Category: Prosperident Newsletters

Embezzlement News #72 August 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #72 — August 2018
Pat Little
DDS FAGD CFE
One of our busiest speakers, Dr. Pat Little smoothly blends his investigative work with an active speaking calendar.
Prior to his work with Prosperident, Pat was a “wet fingered” guy, owning several dental practices. When repetitive motion issues began to take their toll, Pat returned to college to study accounting. He found us through mutual friend Linda Miles, and we have had the pleasure of working with Pat ever since.
Pat’s speaking includes large venues like the Hinman Meeting and the ADA as well as cozy study clubs.
No boring speakers here!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Oct 27 Law Enforcement Investigation and Prosecution Group, Columbia MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Huntersville NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Feb 11 Wasatch Oral Surgery, Jordan UT
Apr 12 American Association of Endodontists, Montreal QC
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Held Over — Summer Giveaway!
Last month, we offered no-cost access to Prosperident’s Embezzlement Risk Assessment Questionnaire at no cost. Some people missed the giveaway because of summer vacation schedules, so we are pleased to extend the offer.
The questionnaire is completed online, and typically takes 10-15 minutes to finish. Your score, along with some commentary, is provided after completion.
We normally sell the questionnaire on our website for $139, but from now until AUGUST 15, we are offering it to dentists at no cost.
To obtain your free access, please email us at requests@dentalembezzlement.com.
Embezzler of the Month
Here is another member of Prosperident’s “Half Million Dollar Club”.
 
Durango, Colorado’s Robin Bernazzi recently confessed to embezzling more than $500,000 from the dental practice in which she worked. She is currently free on bail, but the justice system is far from finished with Ms. Bernazzi.
 
Check out Robin, and many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
Something To Talk About…
Community. The concept has implications, both large and small. Communities offer us a sense of acceptance, appreciation, and a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of the group and its culture.
It’s hard to believe that summer is half over and that by the time you receive our September newsletter, you will be moving into your fall and winter schedules, both personally and professionally. Fall, of course, is synonymous with “back to school.” Love it or hate it, education is the first thing that comes to mind for many of us as August quickly becomes September. You happily see your children off to their places of study, and then your focus turns to your own need for continuing education.
At Prosperident, we treasure our unique relationship with the dental community, and the opportunities we have been presented to help you increase your knowledge. This year, in an attempt to honor your requests to have additional speakers who are informative and engaging, we are adding two new speakers to the Prosperident Speakers Bureau.
We never hide the fact that our educational information and statistics come directly from our work, which is dedicated to investigating financial crimes against your community. Our speakers strive to present you with relevant information (as well as some humor), to protect you from the people who target you as their victims. We love speaking at your events, large and small, and we gain a tremendous deal of satisfaction from being able to interact with you.
With your feedback and support, we are proud to be developing even more presentations that we consider to be of value to your community while we wage war against the criminals who have for too long gotten financially fat off of your hard work and trust. Education, not infomercials, is what we offer and we feel privileged to be able to do so.
My team and I would like to offer you a heartfelt “Thank you!” for allowing us to be a growing part of your community, and we look forward to meeting you during the fall and winter season of 2018-19 at your events and conferences. Until then, we hope you are enjoying your summer!
David Harris
CEO
 
