Shoplifting Laws and more News

June 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (10)Shoplifting laws across the United States vary and some states can and will change the laws as they see fit. Laws in Arkansas, Georgia or Indiana may well be worded differently but the truth is shoplifting is a crime and shoplifters may face criminal charges or a misdemeanor. The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention has a page with the laws for every single state in the United States and the laws governing shoplifting and what it entails. Follow the links to see more about this topic.

Alleged shoplifter flees scene with kids in car, crashes

CABOT, Ark. (KTHV) – A man is charged with numerous felonies after allegedly fleeing the scene of a shoplifting at a Cabot Walmart with four children inside the vehicle.

Sgt. Keith Graham said officers responded to the Walmart on S. Rockwood June 16 just before 7:45 p.m. about a shoplifter fleeing the store. After chasing the suspect through the neighboring Dixie Café, the suspect then got into a gold Suburban and fled the area.

Officers began chasing the suspect from the Walmart to 67/167 southbound. Graham said the gold Suburban took exit 16 at a high rate of speed, then lost control of the vehicle and it flipped, coming to rest in a ditch long the roadway.

The driver, 28-year-old Christopher Carver, was taken into custody after the accident, and while searching the vehicle, officers found four small children inside. They were taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital to be checked out.

Carver was taken to North Metro Hospital for minor injuries, and then transported to the Cabot Police Dept.

He is charged with shoplifting, fleeing, two counts kidnapping, second degree battery, and four counts of first degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

He is currently being held on $100,000 bond.

Local Stores Meet In An Effort To Prevent Shoplifting

Competitors are coming together to combat a big problem in Grand Island: shoplifting.

Grand Island Police brought local stores together for a second meeting Tuesday.

Shoplifting isn’t a huge problem at Carla Jensen’s store, but she knows the consequences if it becomes one.

“If there’s no money coming in, if it walks out the door, that means no money goes in my pocket or no money goes to the store,” said Jensen, owner of Royalty Boutique. “If there’s not enough in there to pay the bills then the store shuts down.”

G.I. Police Officer Butch Hurst said other local stores are being hit hard by thieves.

“It’s fairly severe,” Hurst said of the problem.

That’s why retailers – big and small – are coming together to swap information on the shoplifters they’re encountering.

“If they have photographs or digital, they show it to each other and say ‘hey, do you know this person,'” said Hurst.

Police want that information too.

Storeowners complain new shoplifting law in Indiana too lax

INDIANAPOLIS — Retailers are relieved that lawmakers have fixed an error in a new criminal law that would have made it tough to arrest shoplifters. Now they want a harsher penalty restored for thieves.
They contend the real problem with the new criminal code that goes into effect July 1 is a provision that drops theft from a felony to misdemeanor if the stolen goods are valued at less than $750.

“We’ve got a huge problem with that,” said Grant Monahan, head of the Indiana Retail Council, which represents thousands of store owners statewide.

On Tuesday, the General Assembly met in an unusual session to make “technical corrections” to the 400-plus page bill that overhauled crime and punishment in Indiana. While toughening penalties for violent crimes, the new law reduces punishments for some theft and drug possession crimes by making them into misdemeanors that are rarely punished with prison time.

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Shoplifting Videos And Incidents

June 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)The retail industry losses are approximately $13 billion dollars a year. Some of the preventing security devices they most rely on are closed circuit television installed in their stores that are visible by the employees and customers alike. Hidden security cameras are also employed, although a bit less than the visible cameras. Still, the retail loses are great with all the security devices, and employee security they provide for their stores.

Read more about the shoplifting in the retail industry by following the links below.

Kelly’s Stupid Criminals of the week!

Featuring this week a drunken, shirtless Maryland man was busted trying to steal candy from a Subway restaurant in Prince Frederick. He was wearing only shorts and a pair of white socks when Calvert County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived to investigate reports of a suspicious person. One of the deputies spotted tipsy suspect trying to slip some candy into his pocket, authorities said.

And a woman is facing charges for attacking a teenager who flew a quadcopter drone over the beach in Hammonasset Beach State Park, CT. Andrea Mears, 23, is accused of assaulting Austin Haughwout, 17, on May 12 after she noticed a flying drone with a camera attached on it flying over the Middle Beach at Hammonasset. She was charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace, police said. Mears told ABC News that she had called the police complaining about “a little remote-operated plane flying over the beach.” Before the police arrived, Mears tracked down Austin Haughwout, pilot of the drone, and confronted him at the park.

