I'm sure we have all heard about the fact that organized gangs are recruiting people to apply for teller positions in banks for the sole purpose of stealing customer information. My question is this - are there any warning signs to look for in this scam? Obviously if the person has been arrested for drugs, bad checks, etc., that is an obvious warning sign, but I'm sure that most of the recruits have relatively clean records. Are there any other signs to look for?

BOL has an excellent article on this subject. The key is knowing your applicant. This includes well constructed interviews, criminal background checks, and solid work references.

My clients have a larger concern with other sources of potential criminal activity by using outside cleaning services who have access to the bank at night, and document shredding vendors making sure they actually secure the information and dispose of it properly. Be very thorough in checking these firms out and obtain current certificates of insurance from them in case of a problem.

Bonnie M:

Bob's response is accurate. The two (2) greatest threats to you in this area are third-party service providers who have access to critical areas (e.g., janitors and shredders) and temporary employees that you engage for a short-term, specific task.

Thanks Dana. If you use temporary employees such as tellers, make sure the agency is licensed and bonded, and will cover illegal acts, including outs committed by their employees. This should also include them doing a complete background, SSN, credits check on all of our temps BEFORE they are placed. If they don't, use someone who does.

Pipe Creek, by the way, is in the heart of Hill Country. Great spot for a bed and breakfast outings.

Bob McComas