[Employee Theft] Tom Operates a Hardware Store

question 76

Multiple Choice

[Employee Theft] Tom operates a hardware store. Tom hired an assistant bookkeeper, Emma, who began to steal from him. Emma came into work early one day and took some checks and the rubber stamp of Tom's signature that he kept in an unlocked drawer, and she used the signature stamp to create a check payable to herself. She then took the check to the bank and cashed it. Tom, who was diligent in examining his bank statements, noticed the unauthorized check to Emma. He also noticed an unauthorized check cashed by Rose, another employee. Rose did not know about the stamp in the unlocked drawer. Instead, she broke into a locked cabinet, stole some checks, and skillfully forged Tom's name. Tom immediately informed his bank about the check involving Emma. He held off, however, on informing the bank about Rose, as she had only stolen fifty dollars and he didn't want to lose both employees at once. Tom told the bank manager what he suspected had happened involving Emma taking his stamp and checks from the unlocked drawer. The bank manager told Tom that the bank was not required to reimburse him because Tom was responsible for his own losses. Tom tells the bank manager about the unauthorized check to Rose 35 days after he received his bank statement and discovered the forgery. To his surprise, when Tom opened his next bank statement, he discovered that after Rose wrote the first check for fifty dollars, she had forged more checks for larger amounts. The bank was notified of those forgeries within 15 days of when Tom received his bank statement. The bank refused to reimburse Tom for the checks written by Rose, again claiming that he was responsible for his own losses. Tom institutes litigation against the bank.
-Which statement is correct regarding whether Tom will have to bear the loss on the first forged check by Rose?

• A) Tom will not have to bear the loss because the forgeries were by an employee; otherwise, he would have had to bear the loss.
• B) Tom will not have to bear the loss because the check was forged.
• C) Tom will have to bear the loss because he did not notify the bank of the forgery within the time limit required.
• D) Tom will have to bear the loss because the check was cashed before he notified the bank.
• E) Tom will have to bear the loss because the check was forged.

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Definitions:

Payroll Deductions

Amounts subtracted from an employee's gross pay for taxes, insurance premiums, or other benefits, leading to the net pay the employee receives.

Precommitments

Strategies or actions taken in advance to bind oneself to a specific course of action, often used to influence future decision-making or outcomes.

Present Consumption

The use of goods and services for immediate satisfaction or needs, as opposed to saving or investing for future use.

Behavioral Economists

Economists who study the effects of psychological, social, cognitive, and emotional factors on the economic decisions of individuals and institutions and how those decisions vary from those implied by classical theory.