Category: Prosperident Newsletters

Embezzlement News #91 February 2020

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #91 — February 2020
Article Series
David Harris is collaborating with fraud investigator Jean Patterson, CFE, CPA and consultant Sandy Baird MBA on a series of articles for Dentistry iQ. The theme is how to use the financial information in your practice more effectively.
The first article is HERE.
Want to make your meeting captivating?
Did you hear the one about the ex-nun accused of embezzling a million dollars from a dentist?
This sounds like the first line of a bad joke, but it’s very real. See our story HERE.
If you want an inside look at embezzlement, we would love to speak at your group or study club.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Jan 31 The Ohio State University, Columbus OH
Feb 19 Kamloops and District Dental Society, Kamloops BC
Feb 20 Dr. Wilson Kwong study club, Vancouver BC
Feb 27 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, San Diego CA
Mar 9 Cloud9 User Group Meeting, Atlanta GA
Mar 11 Schulman Group, Laguna Beach CA
April 1 Greater Long Island Dental Meeting, Melville NY
Apr 23 Richardson & Associates, Plano TX
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
May 9 Smile Source Exchange, Atlanta GA
Jul 3 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
Oct 17 Southern Association of Orthodontists, Nashville TN
2021
Feb 25 Chicago Dental Society Mid-Winter Meeting, Chicago IL
For more information, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
The Art of the Day End
Everyone knows that daily balancing is a key safeguard for your practice’s finances, but there is very little information available to a dentist on how to do it properly. So here’s a recipe:
  1. Which reports should be looked at? Most software can produce a lot of different reports. Most software has a report specifically designed for day-end review. It may be called a “daily summary”, “day-end report” or “daysheet”, or it may have a different name in your software. For purposes of this discussion, I will refer to it as the “daysheet”. The daysheet will normally show procedures performed, fees associated with the procedures, payments received and…
Something to Talk About…
I’m writing this shortly after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash was announced.
Whether you are a basketball fan or not, it was hard not to be impressed by Kobe’s skill, intensity, and his ability to win over the city of Los Angeles in a way that few celebrities have.
Basketball was never my sport growing up, but as the very proud father of a son who is a national-level basketball player, I’ve come to love the sport as an adult.
My son and I were fortunate to see Kobe play a couple of times, including one of his very last games in his home arena, the Staples Center in LA in 2016. He was battling a nagging ankle injury, and it was questionable whether he would be able to play.
Demonstrating the grit that made him such a decorated player, the 37-year-old shrugged off his injury and played. Kobe certainly gave 100% that night, scoring more than 20 points to the thunderous adoration of the crowd.
Kobe’s success extended well beyond basketball. He spoke several languages, was an accomplished musician, successful in business, was an Academy Award winner, and a devoted father to his four children, one of who perished in the crash with him.
The world is poorer today. RIP, Kobe.
Sincerely,
David Harris
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #90 — January 2020

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #90 — January 2020
Podcast
David Harris was honored to be a guest on his friend Dr. Len Tau’s podcast. Check it out HERE.
Tired of the same old stuff at meetings?
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
linda-gregg
Caren Irsuto pled guilty to embezzling over $600k from her dentist.
We would love to speak at your meeting or study club!
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Jan 31 The Ohio State University, Columbus OH
Feb 19 Kamloops and District Dental Society, Kamloops BC
Feb 20 Dr. Wilson Kwong study club, Vancouver BC
Feb 27 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, San Diego CA
Mar 9 Cloud9 User Group Meeting, Atlanta GA
Mar 11 Schulman Group, Laguna Beach CA
April 1 Greater Long Island Dental Meeting, Melville NY
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
May 9 Smile Source Exchange, Atlanta GA
Jul 3 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
2021
Feb 25 Chicago Dental Society Mid-Winter Meeting, Chicago IL
For more information, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Software Can Lie
It’s something that we read over and over. A dentist in a Facebook forum states that embezzlement cannot be happening in his or her practice because they “check their daysheet every single day.”

