Stopping Embezzlement

While background checks are one way to help stop embezzlement,they often don’t have all the information needed because dentists are embarrassed to admit embezzlement happened to them and will not prosecute. A much better way to be sure you are keeping all your hard earned money is to follow an old retail adage…”inspect what you expect.” Every office should have daily closing procedures that expect the money taken in, to match what shows in the computer….. from the credit card report and from checks and cash in hand. Then every doctor needs to review those reports and if any adjustment, payment or charge seems odd…..ask the front desk staff about it. By doing this review every evening (and yes, you do have time to guard your practice) and asking questions, you catch errors or attempts at fraud while making anyone tempted to embezzle aware you are checking.