Loss Prevention Tips And Security

March 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)Employee theft is an increasing problem for the retail owner, or big retail stores in the United States and around the globe. The economic conditions of recent years have many employees struggling to support their families and make those conditions excellent excuses for stealing from their employees.  Many of the programs that a retail store can implement are lacking, or non -existent.  Loyalty programs that offer employees privileges are no longer used, and supervision and security for the work force is negligent.  Billions of dollars are lost each year due to employee and shoplifting crime, are you doing the right security for your business? Read more about this by following the links.

7 Steps for the Strongest Retail Loss Prevention System

In the retail industry, theft leads to billions of dollars in lost revenue each year. If you own a shop, it is vital that you develop an integrated plan for loss prevention to avoid becoming a victim. To ensure your plan is effective, make sure it takes into account the seven expert suggestions detailed below.

1. Have Obvious Security

If you want to catch thieves, hiding all of your security measures might be the best strategy, but if you want to deter thieves, you need to make your store appear well defended. While cameras, mirrors and window bars will not stop all thieves, people are much less likely to steal from a store they perceive to be monitored. According to studies, cameras and dummy camera domes are particularly effective for this purpose.

2. Protect Against Internal Theft

Internal theft by employees represents the most significant single component of white-collar crime annually according to the Institute for Financial Crime Prevention. It costs companies billions of dollars each year, yet most store owners do little to prevent theft by their employees.
Minimize your chances of internal loss by investing in access control that is auditable, keeping cash locked in a safe, and only allowing necessary employees access to cash handling areas.

Mature retail loss prevention

The first instances of dedicated loss prevention, or ‘security’ programs being used by retailers dates backs to the early 20th century where there was largely a culture of secrecy aligned to them. This was primarily due to their core objective of ‘catching’ dishonest employees or customers.

For many retailers, limited change in terms of evolution or maturity within their Loss Prevention program has taken place since the start of 20th century. Many retailer’s Loss Prevention programs are still focused on the issues of theft, either by staff or customers, as their sole contribution to their organisation’s efforts to reduce the impact of shrinkage on their profit.

This arguably is in direct contrast to the wider retail industry which has evolved dramatically, particularly during the last 20 years. For example, core functional areas such as Human Resources, IT, Merchandising, Marketing and Supply Chain have all matured in their approaches thereby broadening their value propositions to retailing. More importantly, they have seen that they had to operate outside their traditional thinking and approaches to truly support Retailers. What that said, for a few fortunate Retailers, significant maturing has taken place in their Loss Prevention programs since the start of the 21st century and this maturing has resulted in significant improvements within their shrinkage.

Shoplifter lawsuit highlights retail dilemma

Sometimes it’s better to just let things go.

That could be the mantra for overprotective retail clerks and loss-prevention agents everywhere following a lawsuit in Santa Rosa civil court by a would-be shoplifter who was badly injured when he was tackled by a grocery store manager.

The clash happened July 13, 2011 when plaintiff Johnny Ramirez was stealing a bottle of rum from the Rohnert Park Raley’s, according to a tentative ruling from Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Arthur Wick.

Ramirez tucked the glass bottle into his waistband and ran out the door, only to be stopped by manager Shea Carpenter, who tackled him to the asphalt, Wick wrote.

The bottle broke when he hit the ground, causing injury that required emergency surgery. Ramirez later sued the grocery chain and the manager for monetary damages.

He argued Carpenter acted with negligence because he was aware of the fact that the bottle was in his waistband and could break if he tackled him. Under the law, negligent behavior warrants higher punitive damages.

This week, Judge Wick said there were no grounds for Ramirez to seek punitive damages from the store. But he said Carpenter could be held liable because he knew the consequences of his actions and failed to avoid them.

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Shoplifting Prevention

March 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (1)According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, getting caught while shoplifting is 1 in 48, and calling the authorities to turn the shoplifter into their hands is1 in 2.  The costs associated with prosecuting the shoplifters have been one of the major reasons why retail and small business stores opt out about pressing charges, or taking any more measures against them. A “Don’t come back to our store” is not a deterrent to the shoplifter and the likelihood of his returning to your store again or another similar one is highly probable.

