OAMKB Franchise has offices and consultants throughout the Netherlands (and beyond) in the field of accountancy, administration, tax and business advice and business coaching. Pascale Petiet is director of the “tribe” and the driving force behind OAMKB’s collaboration with Grub. And that’s not just, “I know what it’s like to have to call the police.”
“It was a while ago, but it was the moment when I realized: you think it is far from your bed, that it does not happen to you, that all those messages about money laundering, fraud and crime are happening somewhere far away, that your accounting practice, administration or tax office is neatly in order, and suddenly, suddenly, you are in the middle of it, crime is almost literally at your door.
“A partner in our network passed away. And as it turned out, he had criminal clients. For years he had held up that everything was okay, that he was running a great office. But privately he spent so much money that he ran out of money and opened the door for these criminal customers. First one, and as it goes: it brings in other shady customers. A web that you can no longer get out of.
“After his death, his wife, who did not know anything, entered the debt restructuring, had to live with their daughter, all very sad. And it also had consequences for us: of course we immediately rejected criminal customers, but you can understand that that was a very difficult situation. Death threats, putting cars in front of your office so that you cannot get out, attempts to force you to complete the administration. It took on a form as if I had ended up in a Netflix series a la Gomorrah or Breaking Bed, with those typically indirect threats that you only hear in movies: “Just finish the administration, because of course we don’t want you something happens ”and sentences like that. I had to call the police twice and it took me at least half a year, and a lot of stress and hassle, to clear the client base of that location. Never again.
“So yes, I know what it is, and I know it’s closer than you think, even a crack is enough for criminals to get in. That is why I have been insisting for years: screen your customers, be alert, do not leave a gap, and make sure that you thoroughly record all your decisions.
“I also know that there are offices that say: I know my customers, I have good feelers, I do the necessary Google research, I by definition do not accept criminal customers, so I don’t have to record anything. I say to those offices: don’t assume! And: you have a reputation to uphold, as an individual firm, but also as an OAMKB organization. That must be reason enough to want to be compliant. And therefore also: to demonstrably record that you do not cooperate in criminal activities. Make sure you don’t seem to mind.
“When it comes to the Wwft, we came into contact with Grub through one of our offices, and we were immediately enthusiastic. There was no such aid yet. Before we started working with Grub, we worked with three work programs, quite cumbersome. In Grub it is all bundled together in one application. Look, it is not the case that you no longer have to do anything yourself, but Grub is by far the most complete, clear and user-friendly Wwft solution there is. It now takes much less time for all our offices to comply with the Wwft, and above all: it gives a lot of peace of mind. You know you’re in the right place. You know that everything is neatly recorded. You know that you can approach any supervisor with confidence. So it really helps to keep your name up.
“The great thing is that Grub is not only a tool, it is also really a service provider, with people who think along with your organization. Grub therefore fits well with the quality we strive for, and with the human and close-by character of our offices. That really gives a lot of added value. ”
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