Dumbest thief ever logs into Facebook on victim’s computer during burglary, forgets to log out

The world is full of truly stupid would-be criminals but one Minnesota man might have just taken the crown for the title of World’s Stupidest Thief. CBS Minnesota reports that police arrested 26-year-old Nicholas Wig for allegedly burglarizing a home in South St. Paul on June 19th after his victim discovered that Wig had used his computer to log into his Facebook page and never logged out before leaving. When police arrived to arrest Wig, they also found that he was wearing his victim’s wrist watch, which obviously won’t help with any potential defense.

Parents Sue Walmart, Police Over Livonia Shoplifting Stop

The parents of a mentally disabled woman are suing Walmart and police after she was stopped for suspected shoplifting at a Detroit-area store.

Wendy Kozma of Novi tells the Detroit Free Press her 25-year-old daughter, Jodi, who has the mental capacity of an 8-year-old, now is terrified of police after being handcuffed and questioned at a Walmart in Livonia. Records show she didn’t steal anything.

Wendy and John Kozma want an apology along with unspecified financial damages and assurance that police and store security follow proper procedures when dealing with disabled people. They filed a complaint with police in August 2012, when their daughter was stopped, and recently sued.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart says it believes its associates acted appropriately. Livonia police sent a letter to the Kozmas denying wrongdoing.

Annapolis beauty shop employee pepper-sprayed during shoplifting incident

An Annapolis-area beauty shop employee was pepper-sprayed Saturday while attempting to stop a suspected shoplifter.

When Anne Arundel County police responded to the Ulta Beauty store in Annapolis Harbour Center shortly after 3:30 p.m., an employee told them that a woman had put about $1,000 worth of perfume into a bag and attempted to leave without paying.

An employee approached the woman and attempted to grab the bag, but a second woman waiting in front of the store pepper-sprayed the employee in the face, police said.

The suspects fled in a newer model white four-door car with the rear license plate covered by a plastic bag, police said. Officers searched the area but were unable to find the suspects or the car.

The employee who was pepper-sprayed was treated by Fire Department personnel at the scene and transported to a local hospital for further treatment, police said. The store manager also was exposed to the pepper spray, but declined medical treatment.

Police said the suspect who took the merchandise is a heavyset black woman, possibly in her 20s, and she was wearing a gray T-shirt and black pants. The suspect who used the pepper spray is black, possibly in her 20s, and she was wearing a black shirt and white shorts.

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The Typical Characteristics of Embezzlers

June 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)The crime of embezzlement is on the rise. There are many reasons for why it’s on the increase. One of the reasons is that business owners and managers don’t envision the embezzler as a potential criminal. The average embezzler doesn’t fit the idea of a stereotypical offender, therefore, supervision becomes lax. This leaves people and situations not monitored as well as they should be.

Embezzlers share more characteristics with the general populace than with other criminals. As a result, it’s important for managers and business owners to understand the profile of the average embezzler. Here are their most typical characteristics.

Age –They’re usually older than other criminals, past 30, and they begin their criminal activity at a much later age. Those who’re classified as major embezzlers often begin in their early 40s. (2011 Marquet Report on Embezzlement).

Family situation – Most are married with traditional family situations. They usually come from intact and stable families of origin.

Education – As a rule, they have higher levels of education than the average criminal.

Race – The majority of perpetrators are white.

Employment/Criminal History – Nearly all of them are first-time offenders with clean employment histories. Over 80% have never been charged with a crime or terminated from a job. (2012 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Report)

Job Responsibility – It’s estimated that professional and managerial staff commit 40%, clerical, bookkeepers and other employees commit 40% and senior officers and owners commit 20% of embezzlements.

The size of the loss is frequently related to the position the perpetrator holds. The median loss committed by owners/executives is $573,000, by managers $180,000 and by employees $60,000. (2012 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Report)

Gender – Until recently 70% of embezzlers were older males who’d attained a position of trust and authority, which provided the chance to commit the crime. But, with more women reaching positions of authority and responsibility, the percentage of female embezzlers has increased to 64% in the last several years. However, men on average steal significantly more than women. (2011 Marquet Report on Embezzlement).

