This article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30088148/) reminded me of a fraud prevention principle – Most church embezzlements are probably not committed by crooks.  Sinister looking guys usually don’t hang around churches with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths looking for the right opportunity to jump.  Instead, I think more financial attacks on churches are committed by people who are basically good but, for one reason or another, find themselves in bad circumstances such as addictions (gambling being the most frequent), business reversals, and health issues.

Unfortunately, many churches operate under the belief that you have to be a crook to be a church embezzler, and convince themselves that since “We have no crooks here we have nothing to worry about.”  What they forget is this:  they do have hurting people.  Probably more than they realize.   In fact, every church has plenty of wounded members and employees with all sorts of “issues”.  And unfortunately, many of their wounds can be eliminated, or at least, soothed with money.

I don’t know if the need for plastic surgery and Botox constitutes an “issue”.  But it did for this particular priest.  And his church is $85,000 the poorer for it…

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