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Having a small business can be a rewarding experience, yet it comes with many challenges. Fraud can not only affect individuals, but it can also affect small businesses, which ultimately can impact the bottom line and future success. To help protect your business, check out these tips to help you minimize the risk of fraudulent activity.

Conduct Internal/External Audits

Internal and external audits can help ensure your assets and finances are not being impacted by outside parties, as well as provide other helpful financial information and advice. External audits are typically done by certified public accounting (CPA) firms to review financial statement accuracy. Meanwhile, internal audits can be performed by an outside certified firm or self-assessed. They serve to evaluate operational, managerial and financial policies and procedures.

Sign up For a Business Fraud Training Course

Enrolling in fraud awareness training could help you identify fraudulent activity. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) reported, “the presence of anti-fraud training programs are associated with lower fraud losses and quicker detection.” The ACFE hosts webinars and offers online training courses. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides resources on best practices that could help in mitigating fraud.

Implement Cybersecurity Best Practices

Hackers, or even employees, can commit fraudulent activities on work computers. To protect your business data, set up strong passwords and consider using an antivirus program. It is also important to be aware of phishing attempts that often come through email. Additionally, it could be beneficial to back up your files on a frequent basis. This way if something does happen, your business data can be restored.

Fraud could happen at any time during the year, and we are here to help keep you protected. Check in with your local OKFB agent and take some time to review your Commercial Insurance policy to ensure everything is updated and covered.