Read more about the most recent stories about shoplifting.

Special skirt allegedly aided family in multi-state shoplifting spree

Three family members were arrested in connection with a shop lifting and fencing spree that spanned nearly a decade, at least three states and valued $7.1 million dollars.

58-year-old Branko Bogdanov and his 52-year-old wife Lela and their 34-year-old daughter Julia of Northbrook have been charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, according U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to a statement, the Bogdanovs’ “shopping odyssey” began on February 17 in Oklahoma, continued in to Texas and ended in Louisiana on February 20th.    They were arrested Tuesday in the Northbrook home.

According to the complaint filed, the family targeted Barnes and Noble and Toys R Us stealing items that included American Girl dolls, Furbies and Legos. The complaint states that Lela wore a long skirt “that appeared larger and fuller when she exited” the stores  than when she entered.  The skirt was seized as part of the investigation and continued a lining “capable of containing multiple rectangular objects.”

The family worked with another person who acted as their “fence” and sold the items on eBay, the statement said.  Over the last decade, their merchandise had a “retail value of $7.1 million and sold for a combined total of $4.2 million,” according to the statement.

Employee accused of stealing more than $70,000 from DeKalb business

A 46-year-old Naperville man is accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from his DeKalb employer over more than two years, court records show.

Joseph Lendino, of the first block of Alma Lane, was charged Monday with theft and  forgery. DeKalb police say he stole more than $70,000 using employees’ names without their authorization on checks from Hearing Help Express, 105 N. First St., DeKalb, from April 2011 to July 2013.

A 46-year-old Naperville man is accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from his DeKalb employer over more than two years, court records show.

Joseph Lendino, of the first block of Alma Lane, was charged Monday with theft and  forgery. DeKalb police say he stole more than $70,000 using employees’ names without their authorization on checks from Hearing Help Express, 105 N. First St., DeKalb, from April 2011 to July 2013….

Officers do diaper duty on shoplifting call

WATCH THE VIDEO BY FOLLOWING THE LINK

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Shoplifting Prevention

March 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)There are countless of on line sites that tell you what to do in a shoplifting situation. Do you know how to spot a shoplifter? Do you want to know how they behave at the store? They can give you a list of the so called facial expressions, activities, and so on about them when they are in your store. They can tell you the steps to take when you are confronting a shoplifter, the guides and law about detaining a shoplifter.  When you are dealing with an amateur shoplifter, the protocol is different than with dealing with a professional group of shoplifters. A shoplifting prevention seminar could be a preventive solution for your business to take into consideration, it is not only advisable, but financially responsible.  Read more shoplifting by following the links below.

Family Accused of Selling $4.2M Worth of Shoplifted Goods

Three members of a suburban Chicago family are accused of stealing $7 million in merchandise during a decade-long “shopping odyssey” and later selling the items on eBay.

Branko Bogdanov, 58; his wife Lela Bogdanov, 52; and their daughter Julia Bogdanov, 34, were arrested by Secret Service agents Tuesday afternoon at a home on Weller Lane in suburban Northbrook, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

The trio is accused in a recent string of thefts that began on Feb. 17 in Oklahoma, continued two days later at malls in Texas and wound through Louisiana Feb. 20. But officials allege the three are connected to similar instances that have occurred over the last 10 years, and have sold stolen property on eBay for a combined total of $4.2 million.

According to the complaint, loss prevention executives at Barnes and Noble, Inc. and Toys R Us, Inc. recently told Secret Service agents that their stores were experiencing a huge loss in merchandise, including American Girl dolls, Furby robotic toys, Lego blocks, baby monitors and baby carriers.

Teen Shoplifting: Minor Thrills, Major Punishment

Teenagers are fearless – they are more likely than any age group to drink and drive, try drugs, make radical changes to their style, or commit to something as permanent as a tattoo in a heartbeat. In their quest for adventure and adrenaline, they seem to stop at nothing. But recent studies indicate they are in no way less capable than adults to make rational decisions and acknowledge danger. So why are they behaving in such a reckless and irrational way?

