Security firm Marquet International has released a report on embezzlement from employers. It’s troubling, to put it mildly.
According to the Marquet report, the embezzler is most likely to be a bookkeeper or treasurer, who is female, in her 40s, and without a criminal record. Nearly 2 out of 3 alleged embezzlers were female. Only 4 percent of them had prior criminal records.
According to Marquet, the reason many of the embezzlers are middle-aged is simple: They’re most likely to have the opportunity. “They need to have risen to the level of authority in an organization where they are able to scheme against the company,” he said. As for why accused perpetrators are most likely to be female, he said, “One reason is pure numbers. Bookkeepers and people in that role tend to be women.”