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

Embezzlement News #71 July 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #71 — July 2018
Sonya Hudson
One of our longest-serving investigators, Senior Examiner Sonya Hudson conducts many of our Canadian investigations. Sonya is well known for being hyper-organized, and for her skill at writing beautiful, meticulous reports.
Prior to working with Prosperident, Sonya managed the support department of a large practice management software company.
We are thrilled to have Sonya as one of our talented group of fraud examiners.
Engage Your Audience!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Charlotte NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Summer Giveaway!
Prosperident’s Embezzlement Risk Assessment Questionnaire provides an easy way for a dentist to determine the likelihood that he or she is being embezzled.
Detecting embezzlement early is so much better than discovering it tens of thousands of dollars later.
The questionnaire is completed online, and typically takes 10-15 minutes to finish. Your score, along with some commentary, is provided after completion.
We normally sell the questionnaire on our website for $139, but from now until July 15, we are offering it to dentists at no cost.
To obtain your free access, please email us at requests@dentalembezzlement.com.
Embezzler of the Month
When most people think of Maine, they think of beautiful scenery and lobster. However, when we think of the Pine Tree State, we also think of Carly Caporino.
According to authorities, from 2014 to 2016, Caporino embezzled about $295,000 from a dental practice. She has pleaded guilty to the theft and will be sentenced later this year.
Check out Carly, and many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
Something To Talk About…
Summertime and the living is easy. How we all love summer! Now that one of our favorite seasons is underway, and after some reflection on summers past, it occurred to me that we could do a few things here at Prosperident to help make this summer one of your best yet, at least professionally.
A little-known fact is that vacations play a considerable part in helping to identify embezzlement behavior. Do you have a team member who is reluctant to take a vacation? If they do use their vacation time, do they do it by taking a day or two off, here and there so that it isn’t necessary to have another team member or a temp trained to do their work? Is this same team member territorial about their workspace and computer? Are they ALWAYS the first one to arrive in the office? The last to leave? Do they often work through their lunch break or come in after hours or on weekends to “catch-up”? Do they offer to assist in non-work related tasks for you, such as running personal errands? Well, either you have employed one of the most loyal, hardworking team members on the planet, or it may be that it’s time to find out if there is a reason to re-evaluate this remarkable dedication. That’s where we can offer you some help.
No one likes to see a dedicated and trustworthy employee more than we do. However, if ever you’ve doubted your employee’s keenness to go above and beyond, we would be happy to chat with you about that and other questionable behavior anytime. Likewise, if you have questions about our products and services we are delighted to answer them and to assist you in taking whatever steps are necessary to make sure you feel confident regarding your staff’s behavior and the well-being of your practice.
David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

 

Dental Embezzlement News #70, June 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #70 — June 2018
Luci Berardi
Luci is one of those quietly competent people who make significant contributions at Prosperident.
In her role as Senior Examiner, Luci is accustomed to looking for that elusive embezzlement in the financial records of a practice. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner, which is the “gold standard” for fraud investigation.
Luci combines her fraud investigation work with her role as CFO and Practice Manager of a large Denver periodontal practice. She has been a Chapter President of the American Association of Dental Office Managers, and she is even a published author. We are thrilled to have her with us at Prosperident.
Engage Your Audience!
Did you know that there is some information that we will ONLY give at closed-door live events?
 
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Jun 1 Patterson Dental, Austin TX
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Jun 21 Florida Dental Association, Orlando FL
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Charlotte NC
2019
Jan 15 Omaha District Dental Society, Omaha NE
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Our New Website
It took some time, but it was worth it. Our new website was launched in May. It was a collaborative effort between our marketing and IT groups. We love it and hope you will too.
You can check it out HERE.
A Promotion
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Tony Ulbrandt to Supervising Examiner. This is the highest level of investigator at Prosperident, and Tony becomes only the third person in Prosperident’s history to have achieved that lofty position.
Tony heads our Litigation Support Group, where he routinely tackles some of Prosperident’s most difficult files.
Congratulations, Tony!
Our CEO’s Column

 

