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In 2023, Apple revealed a case of serious internal fraud. A longtime employee had exploited his access to procurement systems, diverting company funds, manipulating vendor relationships and approving fake invoices. The fallout: nearly $19 million in losses.
This wasn’t a Hollywood-style embezzlement. It was slow, quiet and unnoticed for years. It started with unchecked trust and processes that weren’t built to flag abuse.
As entrepreneurs, we often think internal fraud is a big-company problem. It’s not. It’s a systems problem. If you’re building a company, here are five warning signs your resources might be slipping through the cracks — and what you