Unsafe security or scammers in Chief Security chairs.
Unsafe security or scammers in Chief Security chairs
Question for business owners. What does the head of the security service do behind your back? When trying to answer this question, you thought about it, made assumptions, and could not believe your guesses. In order to dispel your doubts or, on the contrary, to approach the answer to the question more systematically, I suggest you consider some aspects and patterns of abuse by heads of the security service (hereinafter referred to as SS), as well as preventive measures aimed at reducing the risks of their occurrence.
Who is the head of the security service? The same top manager with the whole range of problems inherent to top managers. In addition, the head of the security service is not only a qualified person with a certain amount of knowledge and connections, but also fully informed about the activities and risks of the company, the level of its protection.
If your company's security service is headed by a former high-ranking official of the security agencies, and he acts as a shield («roof» for the business), this article is not for you. If you believe that the head of the Security Service should be a professionally trained person who ensures effective solutions to security issues, his experience in the security agencies should be expressed not only in the presence of past status and connections, but also in competence and a constructive approach to solving problems, while the security service for you is a part of the general organism of the company, responsible for its direction in the organization, then I am sure you will be interested to learn about the possible risks of this direction.
One of the main functions of the enterprise security service is to carry out preventive measures aimed at preventing losses and stopping theft schemes. However, as practice shows, security service specialists themselves are not without sin. Periodically, cases of theft and fraudulent schemes are revealed involving not only specialists, but also security service management, which in turn entails huge irreparable losses for the company.
INFORMATION FROM THE PRESS:
Sberbank employees caught stealing a huge amount.
The police have prevented an attempt to steal over 109 million dollars and 52 million euros by employees of a branch of Sberbank of the Russian Federation. An organized criminal group consisting of the heads of one of the branches of Sberbank of the Russian Federation, employees of the bank's economic security service and their accomplices organized the illegal receipt and subsequent theft of money. A criminal case has been opened on this fact under the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Fraud on an especially large scale». More details…
Employees of the bank's security service «earned» money from debtors on car loans.
As reported by the press group of the Yekaterinburg Department of Internal Affairs, one of the accomplices confiscated pledged cars from clients for pre-trial sale in order to pay off the debt. In this case, the debtors issued a general power of attorney in the name of the perpetrator with the right to sell the car. Then the fraudster received the original passport for the confiscated car from his native institution (the titles of the pledged cars are kept in the bank). The vehicle was assessed, according to the results of which, as a rule, its value turned out to be several times lower. After that, the fraudster sold the car at its actual cost, and pocketed the difference in price. More details…
SURVEY
A survey «What does a security manager need for successful work?» was conducted among visitors on the specialized portal for security specialists ekb-security.ru. 181 people took part in the survey.
The survey results showed that the main thing that security chiefs need for their successful work is the trust of the owner. An analogy can be given. You go to the doctor, but hide your symptoms from him, do not take tests. All this will certainly affect the diagnosis and the success of your treatment.
Only with complete trust in your security service can you build effective protection for your company. However, complete trust should not be expressed in lack of control, which can lead to abuses on the part of the head of the Security Service.
Below I provide a number of schemes that unscrupulous Security Service employees can use in the course of implementing their criminal intentions.
SCHEMES
STAGED.Artificial creation of a violation, and then staging the disclosure of the schemes and the detention of the perpetrators, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness and success of their work. A truck with goods disappears. The head of the Security Service, having made «titanic efforts», using connections (not selflessly, of course), finds the loss. Result: Security Service bonus, search expenses, loyalty of the management. Staging abuses, slandering «unwanted» honest employees can also be attributed to this scheme.
COVERUP.Covering up the theft scheme by other employees who are «on the hook» (have been caught earlier). «Protection of one's own», supplying them with the necessary information or creating conditions for theft, providing cover and protection. Concealing traces of theft, delaying the investigation, leading to a false trail, convincing the owner of the hopelessness of the situation, the futility of involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At the appointed time, the security officer switches off the video surveillance system «for preventive maintenance», during which time the theft is committed.
USE OF RESOURCE. Using resources and objects for one's own material interests. Illegal parking on territory guarded by the Security Service. Unaccounted admission of visitors to a concert, hotel, or parking lot. Using telephones, fuel, vehicles, the Internet, and information bases for one's own purposes. Solving personal issues during working hours. Using subordinate Security Service specialists. Purchasing equipment for personal use.
PARALLEL BUSINESS. Working for one's own business, registered to affiliated persons, who provide services to your company or use your company's resources. «One's own» private security company, detective agency, collection agency.