Psychological Issues – Embezzlers usually don’t have an antisocial personality, which is much more common in other criminals. However, they do have mental health issues, most notably gambling problems (30%) and depression and/or anxiety, which may be as high as 80%.

It’s human nature to trust those who we perceive as being like us. Unfortunately, there’ll always be people who’ll take advantage of human nature. Managers can better protect their businesses by educating themselves about the typical characteristics of embezzlers.

Nicole Abbott – writer, educator and psycho-therapist

 

 

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New Shoplifting Videos

June 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)Preventing shoplifting against the amateur shoplifter and the professional shoplifter should be taken into account when purchasing a shop prevention system for your store. Can one system be as beneficial to guard against amateurs shoplifters as one for a professional? Should you install video camera equipment among other electronic devices for your store? At Loss Prevention Systems we have what you need to make shrinkage in your store something you can prevent. Call us, we will be happy to talk to you.

‘House of Lies’ Hot Chick Ayelet Ben-Shahar — Arrested for Grocery Shoplifting

1:24 A stunning Hollywood actress just got a starring role in a crime drama … she was arrested for shoplifting, but we’re not talking jewelry … we’re talking avocados.

Video catches court employee stealing cash

Police say a video showed a former Cobb County court employee pocketing money from the drug court.

That worker will soon find herself spending time behind bars and ironically reporting to the same drug-testing office where she once worked

For a decade, Tomasita Reavis worked in the drug court office. The 57-year-old woman was a trusted employee, married to a corrections officer.

But when the county’s drug unit planted cameras in the office to investigate missing cash, they almost immediately spotted Reavis sliding some of the cash that was supposed to be deposited in taxpayers’ accounts into her own purse and wallet.

Over just a few days on six occasions, Reavis would count up the cash, sending most to the bank, but keeping a wad for herself.

Reavis refused to tell the judge Wednesday why she did it or what she did with the money. She pleaded guilty to six theft counts.

Her attorney said Reavis was an honest person who simply succumbed to temptation.

Police: Shoplifting ring strikes again

PEABODY — Peabody police arrested one person of a suspected shoplifting ring from Boston yesterday afternoon, but two others managed to escape.

Jadea Duntin, 26, of 79 Rosseter St., Dorchester, was arrested at 2:50 p.m. on charges of shoplifting more than $250 worth of items from J.C. Penney at Northshore Mall, driving with a suspended license, and possession of instruments used for burgling.

Police said Duntin is part of a group of shoplifters known to the store’s loss prevention unit. The unit called police after recognizing three women who were shoplifting more than $1,000 at the time. The report stated that the women recently stole $5,000 worth of items.

Duntin was in possession of wire cutters, police said, which they believe she used to cut tags off items.

The two remaining women fled the scene at high speed with a child in a black Nissan Altima in the direction of the Cheesecake Factory. As of press time, they were still at large.

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Selfie Troubles?

June 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Stupid!!! Criminal’s selfie led to arrest on 142 felony charges

DUPREE-JOHNSON-large570

Just how stupid — and thirsty for attention — can you be?!? Well, using the phrase that Rihanna made famous, Dupree Johnson was “desert thirsty” — so desperate to show off that he posted the fruits of his many crimes which led to his arrest on 142 felony charges.

A sheriff in Palm Beach County, Fla., recently came across the Instagram page of Dupree Johnson, 19.

The officer was already familiar with the teenager’s rather thick criminal resume: Johnson had a rap sheet that included grand theft, burglary, and felony possession of a firearm, the deputy decided to look more closely at the pictures.

He quickly got a search warrant from the judge to search Johnson’s home in Lake Worth, Fla.

Follow the link above for the complete story.

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Summer Employment And Theft

June 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (1)Billions of dollars are lost every year due to theft. Research shows that employee theft is one of the most costly thefts for an employer. A policy that clearly states your position for employee theft, and is clearly communicated to an employee when hired can make this costly issue more preventable. Making employee theft prevention a priority in your business will not only decreased shrinkage but will be a great deterrent against employee theft.

Read more about this issue by following the links below.

