Robert Hartline talks to James Kennedy about his payroll fraud nightmare. He was baffled when he first came across suspicious numbers on his payroll but soon discovered that a contractor had stolen $300k from his business. In this episode, Robert urges listeners to be ruthless about double-checking transactions and verifying facts, and explains why American Greed should be on every business owner’s list of shows to watch.
Key points
- Hear about Robert’s career background and involvement in CallProof, Hytch, and Absolute Wireless.
- The high prevalence of embezzlement and business owners’ reluctance to talk about it.
- What American Greed will teach you about your chances of being swindled.
- Robert shares how a cash flow issue and strange report led him to a nasty discovery.
- Find out what Robert did when he discovered the payroll fraud.
- The subsequent correspondence between Robert and the guilty party.
- The importance of working with companies with errors and omissions policies.
- Why no one is exempt from being defrauded by someone they work with.
- Robert shares what he now does to ensure he’s never embezzled again.
- Why you should never blindly trust or assume anything in business.
- The disappointing way the government dealt with the offender.
- Why it’s vital to have trusted people who check up on all transactions.
