CHAPTER DUES

Please visit our web site and download a copy of our Chapter Invoice for the 2002 dues. Prompt payment helps keep our expenses down and is a major consideration in our new policy concerning slow paying members. In the past, our chapter has taken a fairly relaxed attitude towards the tardiness of some of our members in paying their dues. Be assured, however, that late payment of the 2002 dues will no longer be tolerated and those members who do not pay on time by March 1^st will be removed from the membership roster in accordance with our by-laws. We cannot afford the extra expense which delinquent members cost the Chapter. Every extra reminder letter we have to send out costs the Chapter in postage, stationery and time. Money and time that could be spent much more productively giving better service to those timely paying members.

HIGHLIGHTED WEB LINKS

CFENET - The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

PRESIDENTIAL BRIEFING
Thomas J. Reilly CFE

A New Cyber Chapter

Presently, the Chapter is being assisted by Andrea Emmons, who is contacting our membership and confirming office and residential addresses and recording e-mail addresses. Please cooperate with her requests. The Board hopes that in the near future we will be able to communicate to our membership by e-mail rather than by the slower and more costly U.S. Postal Service.  It is anticipated that the majority of our newsletter distributions and Seminar notifications and registrations will be accomplished by e-mail. The Board also plans for contributing authors to our Newsletter to be able to list their web site addresses which can be  connected to from our Newsletter directly  or from the Newsletter posted on our website.

Changes of address

Be sure to let us have any changes in contact details, including e-mail and address changes. It is amazing how many mailings are returned to us because we have not been informed of a change of address. This costs the Chapter in time finding out the new address and also drains our finances with second mailings.

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Each volume of our newsletter will feature an article or bulletin on a fraud related topic. In this volume, we feature a timely article on mailroom security by Martin T. Biegelmen.  Marty is a Chapter Member At Large and is a Director of Litigation and Investigative Services with BDO Seidman, LLP in New York City.  He has 28 years of law enforcement experience, 22 of which were as a U.S. Postal Inspector.  Marty is also a Fellow of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Mail Center Security Awareness
By Martin T. Biegelman, CFE

The events of the last few months dramatically demonstrate how the mailroom is often the weak link in overall building security.  It is common practice to have a security guard at the front entrance of a building to control the people who enter the premises.  Yet, the same diligence is often not followed in the unprotected mail center.  Lax mailroom security procedures can negatively impact a company’s operation and, most importantly, its people.

Key Points of a Mail Center Security Plan

·      Perform target probability evaluation procedures to determine if your organization is a potential terrorist (foreign or domestic) target.

·      Appoint a Mail Center Security Coordinator and an alternative to assign responsibility for and ensure compliance with the developed plan.

·      Conduct background investigations on mail center personnel to uncover a criminal past, law enforcement actions, material misrepresentations or omissions on job applications and other relevant issues.

·      Establish direct lines of notification and communication among the mail center coordinator, management and security officer.

·      Develop specific screening and inspection procedures for all incoming mail or package deliveries.

·      Develop specific mail center handling techniques and procedures for postal items identified through screening as suspect.

·      Develop verification procedures for identifying suspect postal items encountered through the screening process.

·      Designate or construct an isolation area for suspect postal items encountered through the screening process.  Establish a safety zone around the isolation area.

·      Construct a holding/carrying container for suspect postal items.

·      Conduct training sessions for mail center security and management personnel to ensure complete understanding and practicality of all phases of a security plan.

How Vulnerable is Your Firm?

The vulnerability of you and your firm depend on a variety of factors – both internal and external.  Experience has shown that no individual or organization is completely immune from attack.  A sound assessment of your vulnerability is critical to the preparation of a bomb threat or other threatening communication response plan.

Consider the following possible sources of danger in evaluating your firm’s vulnerability:

·      Foreign terrorism:  Does your firm have foreign offices, suppliers, or outlets?  If so, in what countries?  Are you doing business in countries where there is political unrest or civil strife?

·      Domestic hate groups:  Is your firm a high-profile organization whose services, research, or products are the subjects of public controversy?

·      Workplace violence:  Has your firm experienced a recent downsizing, take-over, or reorganization, requiring layoffs?  Has any employee complained of being physically abused, harassed, or being stalked?  Has any employee made threats to harm any employee or the firm itself?

Positive answers to any of these questions will help you and your security manager identify potential sources of threats.

Anthrax Threats and Hoax Communications

The Postal Service delivers approximately 208 billion pieces of mail per year, 680 million per day.  During Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000, there were approximately 178 anthrax threats received at courthouses, reproductive health service providers, churches, schools and post offices.  In all these cases, the threats were hoaxes with no actual anthrax present in the threatening communications.  The post September 11 anthrax mailings have been the first where the actual anthrax bacteria have been present.  Although there have been a relatively small number of suspected incidents of anthrax bacteria being sent through the mails, the potential for death or serious bodily harm is significant.

What Should Make Me Suspicious of a Piece of Mail?

·         It has a powdery substance on the outside.

·         It’s unexpected or from someone you don’t know.

