[Employee Theft] Tom Operates a Hardware Store

question 19

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 true about traveler's checks?

• A) They require a countersignature by a person whose signature appears on the instrument.
• B) Like other types of checks, a traveler's check need not state "traveler's check" on the instrument.
• C) They are payable on a designated date.
• D) The person who purchases the traveler's check does not sign the instrument until it is ready to be used to make a purchase.
• E) The drawer is usually a small, local bank.

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Definitions:

Intrinsic Worth

This refers to the inherent value that an entity has, independent of its utility or benefit to others.

Means to End

A method or action carried out for the purpose of achieving a specific goal or outcome.

Deontological

Pertaining to an ethical theory that suggests the morality of an action should be based on whether the action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action.

Utilitarian

Pertaining to the ethical theory that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, generally defined as that which produces the greatest well-being of the greatest number of people.