How to prevent summertime employee theft

With the summer season getting into full swing, many businesses are readying for one of the busiest times of year. Amidst the paperwork and new inventory, it is equally important to be mindful of the employee theft risk associated with this big business boost.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 75 percent of employees steal from their workplace and many do so repeatedly. For both summer businesses as well as traditional businesses with a high summer season, the use of seasonal employees is part of the business culture. Studies suggest seasonal employees have increased theft rates creating a dual challenge for business owners and managers – dealing with a large volume of business in a short period of time and managing risk to the business.

While there is no way to eliminate the risk of employee theft, a business can look to ways to minimize it. A business owner or manager can minimize the risk by understanding factors that can lead to employee theft and making adjustments in their business operations. There are multiple factors to consider; but rationalization, opportunity, and the expectation of getting caught are chief amongst them.

5 Clauses to Include in Summer Employment Contracts

Summer is here, and business own should be polishing their employment contracts for seasonal hires.

Here are the five must-have clauses for any summer employment contract:

1. Length of Contract (Term of Employment).

It’s important to be as specific as possible in defining the duration of a summer employee’s contract, so that there is no ambiguity as to when the position ends. A termination clause can also be folded into this area of an employment contract, specifying how either you or the summer hire can terminate employment with or without notice.

2. Compensation.

Don’t just gloss over this step. Be very exacting in describing the kind of compensation that a summer hire will receive. Include whether the employee will be paid hourly, salaried, or per completed project, as well as any benefits included with the position. This may be a good place to include your summer hire’s vacation policy, which does not have to include paid time off.

Checkpoint Systems Launches Next Generation of EAS Solutions

THOROFARE, N.J. – May 27, 2014 –Checkpoint Systems, Inc., (NYSE:CKP) a leading global supplier of merchandise availability solutions for the retail industry, today announced the launch of the next generation of intelligent electronic article surveillance (EAS) solutions.

The EVOLVE iRange, developed alongside global retailers, comprises six different state-of-the-art EAS antennas, a broad range of EAS labels designed for visible and source-tagging application to various types of merchandise, and the Counterpoint iD deactivation unit for faster and consistent deactivation at point-of-sale (POS).

Together, the portfolio promises to deter theft from potential shoplifters, a high degree of confidence that protected merchandise has been deactivated efficiently to avoid unpleasant false alarms for honest shoppers, and security that the antenna alarms are indeed shoplifting attempts so store personnel can respond appropriately.  Initial tests have resulted in increased product availability at test stores, improved in-store efficiency at the POS and an increase in positive attitudes towards the shopping experience for consumers.

EAS Jammer detection technology is one of the latest additions to the EVOLVE iRange. Integrated into antennas within the portfolio, the system identifies if an EAS ‘jammer’ has been brought into the store and activates an alarm, which alerts staff to the potential threat. . This acts as a strong deterrent for possible shoplifters and organized retail crime members, resulting in abandoning the shoplifting attempt.

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Preventing Shoplifting In Your Business

June 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3When a small business owner learns that an employee has been stealing from the business, many times they terminate the employee without prosecuting. Lawyer’s fee and other costs incurred by hiring an attorney sometimes do not make financial sense compared to the amount the employee has stolen. Prosecuting an employee who has been caught stealing can protect the company or small business owner against a civil law suit, and can help recover the company’s property, but most importantly it can serve as a deterrent to other employees.

Read more about this by following the links below.

10 ways to prevent theft, fraud by your employees

According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), an employee is 15 times more likely than a non-employee to steal from an employer, and employees account for an estimated 44 percent of theft losses at stores. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that nearly a third of business failures are related to employee theft or fraud.

Employee theft is one of the most serious problems facing small business owners in the U.S.

According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), an employee is 15 times more likely than a non-employee to steal from an employer, and employees account for an estimated 44 percent of theft losses at stores. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that nearly a third of business failures are related to employee theft or fraud.

Business owners are rightly concerned — or should be. Employee misdeeds take many forms:

• Larceny (outright theft).

• Skimming (diverting business funds).

• Fraudulent disbursements (billing schemes, inflated expense reports, check tampering).

Checkpoint Systems Launches Next Generation of EAS Solutions

New EVOLVE iRange Offers Complete Solution to Retailers’ Merchandise Availability and Customer Satisfaction Challenges.