Broadly, there are two types of embezzlement. The first takes place when the balancing process (in other words the daily and monthly comparison between practice management software and financial accounts) is unsupervised or incomplete. In this situation, stealing is easy because a thief can enter all payments into the practice management software and then simply “short” the deposit. This leaves patient accounts balances accurate. This is important to prevent patients from complaining about their balances, repeated occurrences of which might get an embezzler caught.
But what if the balancing process is done with integrity, which means that it is complete and supervised? Does this mean that it is impossible to steal? Not by a long shot. It takes a bit more planning than pilfering from the deposit, but it is something that most would-be embezzlers can master.
Something to Talk About…
Welcome to 2020!
With decorations put away and offices open again after the holiday shutdown, today is the day when many of us turn our minds back to business.
2019 was a good year for embezzlers; a booming economy and lots of “how to” information on the internet created plenty of opportunity for them to ply their craft.
While many were caught (and you can read about these people in our Hall of Shame), plenty are still getting away with it.
Everybody knows that Prosperident can (stealthily) audit practices for embezzlement, but did you know that we also can help you improve your systems to protect you against being a victim?
Let’s make 2020 the year to stop these thieves in their tracks!
Sincerely,
David Harris
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #89 – December 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #89 — December 2019
Podcast
The terrific folks at Productive Dental Academy recently did great a podcast with David Harris. You can listen HERE.
Want an Engaging Speaker?
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
linda-gregg
This is Jennifer Leslie. She was recently convicted of stealing $420k. Hear her story, and many more.
See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
2020
Feb 19 Kamloops and District Dental Society, Kamloops BC
Feb 27 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, San Diego CA
Mar 9 Cloud9 User Group Meeting, Atlanta GA
Mar 11 Schulman Group, Laguna Beach CA
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
May 9 Smile Source Exchange, Atlanta GA
2021
Feb 25 Chicago Dental Society Mid-Winter Meeting, Chicago IL
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.

Stuck on what to get your Favorite Dentist for Christmas?
We are probably a bit biased, but we think our CEO’s book makes a great gift. It’s available both in paperback and Kindle formats, and it’s been getting great reviews on Amazon.
The Amazon link is HERE.
Guest Post – Be Aware Of Your “New Dental Plans”
There are some twists and turns in the world of insurance reimbursement that are not well understood by dentists. We asked our friend Chris Tayler of Cobalt Analytics to shed some light. He gave us some excellent information.
Navigating the world of dental plan contracts and reimbursements can be like reading legal documents written in Sanskrit through a tinted glass window. And yet the results can make a big difference in your write-offs and subsequent take home pay.
This is particularly true with companies that act as administrators/lessors and/or “networks” of dental plans. In essence these administrator networks sell and sometimes administer other dental plans.
The big question is which fee schedule the dentist will be paid from. This question arises because administrator networks and the dental plans which they sell have their own distinct fee schedules and often reimburse at vastly different rates.
Something to Talk About…
Thanksgiving is over, and the frenzied rush towards Christmas is now upon us. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and, just when your credit cards have had enough, Boxing Day, have become the media events of the season.
It’s not hard to get the idea that rampant consumerism has displaced more traditional forms of Christmas celebration. I can only imagine the pressure that sale flyers and ads can exert on embezzlers.
Since this is our last newsletter of 2019, on behalf of everyone at Prosperident, I’d like to that you for allowing us to be a part of your community, and to wish you a wonderful holiday season.
Sincerely,
David Harris
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News # 88 – November 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #88 — November 2019
Podcast
Hear Davy Clay, one of the nicest guys in dentistry, of Dental Claims Support interview David Harris on his podcast HERE.
Learn from the Experts!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
linda-gregg
Can you believe that this woman embezzled from her father’s practice?
See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
2020
Feb 27 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, San Diego CA
Mar 9 Cloud9 User Group Meeting, Atlanta GA
Mar 11 Schulman Group, Laguna Beach CA
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
May 9 Smile Source Exchange, Atlanta GA
2021
Feb 25 Chicago Dental Society Mid-Winter Meeting, Chicago IL
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We Wrote the Book on Embezzlement — Literally!
Our CEO, David Harris’ book was released this month, and is now available in paperback and kindle formats on Amazon (the Amazon link is HERE).
Stuck on what to get as a Christmas present for your favorite dentist? Look no further.Laughing
This Month’s Question

If embezzlement was happening in my practice, my accountant would find it, right?

