Best Friends Stole a Lot of Money from My Family. Should I Confront Her? Please Help!

[Guest]

One of my so called best friends moved back in town about the first of the year. She had lived about 3 hours away.

 

For some history: I've known her for about 7-8 years and we had a "clique" of friends, there was 4 of us in all & we were inseperable.

 

Well we grew up & had babies. Anyway, when she moved back, I offered to help her get a job with me, I work for my husband's family. We are an Insurance Agency & only family works here. We needed a receptionist so I asked her if she was interested since she just recently moved back & has a baby. She of course accepted and she came to the office the first of April.

 

Everything was working out great, until about 3-4 weeks after she had started. All of a sudden, money started coming up missing from the cash drawer. After about 2 months of this, and $1500 later, we had a family/business meeting & we decided to lock up the cash drawer. We decided to have only 2 people with the key, my husband's grandfather and Uncle.

 

About 1-2 weeks after we did that, my friends came to us and said that she was moving back to the beach and was giving her 2-week notice. She worked one week & didn't show up for her last week, and she hasn't called me.

 

Let me give you some history of who works here, My husband's 3 uncles, my mother-in-law, my husband's grandfather & grandmother & great grand mother, me and a family friend that's been here 2 years.

 

My friend had been complaining that her boyfriend wasn't getting enough hours at his job, and they were pretty much living off her paycheck BUT she was able to get new contacts & a new car & went out to lunch every day.

 

We don't have any evidence that she did indeed do it, but all the fingers point to her, considering everyone else would be stealing from themselves.

 

I thought she was one of my best friends & I feel so betrayed that she would do this. I was going to be one of her bridesmaids. I don't know if I should confront her about it b/c I know my temper, and IF she did admit to it, (I doubt) I would go off the deep end.

 

It's just so hard to believe b/c she was always the "good" girl. She doesn't do drugs, or party or lie. At least, that's how she use to be. I just don't know what to do.

[Craig]

If you confront her make sure there are witnesses so that if something happens or not it's not your word against hers. You knew her once but people change. She had no money but somehow managed to buy things. If it walks like a duck, talks like a . . .

 

A much better solution would be to get the police involved and let them confront her.

[Dork]

Rules of business & accounting:

 

1. Never hire your friends

 

2. Always keep a petty cash record to record cash daily what goes in and what goes out.

 

3. The person that records the cash amount should not be involved in the cash handling part.

 

4. There should only be one person handling the cash.

 

Things like this HAPPEN ALL THE TIME IN BUSINESS when you are handling cash, a couple dollars here or in your case a couple hundred gets missing.

 

Now the question you ask: Should you confront her?

 

What about? You didn't keep any records, you're just "hand counting" whats missing and whats not as it seems.

 

To prevent this from happening, follow the above set rules.