“Flow.” Not just a new age platitude, but a four-letter-word that you will be happy to have slung in your direction. Bear with me, and please let me explain.
Anyone who has ever gotten from Point A to Point B while driving, without being aware of how they arrived, has experienced “flow.” When we are deeply involved in trying to reach a goal or an activity that is challenging but well suited to our skills, we experience “flow.”
Flow is the unconscious balance that occurs when your brain finds it unnecessary to anticipate complications or interruption. Experiencing flow is what puts you “in the zone.” Flow is fantastic; flow brings you joy and productivity, but flow can also be derailed in a nanosecond when a member of your team is up to no good!
When you feel that your flow is threatened or has been interrupted, we are here to help.
At Prosperident we eliminate uncertainty for dentists with embezzlement concerns, we maximize financial recovery for victims, and we provide the support necessary to achieve peace of mind about the financial health of your practice. In other words, it is our mission to make sure that embezzlement concerns do not stop the flow of your practice.
Whether you are looking for an investigation, a system to help you fraud-proof your office, litigation support services, or a speaker for your next event, we have just what you need. We have designed our products and services in response to your needs and requests, and in doing so, we have created a place for you to get exactly the help you need.
We hope you make “flow” your new “F” word.

David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

 

Embezzlement News #69 May 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #69 — May 2018
“Jacob’s Ladder”
What is Jacob’s Ladder?
It could be the biblical connection between Heaven and Earth, or if you are a classic rock fan like our CEO, a Huey Lewis song from the 1980s, but in this case it refers to something different. Jacob’s Ladder is a game-changing piece of software written by our brilliant Chief Information Officer, Jake Hiltz.
With a few clicks of a mouse, Jacob’s Ladder allows a practice owner to schedule an automated and secure upload of what we need from their practice management software.
It makes the process of sharing this information with us simple, quick, and stealthy. Well done, Jake!
You Can’t Get This From A Podcast
Did you know that there is some information that we will ONLY give at closed-door live events?
 
Come see us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 5 and 6 American Association of Orthodontists, Washington DC
May 12 Wayne Thelen Dental Symposium, Atlanta GA
May 14 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
Jun 1 Patterson Dental, Austin TX
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Jun 21 Florida Dental Association, Orlando FL
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & district dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Charlotte, NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Dallas TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
DentalTown Article
Prosperident Supervising Examiner Wendy Askins is definitely at the top of her game. In addition to conducting some of Prosperident’s most challenging investigations, she is an in-demand speaker and author. She has two presentations in May at the American Association of Orthodontists’ annual meeting in Washington DC and her second DentalTown article this year has just been published.
Sandy Baird
It’s available HERE.
Our CEO’s Column

 

A year ago I stood at a crossroads. I had a team member who in various ways, was holding us back and had exhibited elements of dishonesty. The path that I should take was clear, and yet, like many of you who have been in the same place, I hesitated to do what I knew in my heart would be the right thing for the company and my team.
It seems silly now, but I had my reasons to hesitate. Some were selfish – this person had once fulfilled a key role, and I thought to replace them could be difficult. I also wondered if our organization might suffer a morale dip if I let them go. Some of my hesitations were historical – this person had been with me for a long time, and had achieved some good things before their performance dwindled into erraticism.
Thankfully, I found the courage to do what my heart told me was right, and I can’t tell you what a positive experience it has been for us and our clients. Without exception, the other members of our team closed ranks and ably filled any void that might have been created. It was nothing short of amazing to witness the changes that quickly unfolded once that major roadblock to our daily synergy was removed. The management team began to function more smoothly, communicate better, and to make achievements that they, and I, would not have believed were possible one short year ago.
Our business volume has grown dramatically in the past year, and we have had the good fortune to bring on some excellent new team members. None of our current success could have happened if my team had not supported me while I made the extremely difficult, but correct decision to deal with the person creating the troubles in our office.
I hope that you will learn from my example and the lesson is this: embezzlers worm their way into your business and your personal life. They work hard to make you think that you couldn’t possibly function without them. Once they get you to believe this, they are confident that they can steal with impunity and without detection. Maintaining skepticism and taking action on some hard decisions will be the best things you ever did.
If you suspect that all is not well and you are hesitant to investigate or need help to map out a plan of action to enable you and your loyal, trustworthy team members get to a place where you are free to perform your best work, please call us to talk about your situation. We are always happy to help!

