BROADCASTS.com

b'

The Bookkeeper  

https://zalma.com/blog

The bookkeeper was a first generation Russian-American. He was born in  New York City six weeks after his parents were admitted into the United  States as Refugees, escaping the Soviet Russia after the end of the  Second World War. He was the first member of his family to graduate from  any school. He received a scholarship to Columbia University where he  obtained his bachelor of arts degree in business administration. He also  spoke fluent Russian since his parents were more comfortable speaking  their native language at home.  The Bookkeeper came to California in the early 1960\\u2019s. He worked in a  large accounting firm as a bookkeeping clerk. After three unsuccessful  attempts at passing the CPA exam, he decided he was not cut out to be a  certified public accountant.  From the late 1950\\u2019s until the early 1970\\u2019s a great number of Soviet  Russian immigrants were allowed into the United States as refugees. A  large Russian community established itself in the Fairfax District of  Los Angeles and in Glendale, California.  

The bookkeeper, because of his ability to speak the language, began  doing the books and tax returns in his spare time for Russian  immigrants. Word of mouth spread throughout the Russian speaking  community and soon his spare time job was taking more time than his real  job. He sat up a bookkeeping service in a storefront and became the  bookkeeper to the Russian community.  He started a business. He bought a furniture manufacturing plant and,  because he had no experience in the operation of a manufacturing  business, he lost all of his investment. Remembering the skills of his  clients, the bookkeeper sold off all of the equipment and inventory of  the manufacturing business and then reported a burglary.  This time, much to the Bookkeeper\\u2019s surprise, the insurer investigated.  

They discovered the identity of the buyers of the equipment claimed  stolen and put to an end a successful career in fraud.   The Bookkeeper is now serving a five year term in the state prison and  the burned out shell of his dream home was sold by his mortgagee, after  foreclosure, for the value of the land.  The Bookkeeper should have done what he was good at doing, keeping the  books for criminals. But for greed, the bookkeeper would still be  helping others commit fraud at no risk to himself. His error was to try  to be as criminal as his clients.  ZALMA OPINION   Although the Bookkeeper was effective at helping his criminal clients  succeed he was not a dedicated criminal and that is why his attempt at  fraud failed. Insurance fraud requires skill, unmitigated gall, and the  ability to lie effectively. He had the skill and the gall but was not an  effective liar. Fraud failed.  

(c) 2022 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.