·         It’s addressed to someone no longer with your organization.

·         It’s an unexpected envelope from a foreign country.

·         It has excessive postage.

·         It’s handwritten or has a poorly typed address, incorrect titles or titles with no name, or misspellings of common words.

·         It has cut and paste lettering.

·         It has suspicious or threatening messages written on the outside.

·         It has no return address or bears one that you can’t confirm is legitimate.

·         It has a postmark with a different location than the return address.

·         It is of unusual weight, given its size.

·         It’s lopsided, lumpy or oddly shaped in appearance.

·         It’s sealed with excessive amounts of tape.

·         It’s marked with restrictive endorsements such as “Personal” or Confidential.”

·         It’s marked “Fragile - Handle with Care” or “Rush - Do Not Delay.”

What Should I Do If I Receive a Suspect Anthrax Threat or Other Threat By Mail?

·         Do not handle the mail piece or package suspected of contamination.

·         Don’t open, shake, smell, touch or taste it.

·         Double bag the mail piece in a zipper-type or zipper-lock plastic bag using latex gloves or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents.

·         Make sure that damaged or suspicious packages are isolated and the immediate area cordoned off.

·         Notify your supervisor, safety office, or designated person.

·         Notify local law enforcement authorities and the Postal Inspection Service.

·         Ensure that all persons who have touched the mail piece wash their hands with soap and water.

·         List all persons who have touched the letter and/or envelope.  Include contact information and have this information available for the authorities.  Provide the list to the police and the Postal Inspectors.

·         Place all items worn when in contact with the suspected mail piece in plastic bags and have them available for law enforcement agents.

·         As soon as practical, shower with soap and water.

·         Notify the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Emergency Response at 770-488-7100 for answers to any questions.

Mail Bombs

The likelihood of your ever receiving a bomb in the mail is remote. The chances are considerably greater of receiving a telephoned bomb threat or finding a suspicious and potentially harmful device placed at your office or on your property.  Unfortunately, a small number of explosive devices have been mailed over the years resulting in death, injury, and destruction of property.  Keep in mind that a bomb can be enclosed in either a parcel or an envelope, and its outward appearance is limited only by the imagination of the sender.  However, mail bombs have some unique characteristics that may assist you in identifying a suspect mailing.

Letter and Package Bomb Indicators

·         Mail bombs may bear restricted endorsements such as “Personal” or “Private.”  This factor is important when the addressee does not usually receive personal mail at the office.

·         Addressee’s name or title may be inaccurate.

·         Return address may be fictitious.

·         Mail bombs may reflect distorted handwriting or the name and address may be prepared with homemade labels or cut-and-paste lettering.

·         Mail bombs may have protruding wires, aluminum foil, or oil stains and may emit a peculiar odor.

·         Cancellation or postmark may show a different location than the return address.

·         Foreign mail, airmail or special delivery may be used.

·         Mail bombs may have excessive postage.

·         Letter bombs may feel rigid, or appear uneven or lopsided.

·         Parcel bombs may be unprofessionally wrapped with several combinations of tape used to secure the package and may be endorsed “Fragile – Handle with Care” or “Rush – Do Not Delay.”

·         Package bombs may have an irregular shape, soft spots, or bulges.

·         Package bombs may make a buzzing or ticking noise or a sloshing sound.

·         Pressure or resistance may be noted when removing contents from an envelope or parcel.

It should be emphasized that the general screening procedures are by no means foolproof.  Specific terrorist tactics, packaging or mailing patterns will render certain elements of the screening process invalid.

If You Are Suspicious of a Mailing and are Unable to Verify the Contents With the Addressee or Sender:

·         Do not open the article.

·         Isolate the mailing and evacuate the immediate area.

·         Do not put in water or a confined space such as a desk drawer or filing cabinet.

·         If possible, open windows in the immediate area to assist in venting potential explosive gases.

If you have any reason to believe a letter or parcel is suspicious, do not take a chance or worry about possible embarrassment if the item turns out to be innocent.  Instead, contact your local police department and Postal Inspector for professional assistance.

For more related information on mail room security, mail bombs and threatening communications, refer to the following websites:

www.usps.com - U.S. Postal Service

www.usps.com/postalinspectors - Postal Inspection Service

www.fbi.gov - Federal Bureau of Investigation

www.atf.treas.gov/explarson/information/indic.htm - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms

www.cdc.gov        - Center for Disease Control

www.fema.gov - Federal Emergency Management Agency

Please note:  The Mail Center Security Awareness issues outlined in this article set forth examples of precautions you may take and is by no means an exhaustive list.  It is at the discretion of each individual and business to determine appropriate safety procedures to implement.

Much of the material for this article was taken from Mail Room Security Procedures developed by the United State Postal Inspection Service.

Marty is available for consultation on this and other fraud related topics, including asset misappropriation, employee misconduct and security diagnostics.
Telephone:        (212) 885-8106   Email:  mbiegelman@bdo.com

If you have an article or ideas for articles you would like to have considered for publication in our newsletter, please submit your requests and drafts to Gary M. Arrick at garrick@bdo.com