David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

 

Embezzlement News # 67, March 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #67 — March 2018
The Prodigy
From his start with Prosperident as a Network Administrator, Jake Hiltz’s unrivalled ability to understand ANYTHING related to IT allowed his rapid rise to Prosperident’s Chief Information Officer, and a member of Prosperident’s management team. In addition to overseeing Prosperident’s Data Center and the uploading of client information to our network, Jake is responsible for the ongoing development and integration of Prosperident’s information systems.
Jake’s prowess is a key factor in Prosperident’s growth and success, and we are thankful for the great work he does.
Get the Inside Scoop!
 
Did you know that there is some information that we will ONLY give at closed door meetings?
 
Embezzlers read our articles and listen to our podcasts, so there are some topics we will not address there.
 
Come see us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Mar 14 Altura Periodontics, Denver CO
Mar 15 Boulder Broomfield Dental Society, Boulder CO
Mar 23 Thomas P Hinman Meeting, Atlanta GA
Apr 3 Volunteer Study Club, Nashville TN
Apr 20 Dr. Brandon Grier Study Club, Bowling Green, KY
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 14 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
May 6 American Association of Orthodontists, Washington DC
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Jun 21 Florida Dental Association, Orlando FL
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Dallas TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Article
Check out a great article about an embezzlement case called “The Lake House” from our friend Sandy Baird.
Sandy Baird
It’s availalble HERE.
Check out Sandy’s website HERE.
Our CEO’s Column
The Problem with Monitoring
Something that I get asked regularly is whether we offer a “monitoring” service where we can provide a monthly check-up on a practice. I’d like to explain why we do not offer this service.
When people ask us for “monitoring”, they do so for one of two reasons; either they have current embezzlement concerns, or they don’t but are seeking long-term protection against employee theft.
For someone with current concerns, monitoring’s weakness is its superficiality.
Conceptually, monthly monitoring is like a “mini-audit”. The price point for this kind of work supports a couple of hours of investigation work, which in our expert opinion simply isn’t sufficient cover the full spectrum of embezzlement methodologies that should be reviewed. When Prosperident performs an investigation, we normally look at a
period of at least one year, and our review is quite broad and
intensive.
For those seeking enduring protection, there is a conceptual appeal to monitoring, with the offer of protection at an affordable monthly cost. However, the best protection against embezzlement comes from having proper systems in place, which monitoring does not address. Furthermore, the overblown perception of protection provided by monitoring may encourage some laxity about systems, which may ultimately be dangerous.
There are some technology-based monitoring approaches on the horizon that we expect will deliver the elusive combination of affordability and effectiveness, but they are still several years away.
For providing enduring protection from embezzlement, a better (and in the long term, less expensive) solution than monthly monitoring is Prosperident’s Office Protection System (OPS). OPS is the industry’s most comprehensive review of your practice’s policies and procedures, including staff compliance. You can read more about OPS HERE.
So if the concept of monthly monitoring is something that you find appealing, I encourage you to reflect on whether the allure is based on addressing current concerns or the desire for long-term protection. For either situation, we have an offering that provides a much better fit and value.
Thanks for reading.

 

David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

 

Embezzlement News #66 — February 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #66 — February 2018
Another Jail Sentence
Here is Charlotte NC’s Angela Nicole Brown who stole over $400,000 from her doctor and received a five-year prison sentence. Full story HERE.
Get the Inside Scoop!
 
Did you know that there is some information that we will ONLY give at closed door meetings?
 
There are some things we will not discuss in articles or podcasts.
 
