Responding to extortion bomb threats

“There’s a bomb in your building. Wire $100,000 to a foreign bank account by noon or it will go off.” Would your telephone operator know how to respond to a call like that? While the statistical odds are in your favor that you won’t have to deal with an extortion bomb threat, it’s still a good idea to take the time to train the people in your organization who answer the phone and greet the public so they...

A company that is irresponsible, unethical, and unable to tell the truth

Several weeks ago, I told you about a company that took the position that it was not responsible for the criminal acts of its employees—in particular, that the company wasn’t responsible for the fact that an employee whose background it failed to check stole a piece of equipment from a customer.   When Greg Dawson reported that the company’s general manager who made that decision...

Extortion bomb threats – what to do if it happens to your business

Large retailers and other businesses have been the target lately of extortion bomb threats which have forced them to shut down, evacuate customers and employees, and search their facilities. According to a CBS News report: “Frightened workers have wired thousands of dollars – and in one case took off their clothes – to placate a caller who said he was watching them but may have been thousands...

Company says it is not responsible for criminal acts of its employees

Greg Dawson’s Aug. 9, 2007 consumer column (available for a fee in the archives at www.orlandosentinel.com) told a frightening tale of a woman who called a company to repair a  problem with a piece of equipment in her home. The company’s technician said he was taking the equipment for repair, and then stole it. That’s bad enough, but then the company admitted that it did not run a...

Are you prepared to shelter-in-place?

You’ve probably thought about how to evacuate your building in case of an emergency such as a fire or bomb scare. But have you thought about what to do in the case of either a chemical attack by terrorists or an industrial accident that releases dangerous chemicals into the air? Under these circumstances, you may be ordered to shelter-in-place, which means to stay indoors until it’s safe to go outside. Paul...