Lutheran Services Carolinas is committed to Abundant Living for all. That commitment is at odds with a world of evil, drugs, and crime. LSC works hard to provide services and spaces free from worldly problems, but when the enemy is at the gate, it’s difficult.
LSC is always working to hire the right people, provide security, and protect our family of residents and clients, their families, and our over 2,200 teammates. We can’t stop things from happening, but we can try. We can take immediate action when something happens, and we can learn from incidents to make it harder the next time.
Our world has changed. I attribute much of that to drugs that drive people to commit more crimes to pay for their habit. The epidemic of drugs and the crimes they fuel are affecting the whole country. Bank card fraud losses in the USA were $11.91 billion in 2021. Some bank branches now routinely expect 5-figure losses per month on debit card fraud alone. On rare occasions LSC has even had resident/client identities stolen, and checks and property stolen! A few years ago, a group was “visiting” senior communities in North Carolina, stealing resident and staff purses and other belongings. We’ve had people try to find an unlocked window into first-floor rooms. Scams seem to be popping up everywhere trying to lure us into sharing our passwords and account numbers. It is scary out there, and security is one of LSC’s biggest selling points.
LSC fights back. Every teammate, resident/client, family member, and friend is encouraged to be on watch. We encourage every teammate to smile and greet and make eye contact with every person we encounter on the job. It’s much harder to sneak around once a bad actor has been identified. And if we see something, we say something.
LSC encourages police visits and audits, and spends thousands of dollars on protecting computer access and records.
Nothing is more important to LSC than the safety and security of our family of residents/clients and teammates. That’s baked into our Vision, Mission, and Values. We have zero tolerance when safety or security are compromised, and always report to law enforcement, pursue legal action, and/or regulatory action if the person is licensed or certified. Thankfully, residents/clients are not responsible for any bank-related fraud, so their funds will be replaced by their bank immediately.
If any member of the LSC family suspects a scam, fraud, or theft, please report it to any supervisory teammate. Also, please report any suspected fraud to your bank and to LSC immediately. Together we can strive for safe and secure Abundant Living for everyone.