APPROPRIATION.Misappropriation of funds under «Article 9» (unaccountable money allocated for operating expenses), overstating travel expenses, writing off allegedly non-repayable accounts receivable that were previously collected (in cash, by offset or agreement) and misappropriated. Misappropriation of funds or material resources is also possible when participating in the write-off of products, defects, disposal, removal of waste, recyclable materials. This scheme also includes receiving a percentage of kickbacks (bonuses) intended for partners when issuing them through the Security Council.
KICKBACK. Purchase of security systems, information bases, equipment at an inflated price. The budget states video cameras of one model, but in fact, others are installed. They conclude unfounded contracts for servicing security systems — this is one of the common schemes for concealing a kickback, the amount is small, but constant. Coordination of a «non-repayable» loan, delivery, prepayment. Bank security officers allow a loan to be issued to an unreliable client for a fee.
INSIDE. Working for a competitor, law enforcement agencies, gangster groups. The result is raider takeovers, collapse of business, putting under control («roof»).
ANXIETY SUITCASE. Collecting information about your company and its management, including negative information, in case of dismissal. The possibility of using this information to blackmail the owner, management of the company.
RESOURCE FOR YOURSELF. Closing all issues and contacts on yourself personally The company pays money, and the security specialist develops a personal information base and contacts. The employee becomes “irreplaceable”, and in the event of the loss of this employee, the company loses all the resources previously invested in development.
REAL EXAMPLES OF ABUSE OF SECURITY DIRECTORS
— The head of the SB branch of the federal retail chain, specializing in the sale of household appliances, colluded with the manager. The individuals marked down the goods, mainly large and expensive, to 40% of their cost, drawing up fake reports on the damages found. Then, the goods, which were initially undamaged, were sold first to themselves and their loved ones, and then to others.
— Dead Souls. The security director colluded with the HR specialist who closed the timesheet for hired workers (guest workers). According to the timesheet, 30-35 hired workers worked per shift, but in fact, no more than 20. The foreman received money for the work by proxy, after which the amount intended for fictitious workers was transferred to the head of security, who, in addition to this, also imposed a tax on the team of 1,000 rubles per month for providing them with work.
— The company had a debtor, the amount of debt was more than 20 million rubles. The head of the security service devoted most of his working time to resolving this issue, since it was a priority. In order to carry out collection activities, he periodically received funds for business trips and accommodation in various cities where the debtor carried out business. The money was spent on operational activities, entertainment expenses, etc., and so on for more than a year. At the same time, the effect of collection was zero. Later it turned out that during the year (this is the period of «collection») the debtor and the head of the security service opened a branch of the company in the name of the head of the security service's spouse and were already actively conducting joint commercial activities. The head of the security service was suspended from work, only after that the debt was successfully collected.
— Insurance business. When inspecting a vehicle, an agent, without fear of being caught, offered to increase the insurance payment for a % of the amount received. It was later established that the corrupt head of the Security Service himself imposed a «tribute» on insurance agents. The fee was 1,000 rubles per day for each insurance agent.
— A scheme for the theft of fuel and lubricants by tanker drivers and gas station employees. The scheme consisted of replacing the number seals on tankers, which is also impossible without the participation of the security service.
— We create problems, then we solve them. An unscheduled inspection was conducted at the company by the UNP MIA unit. Result: seizure of documents and identification of a number of violations. The security curator undertook to settle this issue, of course, for a certain amount, which the MIA employees allegedly requested to close the case. It was established that the security curator himself initiated such events, since he was on friendly terms with the head of the UNP MIA unit, with whom he shared the received amounts.
Of course, the variations of abuse depend on the «appetite», the feeling of impunity of the fraudsters and their creative approach.
OBSERVATION
Abuse of security personnel most often occurs in branches where the security service reports to the director-protégé, and not to the business owner. In such cases, collusion often occurs.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE OWNER
Systematic audit of security systems, justification of expenses.
Own network of internal and external operational sources (informants).
Systematic polygraph testing of security personnel.
Operational experiment — artificial creation of an environment as close to reality as possible in order to cause a certain event or reproduce an event or conduct certain experiments in fully controlled conditions.
Participation of the owner in the daily work of the security service, obtaining contacts, monitoring the situation from the inside.
CONCLUSION:
Of course, not all security service managers abuse their position and are prone to fraud. There are examples of honest, loyal employees who care about the honor of their uniform. I am sure that such specialists work in your security service.
Nevertheless, when entrusting the protection of your own business, I recommend that you take a very balanced approach to building a security system and choosing security specialists and remember the popular wisdom: “Trust, but verify!”