The Examiner – Insights on Fighting Financial Fraud

Dear Santa,

This Saturday when we visited you, my daughter asked you to help all the homeless people find homes this winter. At hearing this, I thought, “What a huge request!” and my heart was overwhelmed with joy and sadness. Joy because my daughter thought of others before herself and sadness because her Christmas wish may never be granted. That was a lot to ask of you!

I am still amazed how quickly 2015 has flown by for me. Not too long ago, I completed the Louisiana Marathon . In fact, I started ramping up my miles to train for next year’s race that is only about a month away. The older I get, the faster time flies. As a child, I remember everything taking a long time—trips in the car, the school year, and even the summer passed slowly. I never felt rushed. It felt like I had plenty of time to do the things I wanted to do. Time had no real meaning to me.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I took my two daughters camping and hunting for diamonds at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park. After a six and a half hour drive, we arrived with plenty of time to set up our tent before nightfall. We cooked our dinner over the campfire and roasted marshmallows for s’mores. It was cold the first night—a few degrees below freezing—but we had plenty of blankets to keep warm. The next morning was cold, but the fire helped us stay warm while we cooked real bacon (as opposed to the turkey bacon we have at home), fried eggs, and toast. This meal fueled our bodies for a fun-filled day.

I find myself traveling this week to Disney World’s Grand Floridian Hotel to attend, network and present at the AICPA’s Controllers Conference. It is so easy to get swept up in the excitement at this magical place. There are princesses and pirates around every corner. The fireworks over Cinderella’s castle are amazing and a perfect way to end a day. 

Throughout my college years, I worked at a movie theater. It was a great experience all around—from being a popcorn popper to a projectionist. They paid me to have fun, with a little work thrown in to keep me honest. Payday was every two weeks, and I would pick up my check from the manager on duty. However, on one payday, an internal auditor from corporate handed out the checks. I showed the auditor my driver’s license before receiving my check. 

I am not sure if you’ve heard, but there is a huge game this Saturday between the LSU Fighting Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It is probably the biggest game this weekend. ESPN’s College Game Day will be there to add to the excitement. I know some readers may not care about football, but please know that you will still find this post relevant because it’s really about fighting fraud. 

Halloween is such a fun time. I love decorating the house and yard with spooky skeletons and scary ghosts. I also enjoy dressing up in a costume, but sometimes I struggle with making a decision. This year I am torn between being a rodeo clown or a scarecrow. Neither one of these options requires a mask because I don’t really like wearing masks. As the title suggests, this blog post is about masks. 

With advances in technology, we find ourselves not having to wait for things like we used to. As a kid, I waited for movies, music, and even cartoons. My kids have access to these same things anytime, anywhere. Waiting isn’t fun, and that’s why I encourage you to proactively seek out fraud, rather than waiting for fraud to find you.

My life is full, and I am thankful for all of my blessings. I was lucky enough to meet my beautiful wife, and we have two amazing daughters. I am stronger and healthier than ever. I can run further than I ever thought possible. I ran my first marathon this past January at the age of 40. It is funny how we change because I never ran more than a few miles and that was in high school. In 2012, I started running to lose weight and stay healthy. There were numerous obstacles that I faced before completing my first marathon, but these obstacles were no different than others I had faced before.

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? It is that time of year. Sure, your arm will be sore for a few days, but isn’t that upfront pain worth it? The alternative is you might catch the flu, feel horrible, lose weight, miss work, and worst of all, die from its complications. Well, some may argue that losing weight and missing work may be worth the risk. But, if you’ve ever had the flu, I think you’ll agree that it can knock you out of commission for at least a week and the residual effects can last much longer. If you don’t get the shot, there’s still a chance you won’t catch the flu. And, getting the flu shot doesn’t provide a 100% guarantee that you won’t catch it. There are risks either way. The risk of fraud is similar.