Probably not. Picture someone planning on starting a new business saying this to their (less than tactful) accountant:
“George, I have fantastic news. I’m about to start a new business. And I’m so excited because I’m planning to have one piece of software keep track of revenue, and a totally different software account for my expenses. And here is the best part … these two pieces of software won’t ever communicate with each other!”
Something to Talk About…
With Thanksgiving soon to be upon us, it is time for me to identify the thinks I am grateful for.
Someone recently said that I have the coolest job in dentistry. I get to protect dentists, who constitute the nicest group of people I have ever met, from those who have decided that stealing money is preferable to earning it. This work is both important and meaningful.
Because of what we do, when dentists approach us it is often at a fairly dark time in their careers. There are few things more upsetting than having a suspicion that a trusted staff member is stealing.
We endeavor to meet these concerned dentists in a way that is kind, empathetic, and not the least bit judgmental. By assuming the burden of resolving their uncertainty, we help them return to productivity. For us, this is a tremendously satisfying activity.
I am also lucky to have an amazing group of colleagues. From our management team to our cadre of fraud examiners to our admin team, our people undertake challenging work with enthusiasm and professionalism, and I am appreciative of their immense contribution to our reputation and success.
Most of all, I am grateful to have a job where, every morning, I wake up and can’t wait to go to work. Thank you, colleagues, clients, and the dental profession. I really am the luckiest guy in the world!
Sincerely,
David Harris
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #86, September 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #86 — September 2019
Podcast
Hear CPA (and former NYPD Lieutenant) Craig Cody interview David Harris on his podcast HERE.
Learn from the Experts!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
linda-gregg
Hear about how Prosperident’s Mindy Salzman caught Colorado’s Layla Masset embezzling.
See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Sep 5
Edison Lakes Oral Surgery, Mishawaka IN
Sep 12 Dr. Maheeb Jaouni Study Club, Dallas, TX
Sep 14 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Sep 19 Dr. Brad Crump Study Club, Dallas TX
Sep 21 Dr. Tommy Murph Dallas Dental Symposium, Dallas TX
Sep 27 ADSO Partnering for Growth, Orlando FL
Sep 27 BEST for Dentistry Summit, Portland OR
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
Oct 18 Drs. Savage, Sabol & Visser, Virginia Beach VA
Oct 24 Panoramic Study Club, Toronto ON
Nov 11 Thunderbird Study Club, El Paso TX
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
2020
Feb 27 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, San Diego CA
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
How do Serial Embezzlers Get Hired?
This is Unique Wells, although she has used other names. She is currently looking for work in Nevada and Arizona. She has a lengthy criminal record, and several former employers report missing money. You can read about Unique in our Hall of Shame HERE.
Also, you can see her resume, and learn to spot some red flags from it HERE.
This Month’s Question

I just hired someone and then got notice that their wages are garnished. Should I fire them?

It isn’t necessarily an issue, but requires a bit more investigation.
Garnishees can come from a lot of different things — unpaid parking tickets might be an example of something causing a garnishee where there might not be an employment implication. It could also be a financial dispute with an ex-spouse. It could also be an unpaid fine for a criminal conviction, which is obviously more concerning.
It is important for the dentist to understand WHY the employee’s wages are being seized,
Something to Talk About…
As I write this at the end of August, kids are back to school or about to be, and Labor Day is rushing at us. Summer, that pleasant interruption to our regular routines, is almost over.
So for most of us, this time of the year is one where we turn our focus back to our business.
We had a fairly busy summer at Prosperident. In June we brought our entire team to our head office for meetings, and in August we celebrated our 30th anniversary in business.
And lighter clinical schedules allowed more than a few dentists the time to give us a call to discuss concerns about their practices.
I hope that you aren’t in that position, but if you are, we are always available to listen, and to offer our knowledge and experience without judgement. The ways to reach us are HERE.
It’s been an honor and a privilege to have been a trusted advisor to the dental profession for the past three decades, and my team and I very much look forward to serving you in future.
David Harris
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News # 85 – August 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #85 — August 2019
Podcast
What a catchy title! Hear us on the Millionaire Dentist podcast HERE.
Learn from the Experts!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
linda-gregg

Hear about how Prosperident’s Wendy Askins put this woman away for 12 years.