A growing body of research suggests that teens are more sensitive to rewarding feedback than grownups, and that their brains can actually feel more pleasure from social acceptance than adult brains. As a result of peer pressure, teens may appear more confident in social interactions or feel motivated to study harder. At the same time, their peers can influence them to commit violent and even criminal acts, among which the most pressing is shoplifting.

When someone is caught stealing from a retailer, the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) is called in to handle court-mandated educational programs for the guilty party. Since the beginning of the housing market crash and the recession, the need for NASP programs has increased by 37%. In response to social anxiety and peer pressure, teens are swiping items from stores at alarming rates, and they’re not looking back.

Virginia’s Quik-E Foods Cuts Losses with March Networks Retail Video Surveillance Solution

March Networks®, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, today announced that customer Quik-E Foods of Lynchburg, Virginia is upgrading to its next-generation retail solution for enhanced security and loss prevention. The March Networks solution integrates high-quality video, audio and transaction data to combat point-of-sale (POS) fraud and other threats to the business. The powerful solution has already helped Quik-E Foods improve operations and resolve serious incidents across its chain of 12 convenience stores and five automated car washes.

“We caught a cashier who was pausing transactions and then pocketing the money once customers left the store. The scam was adding up to more than $6,000 in losses,” explained Quik-E Foods Vice President Todd Burgess. “With the deep POS integration and search tools in our March Networks solution, those transactions showed up as voids, and we also had the video evidence to verify what was happening. There wasn’t a need to search for hours and hours. It was instant.”

“We caught a cashier who was pausing transactions and then pocketing the money once customers left the store. The scam was adding up to more than $6,000 in losses,” explained Quik-E Foods Vice President Todd Burgess. “With the deep POS integration and search tools in our March Networks solution, those transactions showed up as voids, and we also had the video evidence to verify what was happening. There wasn’t a need to search for hours and hours. It was instant.”

 

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Employee Theft

March 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)The annual amount stolen from businesses by their employees is astounding. According to some reports the average amount of stolen goods by employees is around $175,000 and more than half of those crimes are committed by males. Small businesses are the hardest hit by these crimes, as profits trickled and they are left looking at losses they cannot afford to have.

Employee theft rarely reported by small business owners, poll suggests

More than half of small business owners in the country have experienced theft performed by one of their own workers. However, whether out of compassion for the wrongdoer or feeling the misconduct not being serious enough to alert the proper authorities, few wind up reporting the crime, according to a newly released survey.

Jay Kennedy, a recent MBA graduate from the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Linder College of Business, queried approximately 315 small business owners in Ohio’s third-largest city, asking entrepreneurs if they’d ever had someone working for them that stole money. Nearly 66% of respondents said that they had. However, when asked if they reported the crime, only 16% said that this was something they did to settle the matter.

“It’s important to look at this topic because such theft represents a loss to the tax base and would also seem to put such businesses at risk, and so, put our overall economy at risk,” said Kennedy. “After all, small businesses with 100 or fewer employees comprise 97% of all businesses in the United States.”

Approximately one-third of all bankruptcies that occur among small businesses stem from employee theft, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the report noted.

Understanding Why Employees Steal … And How to Stop It

Employee theft is a particularly big problem for small businesses.

Many small businesses have a serious problem on their hands: employees with sticky fingers.

A recent study by University of Cincinnati doctoral student Jay Kennedy revealed that 64 percent of small businesses have lost items to employee theft. Overall, the stolen goods ranged from cash to products sold by the business to tools and equipment.

Business News Daily recently reported on Kennedy’s findings, which highlighted that most employee thefts go unreported to police. Here, we follow up with Kennedy in an email interview to learn more about employee theft and why small businesses are susceptible to it.

Why do you think employee theft is so prevalent in small businesses?

I think it is a matter of opportunity. Small businesses have fewer employees, and these employees may have a wide range of responsibilities within the business. With this responsibility comes knowledge of oversight mechanisms in place at the business, as well as knowledge of suitable targets for theft. An employee who becomes motivated to engage in theft has access, knowledge of guardianship mechanisms and knowledge of the target that allow them to be more successful in their crimes than non-employee offenders would be.