Checkpoint Systems, Inc., CKP -0.39% a leading global supplier of merchandise availability solutions for the retail industry, today announced the launch of the next generation of intelligent electronic article surveillance (EAS) solutions.

The EVOLVE iRange , developed alongside global retailers, comprises six different state-of-the-art EAS antennas, a broad range of EAS labels designed for visible and source-tagging application to various types of merchandise, and the Counterpoint iD deactivation unit for faster and consistent deactivation at point-of-sale (POS).

Together, the portfolio promises to deter theft from potential shoplifters, a high degree of confidence that protected merchandise has been deactivated efficiently to avoid unpleasant false alarms for honest shoppers, and security that the antenna alarms are indeed shoplifting attempts so store personnel can respond appropriately. Initial tests have resulted in increased product availability at test stores, improved in-store efficiency at the POS and an increase in positive attitudes towards the shopping experience for consumers.

Lakewood shoplifting gunman who fled with child in car identified

A man suspected of shoplifting, pointing a gun at a security guard and fleeing with a 2-year-old child in a Jeep SUV has been identified.

Angelo Erin Arellano, 29, was tracked and bitten by a police dog in Denver where officers found the suspect hiding, according to police.

The incident started in Lakewood about 11:10 a.m. Tuesday, when police were called about a pair of shoplifters at the Walmart at 7455 W. Colfax Ave., according to a Lakewood Police Department news release.

A store security guard who tried to stop the man and a woman told officers that the man pointed a gun and the couple fled in a Jeep.

Officers spotted the vehicle, leading to a chase into west Denver.

The Jeep stopped, and the driver, a man, bolted on foot.

Left behind in the SUV was 28-year-old Jamie Lee Carrillo and her 2-year-old child.

Arellano, found a short time later hiding in a nearby area, was taken into custody, police said.

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What are your Loss Prevention Priorities for this year?

June 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)The workforce in any retail store has to be aware of the policies and procedures that a company or retail store has to deterred shoplifting, and the steps to take when encountering a shoplifting incident. Your management team has to be the most knowledgeable about what to do and how to proceed during such incidents and the steps necessary to take to make certain the safety of the employees are not jeopardized. Shrinkage due to employee theft is very prevalent in retail and the amount they shoplift surpasses that of the amateur shoplifter, being aware of what is going on in your store can lead to less shrinkage and more profits for your store.

Read more news about shoplifting by following the links below.

Retail loss prevention team priorities for 2014

The challenges facing today’s retail loss prevention teams are increasingly complex and serious, from cyber security to active shooter to workforce training, compliance issues and – unfortunately – even armed gunmen inside stores or shopping malls. And with NRF’s annual Loss Prevention Conference and EXPO coming up in June, we wanted to know what’s top of mind for retail LP professionals. We asked a few of our LP Advisory Council members to weigh in on what their top priorities are for 2014. Three different retailers, three different answers. But in our unofficial small survey, we found one common theme — people.

Retailer Keeps Loss Prevention Low and Customer Satisfaction High with DigitalPersona Fingerprint Solution

DigitalPersona, Inc., a trusted partner for biometric identity verification solutions, today announced that  New Look, a leading China fashion retailer, has selected a Point-of-Sale (POS) system enabled with DigitalPersona® fingerprint technology. After a successful trial at six of the retailer’s stores in February 2014, New Look is set to expand their use of biometrics in 16 of its stores by the end of 2014 — with longer-range plans to equip 100 stores by 2017. The retailer initially selected biometric technology as an alternative to passwords for improving time and attendance accuracy, but found it also enhances loss prevention and customer service.

Stupid Criminal: Doomed robbery

Today’s Stupid Criminals were doomed from the beginning.

You would think if you are going to rob a store, you might want to first look into what that store sells.

Well these Stupid Criminals thought it would be a good idea to rob this store in Dallas, Texas but you see that wasn’t the smartest idea.

Why?

Because what does the store sell? Surveillance cameras of course.

The owner of the security business supply store caught both the criminals on no less than 17 cameras.

Now the robbers did have plenty of warning before they tried to rob the store. There were at least four signs outside the store that told them they were being recorded.

They were able to get away with $10,000 worth of equipment.

No word yet if they’ve been caught.

