An essential element of a strong system on internal control and fraud prevention is the segregation of duties of employees. Segregation of duties increases the likelihood that a single employee does not have the ability to steal assets of the business and to cover up that illegal activity. For example, an employee who receives cash from customers for payment on account does not journalize and/or post the transaction in the general journal and the general ledger. However, the ability of a business to achieve optimal segregation of duties may be limited due to the small number of individuals employed. Assume, however, that a business has achieved optimal segregation of duties. Then answer the two questions reflected below.
1. How might employees steal assets of a business in spite of optimal segregation of duties and an excellent system of internal control?
2. What additional measures can a company take to safeguard against employees circumventing an excellent system of internal control including optimal segregation of duties?