Will security cameras covering my front desk stop embezzlement?
Home > Media > Embezzlement Blog > Will security cameras covering my front desk stop embezzlement?What You'll Learn
- Why forensic CPA David Harris, Prosperident's CEO, says he can't recall a single dental office thief ever being caught on camera despite investigating hundreds of embezzlement cases every year.
- The math behind why video surveillance fails in practice: a 35-hour-per-week office with two front-desk cameras generates 70 hours of footage weekly, requiring about 14 hours of review even at 5x speed.
- Why most dental embezzlement happens inside the practice management software rather than at the cash drawer, meaning it never appears on camera at all.
- Prosperident's alternative to visual surveillance, summed up in its line 'Cameras Watch Actions. We Watch the Money,' which focuses on monitoring financial data instead.
What You'll Learn
- Why forensic CPA David Harris, Prosperident's CEO, says he can't recall a single dental office thief ever being caught on camera despite investigating hundreds of embezzlement cases every year.
- The math behind why video surveillance fails in practice: a 35-hour-per-week office with two front-desk cameras generates 70 hours of footage weekly, requiring about 14 hours of review even at 5x speed.
- Why most dental embezzlement happens inside the practice management software rather than at the cash drawer, meaning it never appears on camera at all.
- Prosperident's alternative to visual surveillance, summed up in its line 'Cameras Watch Actions. We Watch the Money,' which focuses on monitoring financial data instead.
Will security cameras covering my front desk stop embezzlement?
I get asked this question a lot when I am speaking to groups of dentists, so I decided to share the answer, and the reasons behind it, with you.
I have seen some consultants advocate security cameras to counter embezzlement; their arguments center around deterrence and the increased possibility of detecting a thief.
While I think front-desk cameras may be a good idea for other reasons (such as catching couriers who, finding your front desk unattended, take the opportunity to steal something), their impact on embezzlement is minimal.
The first thing I’ll mention is that we deal with hundreds of embezzlement matters each year, and I can’t remember a thief ever being caught on camera in one of our investigations, despite working in a number of offices where cameras were present.
I think there are two reasons why cameras are ineffective at stopping embezzlement.
1. Monitoring is virtually impossible. I’ve often said that cameras have value for events when the time of the event can be approximated. If a monitor is stolen from your reception area, it is possible to determine within a short time window when that took place, so it is easy to review video footage.
However, embezzlement can happen at any time, so the amount of video to watch is huge. If your office is open for 35 hours per week, and you need two cameras to cover the front desk activity properly, you will be capturing 70 hours of video per week. When are you going to watch it all? Even sped up by a factor of 5, you would need to devote 14 hours per week to watching this video, which is a commitment that I’m pretty sure most dentists will not make.
2. Thieves Adapt. If you have undetected embezzlement taking place and you install cameras, a thief will plan how to continue embezzling without being caught on camera. And judging from what we see, they are very likely to succeed.
Have questions about your practice? Click the button below
Cameras Watch Actions. We Watch the Money.
Most dental embezzlement never appears on camera—it happens in the software, not the cash drawer. Prosperident's monitoring strategies target exactly the vulnerabilities cameras miss.
Concerned about embezzlement in your practice?
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I get asked this question a lot when I am speaking to groups of dentists, so I decided to share the answer, and the reasons behind it, with you.
I have seen some consultants advocate security cameras to counter embezzlement; their arguments center around deterrence and the increased possibility of detecting a thief.
While I think front-desk cameras may be a good idea for other reasons (such as catching couriers who, finding your front desk unattended, take the opportunity to steal something), their impact on embezzlement is minimal.
The first thing I’ll mention is that we deal with hundreds of embezzlement matters each year, and I can’t remember a thief ever being caught on camera in one of our investigations, despite working in a number of offices where cameras were present.
I think there are two reasons why cameras are ineffective at stopping embezzlement.
1. Monitoring is virtually impossible. I’ve often said that cameras have value for events when the time of the event can be approximated. If a monitor is stolen from your reception area, it is possible to determine within a short time window when that took place, so it is easy to review video footage.
However, embezzlement can happen at any time, so the amount of video to watch is huge. If your office is open for 35 hours per week, and you need two cameras to cover the front desk activity properly, you will be capturing 70 hours of video per week. When are you going to watch it all? Even sped up by a factor of 5, you would need to devote 14 hours per week to watching this video, which is a commitment that I’m pretty sure most dentists will not make.
2. Thieves Adapt. If you have undetected embezzlement taking place and you install cameras, a thief will plan how to continue embezzling without being caught on camera. And judging from what we see, they are very likely to succeed.
Have questions about your practice? Click the button below
Cameras Watch Actions. We Watch the Money.
Most dental embezzlement never appears on camera—it happens in the software, not the cash drawer. Prosperident's monitoring strategies target exactly the vulnerabilities cameras miss.
About the author
David Harris
Forensic CPA, CFE, CFF, FIADFE — Chief Executive Officer, Prosperident
David Harris is the Chief Executive Officer of Prosperident, the world's largest dental embezzlement investigation firm. A Forensic CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified in Financial Forensics, he has led investigations into financial crime in dental practices since 1989 and speaks regularly to dental audiences across North America on detecting and preventing embezzlement.
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