How Do Employees Steal: "Skimming"

Skimming is the removal of cash from an organization before the cash has been recorded in the organization's books.

Because the money is stolen before it appears on the books, skimming is known as an "off-book" fraud.

The absence of any recorded entry for the missing money also means there is no direct audit trail left by a skimming scheme.

The fact that the funds are stolen before they are recorded means that the organization may not be "aware" that the cash was ever received.

Consequently, it may be very difficult to detect that the money has been stolen.

The basic structure of a skimming scheme is simple: Employee receives payment from a customer, employee pockets payment, employee does not record the payment.

There are a number of variations on the basic plot; however, depending on the position of the perpetrator, the type of company that is victimized, and the type of payment that is skimmed.

In addition, variations can occur depending on whether the employee