Come see us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Jan 30 Patterson Dental Indianapolis IN
Jan 31 Patterson Dental Cleveland OH
Feb 1 Patterson Dental, Cincinnati OH
Feb 2 Patterson Dental, Columbus OH
Feb 2 North Carolina AGD, Cary NC
Feb 15 Piney Point Oral Surgery, Houston TX
Feb 22 Sacramento District Dental Society, Sacramento CA
Feb 25 Ortho 2 UGM, Savannah, GA
Mar 14 Altura Periodontics, Denver CO
Mar 15 Boulder Broomfield Dental Society, Boulder CO
Mar 23 Thomas P Hinman Meeting, Atlanta GA
Apr 3 Volunteer Study Club, Nashville TN
Apr 20 Dr. Brandon Grier Study Club, Bowling Green, KY
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 14 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
May 6 American Association of Orthodontists, Washington DC
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Jun 21 Florida Dental Association, Orlando FL
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Podcast!
Our CEO had fun making a Navigating Dental Insurance podcast with hosts Ben Tuinei and Jordon Comstock. It’s worth a listen.
Check it out HERE.
An Unsung Hero!
Rose Clifford is an Intermediate Analyst at Prosperident. She is responsible for assembling the information that our fraud examiners need to perform their work. Rose’s talent is to make this process smooth and easy for a busy dentist, and her quiet efficiency contributes tremendously to the smooth handling of our investigations. Rose is developing her own investigative skills and looks forward to joining our cadre of investigators.
Rose works from our West Coast Office in Magalia, CA. Both her husband Scott and daughter Miki work for Prosperident.
Rose is known as California’s biggest Boston Bruins fan.
Our CEO’s Column
Why Us?
More specifically, why Prosperident? The longer we are in business, the more we seem to get this question from potential clients. It would be easy to put tongue in cheek and respond “because in our experience (and we have A LOT of experience) bigger is better, and we are not just talking about pizza.”
Maybe the best analogy to adequately explain why you should use a large and experienced firm such as ours, whose sole purpose and function is to find and eliminate financial crimes, a.k.a. embezzlement, against dentists, is this: let’s say you have a great family physician. Your physician is the absolute cream of the crop. Your GP graduated first in their class, they’re always available to you on a moment’s notice, they’re intuitive, knowledgeable, easy to understand, friendly, etc., etc.
Now, suppose you have a sudden medical emergency or you sustain a life-threatening injury. Are you going to rush to your GP’s office or house to seek treatment? My guess is “no.” It would make more sense to call 911 and get yourself to a trauma center ASAP to let the team of professionals there, who deal with nothing but trauma and emergency medicine, attend to you and stabilize you. I’m also willing to bet that you wouldn’t let yourself be delivered to a walk-in-clinic, no matter how reputable, that didn’t have an emergency room, staffed by a trauma team to ensure that you face your best chance of proper diagnosis and recovery.
If you suspect or have confirmed theft in your office, we have the “trauma” team you need to diagnose, treat and restore your practice to health. Prosperident is the world’s largest firm investigating financial crimes against dentists. Dentistry is all we do and I can guarantee that we do it better than anyone else.
David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them here.
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

 

Embezzlement News #65 — January 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #65 — January 2018
Podcast!
The three dentists who run the Dental Realist Podcast recently did an eposide with David Harris. A great conversation about embezzlement!
Check it out HERE.
Hail to The Chief!
At Prosperident, Scott Clifford is known as “The Chief”. This is because he occupies the position of Chief Fraud Examiner, at the pinnacle of Prosperident’s talented group of fraud examiners.
As Chief Fraud Examiner, Scott is responsible for developing the industry-leading investigative programs that keep Prosperident at the top of its field.
He also gets to do something that gives him great personal satisfaction, put those who steal from dentists behind bars. You can read about one of Scott’s victories on the right side of this page.
Are your meetings unexciting?
“We received many positive comments and would highly recommend you to any dental component”

 

Merriam Osmondson

 

Executive Director

 

Fresno Madera Dental Society

 

Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Jan 16 Lincoln District Dental Society, Lincoln NE
Jan 17 Metro West Seminars, Omaha NE
Jan 26 Ohio State University, Columbus OH
Jan 30 Patterson Dental Indianapolis IN
Jan 31 Patterson Dental Cleveland OH
Feb 1 Patterson Dental, Cincinnati OH
Feb 2 Patterson Dental, Columbus OH
Feb 25 Ortho 2 UGM, Savannah, GA
Mar 14 Altura Periodontics, Denver CO
Mar 15 Boulder Broomfield Dental Society, Boulder CO
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 14 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
May 6 American Association of Orthodontists, Washington DC
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Prosperident’s David Harris featured in Incisal Edge Magazine
A Thief In The Family
David Harris was thrilled to be in the Winter 2018 edition of Incisal Edge Magazine with Benco’s Kay Huff and Bill Aquilino. Their article, A Thief in the Family is available HERE.
In Jail For Christmas!
This is Elizabeth Armstrong. Elizabeth, from Fredericksburg VA, did not make it home for Christmas this year. She was serving part of her six-year sentence for embezzlement, based on the investigation performed by one of Prosperident’s “Top Guns” Scott Clifford (full story HERE). Way to go, Scott!
Our CEO’s Column
After spending most of my life working with dentists, I think that I have pretty good insight into how you folks think.
Right now you are probably thinking about making some business goals for 2018, a.k.a. your 2018 New Year’s resolutions.
Dentists differ from most of the population — studies suggest that only 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, and shockingly, less than 10% achieve them. This discrepancy reflects the fact that setting goals are easier than following through. Why? Because you need a plan.
By your nature, dentists are achievers and measurers; you could not have gotten where you are without the ability to set and achieve goals. You are planners.
This year, we would like to suggest an important (and possible) resolution for your practice. Unlike the typical New Year’s Resolution – lofty, well-intended, but with no plan to bring it to fruition, we want you to make 2018 your practice’s most prosperous year. The plan for us to help you attain your goal is ridiculously simple: you MUST complete our newly enhanced Embezzlement Risk Assessment Questionnaire (ERAQ). This 15-minute questionnaire is an excellent predictor of whether someone is embezzling from you.
We normally wait until the quieter days of summer to offer a limited time, no-cost access invitation to complete our ERAQ, but as part of our commitment to having you start the New Year right, we are inviting you to complete the ERAQ, which we normally retail for $139, from now until January 31st at absolutely no cost to you. That’s right, our most popular practice assessment tool is yours for nothing.
To access our questionnaire, please click HERE.
All of us at Prosperident wish you a Happy New Year and a very prosperous 2018!

 

David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them here.
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

Embezzlement News #64 December 2017

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #64 — December 2017
Podcast!
Prosperident’s David Harris was recently interviewed by Financial Freedom guru (and this month’s guest columnist) Dr. David Phelps.
Check it out HERE..
Need to liven up your meetings?
“We received many positive comments and would highly recommend you to any dental component”

 

Merriam Osmondson
Executive Director
Fresno Madera Dental Society

 

Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Dec 7-8 Patterson Dental, Nashville, TN
2018
Jan 16 Lincoln District Dental Society, Lincoln NE
Jan 17 Metro West Seminars, Omaha NE
Jan 30 Patterson Dental Indianapolis IN
Jan 31 Patterson Dental Cleveland OH
Feb 1 Patterson Dental, Cincinnati OH
Feb 2 Patterson Dental, Columbus OH
Feb 25 Ortho 2 UGM, Savannah, GA
Mar 14 Altura Periodontics, Denver CO
Mar 15 Boulder Broomfield Dental Society, Boulder CO
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
 
