Dear Editor,

Jamaica has always been a hot spot for crime. In recent years there have been concerns about the frequency of white-collar crimes involving professionals, many of them young.

How can people with intelligence allow themselves to be lured into this type of crime, risking everything they’ve worked so hard for in life?

I’ve always believed that fraud, unlike most crimes, is not difficult to prove in court. There is usually some type of paper trail, money trail, audit trail, signatures, and even fingerprints — the money eventually ends up somewhere.

The idea that people think they can defraud employers and clients and get away with it is mind-blowing. Obviously it’s not brains but a lack of morals, decency, and self-respect. Those accused will have their lives scarred forever. Even if found not guilty or guilty of a lesser crime, it will be difficult to revive careers. To have ones name and photo splashed across the media and linked to fraud is not much different from walking into a bank unmasked and attempting to rob it at gunpoint and getting caught in the act.

I believe Jamaica’s high corruption index plus social media influences conjuring up illusions of life in the fast lane might be some reasons people do what they do. Not long ago a former National Commercial Bank manager was arrested and found guilty of fraud. The lady lived a lavish life which was flaunted on social media for all to see, now she is behind bars serving time. We’ve seen a number of attorneys arrested and disbarred for defrauding clients.

Those who are inclined to defraud should know that organisations have multiple controls, systems, and procedures, including audits, that can flag suspicious activities. My advice to those so inclined is that they must consider the risks and the consequences before being lured by greed and ruin their lives in the process.

P Chin

chin_p@yahoo.com