See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Sep 5
Edison Lakes Oral Surgery, Mishawaka IN
Sep 12 Dr. Maheeb Jaouni Study Club, Dallas, TX
Sep 13 Texas Study Club, Carrolton TX
Sep 14 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Sep 19 Dr. Brad Crump Study Club, Dallas TX
Sep 21 Dr. Tommy Murph Dallas Dental Symposium, Dallas TX
Sep 27 ADSO Partnering for Growth, Orlando FL
Sep 27 BEST for Dentistry Summit, Portland OR
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
Oct 18 Drs. Savage, Sabol & Visser, Virginia Beach VA
Oct 24 Panoramic Study Club, Toronto ON
Nov 11 Thunderbird Study Club, El Paso TX
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
2020
Feb 27 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, San Diego CA
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
 
A Milestone!
This month, Prosperident celebrates a major milestone. Thirty years ago, our founder, David Harris, started us on our path of providing specialized services to dentists. A lot has changed since then (including our name — we didn’t become Prosperident until 2006), but the basic principles David established in 1989 still govern us. We look forward to the next thirty years!
This Month’s Question

“My Day-end Report Balances to my Deposit, so I Must Be Safe From Embezzlement”

Not true.
At the core of your practice management software is a concept called “double-entry accounting”. This means that a transaction mandatorily affects two different “accounts” maintained by your software.
Something to Talk About…
I love summer; I always have. I love the way that life slows down just a bit. There is a historic cemetery across the street from our Head Office. Most of the time I just pass by without giving it a thought.
But last week, on a particularly sunny day, I took a few minutes to explore. A plaque told me that 12,000 of my city’s first citizens are buried there, and that less than 10% of their graves are marked.
In this bucolic place, it was easy to feel a sense of history, and to be able to imagine the voices of these early settlers and the noise that their shoes made on cobblestoned streets.
Prosperident’s 30-year history is insignificant in comparison, but I am also conscious of how much has changed since 1989 in our world, from investigating “pegboard” offices, to working with those clunky computer systems that replaced them, to the way the internet has revolutionized what we do. It’s been a thoroughly amazing three decades, and I’m proud to have been a part of it and privileged to be able to serve your noble profession.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
David Harris
 
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #84 – July 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #84 — July 2019
Podcast
Our CEO had the pleasure of being a guest on Dr. Gina Dorfman’s Behind the Smiles podcast. Check it out HERE.
Learn from the Experts!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
linda-gregg
Is she unhappy because she stole, or because she got caught?
See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Jul 8 University of the West Indies
Sep 5
Edison Lakes Oral Surgery, Mishawaka IN
Sep 12 Dr. Maheeb Jaouni Study Club, Dallas, TX
Sep 13 Texas Study Club, Carrolton TX
Sep 14 Orthopreneurs, Dallas TX
Sep 19 Dr. Brad Crump Study Club, Dallas TX
Sep 21 Dr. Tommy Murph Dallas Dental Symposium, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
Oct 24 Panoramic Study Club, Toronto ON
Nov 11 Thunderbird Study Club, El Paso TX
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
2020
Apr 24 East Texas Study Club, Bullard TX
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Prosperident Summit
Prosperident’s team members live across North America. In the last week of June, we all got together at the company’s Halifax, Canada head office for three days of meetings, where we discussed the state of the art in our profession. This was an excellent chance to learn from each other.
This Month’s Question
“I’ve been embezzled, but the thief has already left my practice. There is no real point in having an investigation done, right?”
Not necessarily. First, you probably have some insurance coverage that can only be accessed if you determine the amount of your loss. There may also be other good reasons to investigate.
Something to Talk About…
This August, Prosperident will celebrate its 30th anniversary in business.
Our beginning was inauspicious; our first investigations were done on-site in offices that used “pegboard” accounting systems, and our work was confined to a small geographic area.
The evolution to a high-tech, professional organization able to serve all of the US and Canada has had its challenges, but has also given us reasons for satisfaction.
First, we have moved from only investigating embezzlement after it has happened, to also being able to offer proactive solutions to dentists for protecting their future revenue streams.
Second, we have had the privilege of having tens of thousands of dentists in our speaking audiences, allowing them to take away practical suggestions for protecting themselves.
And third, and most gratifying to me, is that we have helped bring the embezzlement converation into the open. There was a time when dentists who were victims felt shameful and did not talk about their losses with colleagues, or report embezzlement to authorities. There were almost no topical articles or materials to guide dentists with concerns.
I remember an early career interview with a major dental publication for an article that they called “Embezzlement; Dentistry’s Dirty Little Secret” about the “cone of silence” over embezzlement in dentistry. I’m pleased that we have been able to “daylight” this conversation. Increased awareness by dentists has resulted in more thieves are being caught and acquiring criminal records, making it easier for other dentists to avoid these people.
On behalf of everyone at Prosperident, I’d like to thank the dental community for allowing us to serve you and to be your trusted advisors over the past three decades. We are always here for you.
David Harris
CEO
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #83 – June 2019- Education Special Edition

