The three criminals detail the financial and personal pressures that led to their motivation to steal from employers who trusted them, the conditions which provided the opportunity for the theft, and the life-shattering aftermath and consequences of their lapse in integrity. Experts note that most of these kinds of crimes are fairly simple and could be controlled through a combination of internal controls and management awareness of employee integrity, needs, and lifestyles. Warning signs to management, apparent in the cases of the three criminals, are identified. These include employee financial pressures, personality changes, a lifestyle beyond one's means, and obligations related to the employee's outside business interests. Others include poor internal controls, rising business costs, lack of segregation of duties, lax management, and failure to prescreen employees. Guidelines for preventing internal fraud and embezzlement are provided that emphasize the importance of instituting internal management and auditing controls to safeguard assets and ensure proper reporting. Segregation of authorization and recording of financial transaction and custody over assets, in conjunction with independent reviews of all three areas, are recommended as the most effective means of preventing and detecting fraud.