Unfortunately, organizations report losing 5 percent of their annual revenue to fraud. In this sense, when one is starting a business, there are a plethora of scams to watch out for to protect both your company’s identity and its assets. Firstly, online banking has flourished in popularity in recent years as individuals are opting to have an accessible way to check their bank accounts and make quick transactions. However, the rising popularity of online banking has means that cyber criminals can gain access to your personal or financial information. It could even mean that your money could be transferred to the wrong account, resulting in severe losses for your company. This may also damage your brand equity as well as your company’s reputation. If you use online banking, remember to create strong passwords and pass codes so that your account is impenetrable to hackers. You should also visit the online baking website through the web address bar and not through a search engine. This is because criminals can make websites that are identical to your usual online banking website in order to take your information. By using the web address, you will be taken directly to the official website. If you are a small business owner, another scam you may come across is payroll fraud which occurs in as many as 1/4 of all businesses with it being twice as likely to happen in small companies. Payroll fraud is one of the most notable types of corporate fraud. It can be explained as the theft of funds from a business through the payroll processing system. Payroll fraud is typically carried out by an employee who is trying to take money they are not owed from their own workplace. In order to squash payroll fraud, small business owners should become extremely familiar with the payroll system and owners must gain a working knowledge of the payroll system and oversee their bookkeepers when they make monthly reports. As a company becomes more successful, the issue of payroll fraud becomes more likely. Therefore, business owners should continue to keep a watchful eye on the payroll system. There are a whole host of signs fraud that start-ups should be aware of so that they can be successful in preventing fraud. Check fraud remains a serious concern for all types of businesses. As a small business, there are several ways to prevent check fraud which involves counterfeiting or altering your checks to take your money. This entails someone taking your check, altering the payee and amount, and then cashing the check. An effective fraud prevention plan involves secure checks, noting the fraud when it happens and responding effectively as well as considering anti-forgery and anti-counterfeiting security features. To conclude, the potential risks and dangers of not having good security can be detrimental to your business. Running a startup business is categorized as a high-risk activity as it has the potential to experience considerable losses. As these types of businesses are under significant pressure to prove themselves within a short space of time, they can be susceptible to fraud related crimes. Cybercrime has never been more common, and small business owners need to equip themselves with modern tools and techniques in order to tackle cyber criminals for the long term.