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #83 — June 2019
Podcast
Our CEO is honored to be a guest on the Dentist Money Show. Check it out HERE.
Learn from the Experts!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
Do you know who this is? You should – Irina Fooks is one of the most prolific serial embezzlers ever.
See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Jul 8 University of the West Indies
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Sep 19 Dr. Brad Crump, Dallas TX
Sep 21 Dallas Dental Symposium, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
Nov 11 Thunderbird Study Club, El Paso TX
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Prosperident Team Members Complete Certification
Prosperident’s Wendy Chediac and Sonya Hudson have recently completed the study requirements necessary to be awarded their Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designations from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Wendy is Prosperident’s Chief Operating Officer, and in this capacity, she oversees all of Prosperident’s investigations. Wendy is often the first point of contact for new clients.
Sonya is one of our Senior Fraud Examiners, as well as one of Prosperident’s longest-serving team members. Sonya’s specialty is investigations for our Canadian clients.
Congratulations to you both on all of your hard work in earning this accreditation!
Something to Talk About…
Education. A word that evokes powerful reactions and commentary. An excellent education is the hope of every parent for their children. Lifelong learning is the quest of every enlightened human. Continuing education, well, that’s a bit of a different story.
CE credits are a requirement for members of almost every association of professionals, and for good reason; they ensure that a practicing member invests the time, and often the expense, to stay involved in gaining fresh insight into topics and trends in their field as they mature in their careers.
June may seem like an odd time to broach the subject of education and continuing education, after all; the school year for our kids is winding down, as is the regular CE season for most associations and societies. However, for those of you thinking ahead to next season, or who may be responsible for helping your group or organization find educational speakers, we want you to know that Prosperident has one of the best groups of professional speakers, available to you through our Speakers Bureau.
Our Speaker’s Bureau members are seasoned educational speakers, who present at over 100 meetings, conferences, and special events each year on topics ranging from embezzlement to hiring to dental office etiquette. If you are a general dentist or dental specialist, chances are you have already had an opportunity to see one of our speakers in action. From Hinman to the CDA, as well as at countless national, regional, and local study club events, our educational speakers get around, and we are happy that they do!
We take great pride in offering presentations that are not only educational but incredibly entertaining. Moreover, we never use our educational speaking engagements as a platform to have you buy Prosperident’s services. No infomercials here, just incredible facts and case studies to enlighten, educate, and entertain. When was the last time you described a CE event as “highly entertaining”?
So, as we all head in to the summer of 2019, I hope that you all have a wonderful summer, however you spend it, and that for those of you tasked with finding educational speakers for the upcoming 2019 – 20 CE year, that you will consider one of our talented and in-demand Prosperident speakers.
David Harris
CEO
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #80 March 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #80 — March 2019
Podcast
Our CEO recently got the chance to do a podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger. Glenn is an orthodontist and one of the most interesting guys in dentistry. Check it out HERE.
Liven Up Your Meeting
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
Not looking happy, is she? Roxana Dusenek was arrested for stealing more than $400k from the dental practice where she worked.
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
Mar 1
 Ortho2 User Group Meeting, Fort Worth TX
Mar 13 Patterson Dental, Philadelphia PA
Mar 27 District of Columbia AGD, Washington DC
Apr 12 American Association of Endodontists, Montreal QC
Apr 13 New Dentist BOOST Study Club, Philadelphia PA
Apr 26 Maryland State Dental Association, Columbia MD
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 3
 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 4 Richardson Group, Seattle WA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
May 8 North County Women’s Study Club, Carlsbad CA
May 9 Patterson Dental, Portland ME
May 10 Patriot Dental Conference, Foxborough MA
May 15 Patterson Dental Totowa NJ
May 16 Patterson Dental, Portland ME
Jul 8 University of the West Indies
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Sep 21 Dallas Dental Symposium, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
Nov 11 Thunderbird Study Club, El Paso TX
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Why do People Steal?
One of the most frequent comments we hear once the identity of an embezzler is confirmed is that he or she is “the last person I could imagine stealing”. Their surprise is understandable. We all have preconceptions about how criminals look, dress, speak, and act. Our mental image of the criminal is shaped by what we see on the news, TV dramas and by direct observation in our own communities.
Embezzlers will never fit this stereotype; many of them remind me of Sunday school teachers (which, in fact, some of them are). The explanation for why embezzlers do not fit the preconception is simple – you would never hire someone who looks your image of a criminal. So as an employer, you have already eliminated certain people because they haven’t passed your personal “smell test”, whereas everyone you hire has.
Something to Talk About…
Winter is still hitting many of us full-force, but with March comes the promise of finally being “in the home stretch.” Winter is not a race, but if it were, then March and all of the changes it will bring are certainly a way of feeling that we are close to the finish line.
Warmer temperatures, longer days, and for a few lucky folks, crocuses will soon be in bloom. March offers us a newness that is different from that which we associate with New Year’s Day or our birthdays. With March and spring come a desire to shake off the winter cobwebs and dive into some much-needed spring cleaning. After a long winter confinement many of us can’t wait to open up our windows, shampoo our rugs, empty the ashes from our fireplaces, and finally rake the last of the fall leaves that we were able to ignore while they were covered with snow. And maybe, just maybe, while we are hard at work cleaning up all of winter’s little messes, we will have cause to pause and ask ourselves; “could my business need a good spring cleaning too?”
My team and I hope that most of you can answer that question for yourself, without feeling that there is any major work to be done. For others, you may feel that it’s time to have a chat with us or visit our website www.prosperident.com to see if there is something we can do to assist you with a more thorough spring cleaning of your office. For nearly 30 years the team at Prosperident has been proud to serve the dental community, and we hope that you will never need our services, but if you ever feel you want to talk to us about what our team can do for you, we are always here for you, and we are always happy to help.
David Harris
CEO
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News # 82 May 2019

