When the typical person thinks of church, that individual does not often think about crime. Indeed, many people consider a church to be what essentially might be considered a crime free zone.

The stark (and sad) reality is that churches everywhere can become the scenes of crimes, particularly financial ones. For this reason, it is important for church leaders to understand how theft occurs in a church. Indeed, when seeking church insurance, a consideration must be made of this issue to ensure proper coverage is obtained. A consideration of the theft issue is part and parcel of obtaining a church insurance quote.

When people think of theft at church, their immediate reaction might be to conclude that the discussion centers on someone sneaking money out of a collection basket. While this is a form of church theft, the reality is that a considerable amount of church related thievery is associated with employees and key volunteers.

Misappropriation of Funds from Bank Accounts

A common type of theft associated with a church involves the misappropriation or misapplication of funds from a bank account. The types of schemes involved in the misappropriation of funds from a church bank account actually are quite extensive. They can range from setting up false payroll payments to using account funds to pay personal expenses that have nothing to do with the business of a church. This type of theft occurs when a church fails to implement proper oversight over its bank and other financial accounts.

Misuse of Credit Cards

Another mechanism through which theft occurs at a church is misuse of credit cards. This can occur when an employee or key volunteer actually takes out a credit card in the name of the church. In the alternative, a person in a position of trust may abuse a preexisting church credit card. In wither scenario, a person makes unauthorized purchases using a credit card assigned to the church. The church pays the bill. In the absence of appropriate oversight over the financial affairs of a church, this type of scheme becomes not particularly difficult to pull off.

Cash Theft

Even in this high tech age, a church remains what might best be called a significantly cash based enterprise. Not only is it possible for a member of the public or congregation to skim from the collections, it is easy for an employee or key volunteer to do the same. This scheme usually involves the pilfering of smaller amounts of money on a consistent basis. Over time, the overall amount of money stolen becomes large.