Employee Theft: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Report It

Most small business owners don’t get the police involved when they catch an employee stealing from them, new research finds.

While 64 percent of small businesses have experienced employee theft, only 16 percent of those reported the incident to police, the study found.

“It’s important to look at this topic because such theft represents a loss to the tax base and would also seem to put such businesses at risk, and so, put our overall economy at risk,” said study author Jay Kennedy, a University of Cincinnati criminal justice doctoral student.

Kennedy found four main reasons why employers are hesitant to get the authorities involved.

  • No real victims: The business owner does not see the victimization as serious enough to warrant his or her time and trouble beyond firing the employee.
  • Attorney advises against it: The business owner seeks counsel from a third party, usually his or her attorney, who often advises that the employer’s costs in time and effort for a successful prosecution outweigh any likely benefits to the employer. For instance, one company went through all the time and steps for a successful prosecution of an employee who stole $200,000. “The employee was convicted, put on probation and ordered to make restitution at the rate of $50 per month,” Kennedy said. “In essence, the small business will never recoup the stolen funds.”
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Anti-Shoplifting Devices

February 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)Shoplifting affects everyone.  Shoplifters affect the retail store or small business store they enter, the individual consumer and employee of the store. Increase in prices is something stores do to outset the revenue they are losing due to shoplifting. Stores around the world invest heavily in security systems, security personnel and anti-theft devices to deter shoplifters from entering their stores and costing them revenue losses that ultimately affect everyone.

How Anti-shoplifting Devices Work

Let’s imagine for the moment that you own a large department store, and you are having a big problem with shoplifting. (You’re not alone — retail stores lost $26 billion last year to shoplifting!) What are you going to do? You cannot let it continue, because every month your accounting system tells you that you are losing thousands of dollars to theft. It forces you to raise your prices, and that means you have to charge more than the store next door. That can make it very hard to compete, especially if the store next door is successfully discouraging shoplifting.

As a retailer focusing on the problem of what’s known in the industry as loss prevention, you basically have three methods at your disposal to slow the shoplifters down: (1) You can watch everyone in the store like a hawk and make sure they don’t steal anything. You can do that using security guards and/or video surveillance systems; (2) You can make things hard to remove from the store by bolting them down, attaching cables, putting things in display cases and behind the counter; (3) You can use a system that attaches special tags onto everything so that an alarm goes off whenever a shoplifter tries to walk out with an item. In this article, we’ll look at each of these options in more detail.

Virginia’s Quik-E Foods Cuts Losses with March Networks Retail Video Surveillance Solution  

a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, today announced that customer Quik-E Foods of Lynchburg, Virginia is upgrading to its next-generation retail solution for enhanced security and loss prevention. The March Networks solution integrates high-quality video, audio and transaction data to combat point-of-sale (POS) fraud and other threats to the business. The powerful solution has already helped Quik-E Foods improve operations and resolve serious incidents across its chain of 12 convenience stores and five automated car washes.
“We caught a cashier who was pausing transactions and then pocketing the money once customers left the store. The scam was adding up to more than $6,000 in losses,” explained Quik-E Foods Vice President Todd Burgess. “With the deep POS integration and search tools in our March Networks solution, those transactions showed up as voids, and we also had the video evidence to verify what was happening. There wasn’t a need to search for hours and hours. It was instant.”

Milestone Systems Expands Device Support with More than 3,000 Supported Devices 

Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), has released Device Pack 7.2 for partners and customers using Milestone XProtect® security solutions. Device Pack 7.2 has deep driver support for more than 3,000 devices, which means that Milestone has added more than 2,000 supported devices since 2011. This speedy development has only been possible due to Milestone’s dedicated efforts to drive the uptake of open platform technology in the physical security industry.

The Milestone Device Packs include optimized drivers that enable all the relevant capabilities of a camera or other hardware device to be managed fully by the XProtect software. Milestone works closely with the device manufacturers in the Manufacturer Alliance Program (MAP) to achieve the optimal interaction between their devices and the XProtect VMS . This ensures the highest quality for a video surveillance solution – very important for total system operability, efficiency and stability.

