Video: Suspicious Activity Monitoring Newscast

A television sits in a dealership breakroom.

A service advisor comes in as a newscast starts. She hears the news and sits down. Another advisor joins her.

“This is the mid-day news on RUTV 15. Welcome back, I’m Dan Owens for RUTV 15. Earlier today, an employee at a local dealership was convicted of embezzling half a million dollars. While the dealership had employed this woman for many years, she claims she had good reason for the theft. It seems the woman felt underpaid for the amount of work she was doing. We’re joined now by Rachel Perkins, outside of the courthouse. Rachel?”

We’re taken the courthouse where an interview is happening.

“Thanks Dan. I’m here with Assistant District Attorney, Dean Mullen. Dean, what can you tell us about this very serious issue?”

The office manager has joined the advisors in the breakroom.

“Well Rachel, recent studies have shown that over half of dealerships have experienced theft or know a dealer who has.”

“And do dealerships usually get that money back Dean?”

The title clerk also sits down to watch the news.

“No, and what’s most interesting to me is how devastated these dealers are. Oftentimes it’s someone that they know, or trust.”

“That’s shocking Dean. Earlier today, our very own Sam Hudson had an opportunity to sit down with an expert in the field about how dealerships can combat employee theft. Sam, over to you.”

The general manager brings the dealer into the breakroom and shows him what everyone is watching.

The video follows Sam into a conference room to chat with a local CPA.

Sam says, “I sat down with Amy Ridley, a local CPA, who has some advice for dealerships on how to reduce their risk.”

“You’re an accountant for several local dealerships. Do you actively search for employee fraud?” Sam asks.

Amy replies, “You know, I don’t Sam, and there’s a good reason for that. You see, the complexities of dealership operations make it difficult to detect theft. In fact, most CPAs don’t audit for theft or fraud so again, that’s why it’s important for dealerships to have a good system in place.”

The dealer in the breakroom is unhappy and the employees look worried.

Back in the newsroom, Dan brings us to a commercial break. “Thanks for that report Sam, it was very insightful. After the break, we’ll check the weather for this weekend’s big game.”

The dealer storms out.

The dealer walks through the dealership and passes the office. An office employee is sitting at her desk.

The dealer is checking his phone while talking to himself, “Man, I hope we have a system for that.”

The office employee rips a page out of a checkbook and slips it into her purse. She gets up, pauses at the door, shrugs toward the direction of the dealer and goes the other way.

Don’t Be A News Story.

Suspicious Activity Monitoring

Reynolds and Reynolds