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Why Employees Steal In Retail Loss Prevention, Atlanta

June 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)Over the 30 plus years the thousands of employees I caught during retail loss prevention theft investigations told me the reasons why they stole from their employers. One of the very most common reasons has been something like: “as a favor to help a friend out”. All of us refer to this as peer pressure. What still amazes me to this day is that an employee commits a serious felony that will potentially cause the loss of their freedom and civil penalties to help someone else out.

Many of us loss prevention and security professionals have heard this same reason over and over so many times. Why do they do it? There are several interesting factors. The main one being their age. We hear this a lot from 16 to 22 year olds. I feel this is because they think that fitting in with these so-called “buddies” is more important to them. That thought process is pretty strange to the rest of us until you think back to your own life when you were at that age. You may have started drinking or did something else that you now look back and say, “What in the world was I thinking?” All of this in order to “be friends”.

People in that age bracket also seem to feel like they are immune and they will not get caught. In that situation I always chuckle about the loss prevention investigations I conducted where a younger employee thought that they were the only one that ever thought of void or refund fraud, cash theft or some other retail theft that I had already put 500 people prior to them in jail for.

One retail loss prevention investigation I conducted is a particularly good example. Two 18 year old employees, female and male who had were girlfriend and boyfriend made the decision to steal cash and merchandise in the thousands of dollars. Their belief was that no one knew what they were doing. They thought that they were smarter that the rest of us including the manager.

The manager contacted me to start a loss prevention investigation after she noticed discrepancies in both merchandise and cash. I put the evidence together and it became very clear that it was the girlfriend/boyfriend. During the interviews with each of them I discovered the reason, they were stealing for each other (isn’t love great?) and they didn’t think anyone else would figure it out. They got to spend the next several years on probation paying back the retailer with interest and many hours of community service. They were put into separate community service programs since the Judge thought their love needed a little break.

Your loss prevention program should take these types of reasons into account if you want to keep your merchandise, assets and cash on YOUR bottom line. Make it clear to ALL employees that you will not tolerate any loss or theft. The only thing they are allowed to leave the store with that they did not bring in is the air in their lungs. The rest does not belong to them.

For more information on loss prevention security, retail loss prevention or loss prevention in general please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

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Narcissistic Behaviors

June 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)Employee theft is probably one of the hardest forms of theft to detect and resolve. The problem is that these employees have an advantage over you. They know your systems, they know who is observant, and they know when the best times to steal are. Employees also have access to different processes and assets that shoplifters do not have.

An employee who is embezzling money, instead of stealing merchandise, typically will not show indicators that would make you initially suspicious. What we have found over years of investigations and interviews is that these employees do show other behavioral patterns. When combined with certain access to accounts, billing, and cash processing, the behavior should be a red flag to their employers.

The first warning sign is the employee displaying any overtly narcissistic behaviors. The textbook definition is that a narcissistic personality is a person who is excessively preoccupied with personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity, mentally unable to see the destructive damage they are causing to themselves and to others in the process.

Typically these employees will build themselves, their position and their responsibilities up. They withdraw other employee access to their jobs, saying the other employees simply cannot perform the job functions satisfactorily. The other employees are under qualified, and the employee is the only one who can do the job right.

They will then validate and secure their positions by saying they are the only ones who can do their job. What would you do if I left? No one else can do this, I have to be here. They will often change the way processes are done, or have their own filing system. They will do anything they can to simultaneously confuse anyone who attempts to look in on what they are doing, and validate how complicated their job is; in essence creating their own job security.

What they are actually doing is finding ways to keep everyone else out of their paperwork. If they are embezzling, they are siphoning money by creating false invoices or payments, they can be creating write offs, even when a customer pays in full. They can be floating money from one account to another to cover up the cash they are taking.

The solution is to be wary of any employee who is displaying these narcissistic behaviors. They are building themselves up, while pushing blame onto those around them in an attempt to derail you from becoming suspicious of them. Next, make sure you have a check and balance system in place. There should be a standard way to handle all accounting practices. No one should create their own system. This system should also have a periodic audit to ensure compliance and integrity of your books.

Even though it makes more sense financially to hire only one person to do all of your paperwork and accounting, have a second person split the responsibilities. Accounts payable and accounts receivable (sales, receiving, cash management) functions should be split to lessen the likely hood of an employee embezzling money from you.

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