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Shoplifting Programs And Info.

February 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)For any retail store, shoplifting is a crime they have to protect themselves from and find solutions to prevent possible incidents from happening in their stores.  Shoplifting has been rising in some cities and the laws that some communities want change concerning shoplifting prevention are not there yet. What are some precautions that as a retail store owner or manager you need to know to prevent shoplifting incidents? Please follow the links below to find more about this topic.

Shoplifting spike prompts new program

Crime is falling in most categories in Carthage, but one category is spiking, and that’s got Carthage law officers’ attention.

Crime is falling in most categories in Carthage, but one category is spiking, and that’s got Carthage law officers’ attention.

A big increase in the number of shoplifting cases in Carthage over the past two years prompted the Carthage Police Department to get creative and use some new tools to catch the thieves and alert business owners to who might be coming into their businesses with sticky fingers.

Carthage Police Chief Greg Dagnan said the numbers told the story.

The department investigated 44 cases of shoplifting in 2011, 99 in 2012 and 148 in 2013.

“It’s a huge climb and of course while I can’t list everywhere where shoplifting occurs, the most, if you look statistically, it’s the bigger retailers,” Dagnan said. “The Walmart, the Dollar General, the Price Cutter, the bigger retail places in town are typically where these are occurring.”

6 Simple, Low-Tech Ways to Reduce Shoplifting

It’s our instinct to turn to technology first, when solving a problem. However, when it comes to preventing theft in your store, low-tech solutions can be very effective. These low-cost and often free ideas can sometimes even require less employee training and resources.

Here are 6 low-tech ways to prevent theft in your store:

1. Put out the welcome mat. Shoplifters want to be anonymous and make as little contact with store employees as possible. One of the most effective ways to deter shoplifters is to greet every customer that walks into the store. “Don’t just shout “Good morning” over your shoulder, but make eye contact and greet customers like you are happy to see them,” says Chris McGoey, security expert and founder of Crime Doctor, a security firm. “Not only is it good customer service, a simple greeting can make potential shoplifters change their mind about stealing from your store because they know you can identify them.”

Common shoplifting techniques

Hiding the Merchandise

Favorite Shoplifter Devices

A large open bag is a common shoplifter tool. It is placed at the thief’s feet, and objects are casually dropped into it. Be on the lookout for the “bad bag” — a paper bag that is dirty and wrinkled. Also keep an eye out for shopping bags that are not from local stores. Preventing this is why many stores staple bags shut. Other stores require customers to leave their bags by the front door when they come in.

Women sometimes use purses to hide stolen items. There is little you can do to stop women from carrying purses and handbags. The best prevention in these cases is to watch the customers very carefully.

The baby carriage or stroller is a great tool for shoplifters. There are always blankets, toys, and other things in strollers (including the baby) that merchandise can be hidden under. Some thieves have even built false bottoms in baby carriages.

A newspaper can be used to hide small objects.

Umbrellas with handles are handy for shoplifters trying to steal small items. A common tactic is to keep a closed (but not snapped) umbrella hanging on one’s elbow or leaning against a counter, and then to drop items into it.

 

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Why Do Kids Shoplift From Retail Stores? (And how to cut down on loss)

February 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (10)Adolescence is a time of emotional growth and development. During this stage, a young person’s life is largely dominated by peerage and the pressures of social activities. Some teens give in to peer pressure out of a sense of wanting to belong to a group. Better judgment and common sense are placed behind, especially when a teen decides to shoplift.
Malls are one of the most popular spots for teen hang outs. Most of these places sell clothes and merchandise that is fashionable. These items from teen perspective promote the thoughts of financial status and popularity. So this is one huge factor as to why kids shoplift from retail stores.

While some kids may have jobs after school, there are others who may not. Even though kids who work are not exempt from shoplifting, the ones who have no money at all and hang around malls are most-likely to shoplift from retail stores. Some might even try to solicit a friend who works at a retail store for help in trying to shoplift an item.

Some kids maybe casual or amateur shoplifters. There are many who fall into this category versus professional shoplifters who steal stylish clothing or jewelry. These pros may seek to sell the hot item(s) over the internet for money.

