Council worker who stole over £1m from employer is "cautionary tale" for local authorities

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Cash-strapped councils have been warned to beef up their anti-fraud measures after a former tax collector embezzled over £1m in Aberdeen.Michael Paterson exploited his role at Aberdeen City Council by embezzling a total of £1,087,444.47 from his employer over a 17-year period.

The 59-year-old started siphoning off funds from the local authority in November 2006.He spent the stolen sums on luxurious holidays abroad, dining out, Apple goods and his flat.

In total, he made 622 false refunds to himself while he had "unrestricted and unmonitored access" to two computer systems used by his employer.And in 2019, he attempted to cover his tracks by getting money paid into a second account after learning the council was introducing counter-corruption methods that would alert it to payments made to an employee's bank account.

Paterson's scheme was eventually unravelled in September 2023 when a colleague became suspicious.The worker raised her concerns to a senior member of staff after she spotted an odd transaction followed by an illogical explanation offered by Paterson.