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.
Guest Column — David Phelps DDS
Are you replaceable?
At first glance, that question may sound like a threat. If I’m replaceable, then what is my real value? If I’m replaceable, where’s my leverage? Who needs me?
I can hear your answer. “Me, replaceable? Heck no! I’m the owner! I do the work. I’m highly trained and have years of experience doing x, y, z.
I have specific relationships with our clients or patients – it wouldn’t be possible to replace me without severe damage to the business.”
“I’ve worked hard all my life to get where I am.”
And exactly where are you?
“At the top of my game. I have a practice (job – ed.) to go to every day of the week. I can’t take time off because I am so busy doing the thing I spent so many years learning. I still have a ton of debt to pay off, and I don’t see any way off this hamster wheel. But life is good. Someday I’ll be able to enjoy it.”
Hmmm, sort of a Catch 22. The better one becomes at “doing the thing,” providing the technical labor, the less freedom there is. Trading time for dollars, no matter what the hourly pay rate, is not a path to freedom.
Our CEO’s Column
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
I hope that all of you enjoyed Thanksgiving and are now getting geared up for a month of holiday celebrations. As we are entering December, I will risk being a “Debbie-Downer” by mentioning that this is also the season that is most likely to produce embezzlement in your practice.
This is because the thieving element in your office is most likely to help themselves to a little more than your generous spirit to pay for Christmas, making December and January particularly active months for employee theft.
With patients’ insurance coming to its year-end and some non-insured patients looking to maximize tax deductions, it is a perfect time for money to disappear, undetected, from your office.
My team and I wish nothing but the best for you and your two families (actual and work “family”) this holiday season, but we would not be doing our jobs if we did not ask you to make sure you pay attention to unusual staff behavior during this busy time of year. Charity begins at home, but this should never be unwittingly extended to your work family.
If you have any reason to believe that you are unwillingly funding someone else’s holiday celebrations, please reach out to us and we will be happy to provide discreet assistance.
My deepest wish is that none of you fine folks would ever feel the need for embezzlement investigation, however, statistics do not support that wish and so I will let you know that if you are concerned about someone behaving badly in your office, we are here to help. Always.
Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays,
David and the team at Prosperident
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

 

Embezzlement News # 63 November 2017

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #63 — November 2017
Podcast!
Prosperident’s Kelly Paxton was recently interviewed by dental hygiene maven Debbie Seidel-Bitke and dental CPA Doug Fettig.
Check it out HERE..
Are people sleeping at your meetings?
We can liven things up. With catchy titles like “How To Outsmart An Embezzler” and “The Walletectomy” we can keep your audience on the edge of their seats.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Nov 2 Dental Compliance Boot Camp, North Richland Hills, TX
Nov 3 Innovative Study Group, Scottsdale AZ
Nov 9 Spider Study Club, Livingston NJ
Nov 14 Fresno Madera Dental Society, Fresno CA
Nov 15 Vancouver Study Club, Vancouver BC
Dec 7-8 Patterson Dental, Nashville, TN
2018
Jan 16 Lincoln District Dental Society, Lincoln NE
Jan 17 Metro West Seminars, Omaha NE
Jan 30 Patterosn Dental Indianapolis IN
Jan 31 Patterson Dental Cleveland OH
Feb 1 Patterson Dental, Cincinnati OH
Feb 2 Patterson Dental, Columbus OH
Feb 25 Ortho 2 UGM, Savannah, GA
Mar 14 Altura Periodontics, Denver CO
Mar 15 Boulder Broomfield Dental Society, Boulder CO
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas 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 Note From Our CEO
Time flies. The older I get the faster time passes. In a couple of weeks, the majority of us will be gathering with family and friends to give thanks for all of this year’s blessings.
Visiting with loved ones, great food, watching a football game or parade, a chance to have a couple of quiet days off, or any of the other
ways we celebrate the beginning of the holiday season are about to be upon us. As I get ready for my favorite time of year I am grateful for many things. This past year has been a cornucopia of unexpected events to be thankful for. I promise not bore you with them all, but here are a few I want to mention:
First, I am thankful for my family, friends and talented team members who enable me to have a career that I love. I am also thankful for the wonderful people that my work has enabled me to become involved with, not just this year, but during the 25 plus years that I have worked in the dental community. The “average Joe” has no idea what a wonderful group dentists and their dental families are. All of us at Prosperident want you to know that we appreciate and are thankful for all of you.
When I am away working with and meeting all of you fine folks, it never fails to amaze me what a genuinely great group of people you are and what great lessons you have taught us as Prosperident continues to grow and make our livelihood by assisting you. By being a part of your community, I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the most altruistic and generous human beings on the planet. My team and I are very lucky to do what we do. Something to be thankful for, for sure!
With my family and my team members at Prosperident I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a great start to a wonderful holiday season.
David Harris CFE, CPA, CMA, CFF, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com

