In the past, when forced to face issues of embezzlement, companies have often had to resort to the time consuming and typically ineffective means of hiring an accountant to search through the company’s transactions with a fine toothed comb in hopes of tracking down and identifying the source of such unlawful activity. Nowadays, however, with the rapid growth in computer technology, a number of new and far more efficient means of digitally tracing clues in such cases have arisen. One technique currently being favored by investigators is in the use of analytical linguistics programs.
By using linguistics software in parallel with a working knowledge of the fundamentals that lead an individual to embezzle money from their organization, investigators now have a much greater advantage in tracking down the responsible individual. Two of the three key factors that can be identified when an employee steals from their employer are motivation and rationale; the why and its justification. Searching for the combination of these two factors amongst your employees is far simpler than looking for the needle in a haystack that is the numerical evidence of fraud.
To start, motivation can be sought by using programs that will scan employees’ emails. The first thing the program looks for is certain keywords and phrases that can give some indication that an employee may be experiencing money trouble, as this tends to be one of the more frequent motivators in prompting an individual to commit fraud. Identifying the second factor, the rationale, can be a far greater challenge. This can be achieved however, by seeking out employees who may by dissatisfied in their position, feel as though they have been under-appreciated or mistreated, or who may have had some unresolved issue or disagreement within the organization.
Any one of these issues can be used by a disgruntled employee as a means of justifying their misconduct as a form of retaliation against their employer. In seeking this information, other software programs can track and monitor employees’ moods over time through the use of key words in emails and other digital communications, in hopes of identifying mood fluctuations which may indicate agitation or dissatisfaction with the employer.
In order to track down this information in an effective and efficient manner, a number of techniques must be used in conjuncture with one another to make a thorough search of all the necessary data. This begins with a carefully constructed program system which becomes acclimated with employee language patterns before then scanning employees’ emails, and identifying those that meet its search criteria. Then a team of lawyers must examine these tagged communications, sorting the relevant from the irrelevant, and identifying any that seem to indicate a serious risk. Next, feedback from the human search is fed back into the system, increasing its understanding of the search parameters to refine the process. Some more advanced programs can tap into further sources as well, such as calendars, digital receipts, and contact information, all to help expand and improve the effectiveness of the search process.
While implementing such precautionary measures and seeing them through may cost time and money, a great deal more time and money can be saved by putting a stop to fraudulent activity. Also, preventing your employees from conducting illegal activity in the company’s name can help your to avoid unwelcome lawsuits and other risk factors.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
