Losses blamed on tellers

Press, 6 July 1983, Page 3

Losses blamed on tellers

PA Auckland More than $15,000 in cash has been obtained by fraud or stolen from United Building Society branches in the last four weeks. In a letter to staff the company’s assistant general manager, Mr Elwyn Mickell, said such crimes at society offices had dramatically increased.

He blamed the losses squarely on United’s tellers. Mr MickeU listed 10 points of security and asked all staff to review their cash handling and security procedures. ,r AH the recent

losses can be attributed to staff not observing basic security requirements.” Most tellers involved in the $15,000-plus losses were experienced and three were branch senior assistants, he said. “Had the instructions given in this letter been observed by all our cashiers last month, all of the losses would have been avoided,” he said. In one case, a teller when on his own, left his desk to answer a telephone and stood with his back to the office. Someone reached

over the counter and took $l2OO from an unlocked drawer. In another incident, the name, the signature and account number on a withdrawal slip did not agree with those shown on a credit card, but $BOOO was paid out from an incorrect account When a security firm delivered cash to a branch office, on one occasion, the money was left unattended in containers in a public office for 40 minutes and $7500 was stolen, Mr Mickell said.