 

Dental Embezzlement News #62 — October 2017

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 Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #62 — October 2017
Podcast!
David Harris recently did a podcast with a terrific host, Dr. Peter Boulden on The Bulletproof Practice.  Dr. Boulden was an embezzlement victim, and this made for some great discussion.
Check it out HERE..
Does your dental meeting need some spark?
Wow them at your next meeting!
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Oct 12 Orthodontic Specialists of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City OK
Oct 20-21 Thompson Okanagan Dental Society, Kelowna BC
Oct 27 Sinclair Dental, Moncton NB
Nov 3 Innovative Study Group, Scottsdale AZ
Nov 9 Spider Study Club, Livingston NJ
Nov 14 Fresno Madera Dental Society, Fresno CA
Nov 15 Vancouver Study Club, Vancouver BC
Dec 7-8 Patterson Dental, Nashville, TN
2018
Jan 16 Lincoln District Dental Society, Lincoln NB
Jan 17 Metro West Seminars, Omaha NB
Feb 1 Patterson Dental, Cincinnati OH
Feb 2 Patterson Dental, Columbus OH
Feb 25 Ortho 2 UGM, Savannah, GA
Mar 15 Boulder Broomfield Dental Society, Boulder CO
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas 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 Note From Our CEO
Synergy.
Whether we are talking about your association, study club, sports team, practice, or our own office, synergy is essential to how we work, play and find security and contentment.
It’s easy to become hyper-focused on tasks, the things that you are good at, the things that you enjoy, and to miss the signs that someone or something is no longer serving the greater good in your life.
Often we speak with doctors who feel that they are to blame for missing the cues that something was not right in their practices and we want to tell them that it’s not their fault!
Until you have been taken advantage of by a trusted team member, you may never understand how terrible it feels to have suffered a loss or a breach of trust and then spend hours, days and weeks wondering what you could have done to have produced a different outcome.
At Prosperident, we have spent years focusing on only one thing; helping dental professionals discover, confirm and eliminate dishonest behavior in their practices. To us, it doesn’t matter whether someone is taking money, stealing office supplies, or reading your email without permission, it is all behavior that has to be detected and stopped. Period.
Recently, we at Prosperident found ourselves in just the sort of situation that we spend thousands of collective hours every year warning dentists to be aware of in their practices and I have to say, it’s been a rollercoaster of “what if’s” and “if only we had paid closer attention” moments. Horrible. Horrible, but completely recoverable and here’s why – synergy.
When a staff member shocks us with their dishonesty, we often forget just how amazing and reliable the rest of our team is, was, and will be. As business owners, we may suffer the full financial brunt of an employee’s dishonesty, but as a team, there is also a sense of loss and betrayal in discovering that someone who worked with us was so careless with the good energy and contributions we all made to help create a greater good.
If you and your team have been unfortunate enough to be hit by someone’s acts of dishonesty, we are definitely here to help sort things out and put a stop to the problem. As for recovering from the aftermath, I would like to suggest that you make sure to appreciate the synergy of those who help you get your work done and your goals met.  After all, it is the constant efforts and energy of our true team players that allow us to excel and enjoy and prosper from the work we do.
Finally, I want to say “thank you” to the team at Prosperident for their hard work, loyalty, and contributions which are too vast to mention.
And to all of the practice owners reading this, if you feel that you have any reason not to be as fortunate and happy as I am with the team in your office, please feel free to contact us at any time to discuss your situation. We are always here to help.
David Harris CFE, CPA, CMA, CFF, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Prosperident — Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website — www.dentalembezzlement.com