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #82 — May 2019
Podcast
Our CEO is honored to be a guest on the Behind the Smiles podcast of Dr. Gina Dorfman. Check it out HERE.
Liven Up Your Meeting
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
Hector Ramos has been charged with embezzling $800k from his employer.
See us live if you want the full story on embezzlement.
Here are some places where we will be speaking soon:
May 3
 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 4 Richardson Group, Seattle WA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
May 8 North County Women’s Study Club, Carlsbad CA
May 9 Patterson Dental, Portland ME
May 10 Patriot Dental Conference, Foxborough MA
May 15 Patterson Dental Totowa NJ
Jul 8 University of the West Indies
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Sep 19 Dr. Brad Crump, Dallas TX
Sep 21 Dallas Dental Symposium, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
Nov 11 Thunderbird Study Club, El Paso TX
Nov 19 Memphis Dental Society, Memphis TN
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Team Member of the Month — Deborah Long
Do not let her considerable Southern charm fool you. In a company that we like to think is filled with smart people, Debbie stands out. She oversees Prosperident’s fastest-growing service, Office Protection System (OPS). OPS involves a thorough review of a practice’s systems to identify and correct the weaknesses that embezzlers exploit.
Debbie’s background includes a degree in accounting and computer science, and extensive work experience in public accounting, technology, and dental practices.
Debbie’s information is HERE, and to learn more about Office Protection System, click HERE.
Something to Talk About…
Prevention v. Preparedness
“Be Prepared.” Great advice from Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts over a century ago, and completely applicable to today’s dental practice owners.
Prosperident is about to celebrate 30 years of business, and during those 30 years, my team and I have been asked countless times for our unique insight on how to “prevent” embezzlement. Almost everyone who asks us is astounded when we answer; “You can’t.” Please, let me explain.
To prevent embezzlement, you must know and block every possible path a thief could use to relieve you of your money. During our decades in business, we have identified literally hundreds of ways that dental office team members have stolen from their doctors, and with new methods and variations regularly emerging during our investigations, we will guarantee you that no matter what you’ve read or been told; preventing embezzlement is impossible.
When you read a well-intended article about “The 10 Things You Must Do to Prevent Embezzlement,” or you are tempted to take the advice of an “expert” who is trying to sell you monthly monitoring services of your practice as a prevention tool, these folks do not understand embezzlement or the deviant mindset of embezzlers.
However, there is hope! Just because you can’t prevent embezzlement, doesn’t mean you can’t control it. If you are a practice owner who doesn’t currently suspect theft, and you’d like to keep it that way, having proven systems in place to detect and eliminate theft in its early stages is preparedness, and that’s where my team and I are happy to help.
Thank you all for making Prosperident a part of the dental community. We appreciate you, and we are here for you. Always.
David Harris
CEO
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts