the “missing links” and locked them up.
He murders a lot
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised at how many people commit crimes and avoid prison.
He is loud
If your boy enjoys communicating at between 110 and 120 decibels during normal conversation, beware. Look on the bright side – he’ll get to kick it up a few notches once the cell slams shut. They like LOUD there.
He snores
We’re not just looking for a light rumbling snore. Here’s a little test: Assemble two 24 oz. slabs of raw prime rib (2 inches thick, min.). Take them to the car wash and pull up to the car vacuum area. Insert the hose halfway in between the two cuts of meat. Then, turn it on. The loud, percussive flapping sound that will be created as the air is sucked through the meat sounds exactly like that of an inmate snoring. Compare this with the timbre of your son’s snoring. Check!
He is an idiot
I’m not saying that your kid is doomed if he gets Ds or even Fs. I’m talking about the complete and utter morons. I’m talking about the stumped-for-an-answer-when-you-say-hello type of idiot. I know that this sounds harsh, but if you think your son might actually be a stupid idiot – just get it over with and call the cops. Tough love people.
I’m not suggesting that we pre-judge. I took advantage of a rare opportunity to conduct this research and now I’m sharing it with you. For me, only one of the above held true – I think.
Jerome Mayne is a public speaker delivering keynotes and workshops for conferences and conventions. His topics deal with prison, crime and ethics.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
You Might Be A Criminal If...
The National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) compiled a list of behavioral red flags from almost 1,000 case studies. Their research indicates that, to varying degrees, these behaviors were present in the fraud cases that they studied. If you exhibit some or all of these behaviors, you just might be a would-be felon.
Use your best Jeff Foxworthy voice and say each one of these aloud to see if they apply to you. Start by saying, "If you (insert red flag), you might be a criminal."
* are living beyond your means
* have financial difficulties
* have a wheeler-dealer attitude
* have problems with control issues and are unwilling to share duties
* have had a divorce or other family problems
* have an unusually close association with vendor/customer
* are irritable, suspicious or defensive
* have addiction problems
* have past legal problems
* have past employment-related problems
* complain about inadequate pay
* refuse to take vacations
* have excessive pressure from within your organization
* your life circumstances are unstable
* have excessive family or peer pressure for success
* complain about lack your of authority
* have a roommate named Bubba
Ok, now take it easy, that last one was mine. These are red flags only! The ACFE is a great organization - I've had a chance to speak at a few of their events and have met some of their members. They have unbelievable training and resources.
To see the ACFE 2008 Report to the Nation, go here.
Use your best Jeff Foxworthy voice and say each one of these aloud to see if they apply to you. Start by saying, "If you (insert red flag), you might be a criminal."
* are living beyond your means
* have financial difficulties
* have a wheeler-dealer attitude
* have problems with control issues and are unwilling to share duties
* have had a divorce or other family problems
* have an unusually close association with vendor/customer
* are irritable, suspicious or defensive
* have addiction problems
* have past legal problems
* have past employment-related problems
* complain about inadequate pay
* refuse to take vacations
* have excessive pressure from within your organization
* your life circumstances are unstable
* have excessive family or peer pressure for success
* complain about lack your of authority
* have a roommate named Bubba
Ok, now take it easy, that last one was mine. These are red flags only! The ACFE is a great organization - I've had a chance to speak at a few of their events and have met some of their members. They have unbelievable training and resources.
To see the ACFE 2008 Report to the Nation, go here.
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