Concerned retailers who lose a lot of money from kids shoplifting can do the following things to deter theft. Create policies that limit the number of kids in the store at one time and/or staff appropriately at times large numbers of kids come in, such as after school.  Having and extra person out engaging with the visitors can be a big deterrent.

Retailers can also try to address kids shoplifting by having more closed-circuit cameras installed or even hiring more security to discourage teen thefts. While cameras may not deter the professional shoplifter, it may make the teens think twice.  If teens like hanging around retail stores, encourage security to tell them not to solicit the premises. Sometimes when teens enter the premises, they might carry book bags. Retailers might have all book bags checked at the check-out desk in order to avoid having small items stolen.

These are just some of the ways a retailer can reduce the casual theft by youngsters who may be tempted.

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Employee Theft

February 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)Employee theft is considered and perceived as one of the biggest crimes affecting the retail industry today. Billions of dollars a year are lost due to employee theft and shoplifting crime.  Many retail stores seeking to prevent losses employ security devices to counteract this ever present issue hopping to increase their revenues and decrease their losses. For a retail owner, preventing shoplifting loss is of the utmost importance.  Shoplifting is a crime that continues to increase yearly, and owners need the most current technology in the market to counteract this devastating crime. What are some of the anti-theft devices your business should be using? From Jewel Lok’s, Shark Tags, Spider Wraps, Nano Gates and clothing alarms to video surveillance, these are some of the devices businesses would benefit from to decrease their losses. Visit Our Web store at www.RetailLossPreventionStore.com for more information.

7 Ways Your Employees Are Stealing From You

You don’t know it, but one of your employees may be stealing from you. But why would anyone want to steal from you? Don’t people think you’re a nice person?

Not him. He doesn’t show it, but he thinks you’re kind of a jerk. He thinks you’re too demanding and that you don’t treat him with the respect that he deserves. He thinks he’s underpaid and overworked. He thinks you’re clearly making the big bucks, driving around in that new, expensive car and mysteriously disappearing for “business meetings.” He’s got a family and expenses to consider too.

Yeah, he thinks he has every right to steal from you. And you will probably not even notice. He’s got some tricks up his sleeve to put a few extra bucks in his pocket.

He may collude with a fellow employee. If he’s frustrated, then maybe someone else is too. He’s going to try and find someone a little higher up on the food chain, someone who has authority to approve expenses. They’ll create a fake supplier — a little shell company equally owned by both of them. Then they’ll fabricate a few invoices and write checks to that company and split the money — your money.

6 Tips to Reduce Employee Theft

Storeowners don’t want to think their employees will steal from their store. But every day merchants discover that their trusted staff members have done exactly that. According to a retail theft survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, a loss prevention consulting firm, one out of every 40 employees was apprehended for theft by their employer in 2012. The survey also found that on average, employees steal 5.5 times more than shoplifters on a per-case average ($715.24 vs $129.12).

Thankfully, there are ways to surround yourself with staff you can trust. Here are six tips from our experts:

1. Weed out bad apples. Run a background screening and a drug test on all potential hires. Employees with drug addictions are at higher risk for stealing to support their habit. “I believe that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior,” says King Rogers, chief executive officer of the King Rogers Group, a loss prevention and security management consulting company. “If someone has been convicted of theft in the past, then you don’t want them handling your money.”

Use the buddy system. Often theft happens when one employee is alone in the store or at the register. Doyle recommends having two employees work for both opening and closing to limit opportunity. Always have refunds and voids witnessed by a second employee or a manager as well, says Mark Doyle, president of Jack L. Hayes International. Rotate the employees paired together and avoid having close friends witness transactions for each other.

5 Technologies to Help Reduce Employee Theft

According to an investigation by CBS news, most companies lose about five percent of their revenue to an inside job: Employee theft. The Department of Justice asserts that 33 percent of employees commit some type of fraud and–not surprisingly–about 33 percent of all companies that file for bankruptcy are directly put into that position by employee theft. However, the US Chamber of Commerce cites an even scarier statistic: 75 percent of employees will steal from their company at some point, and many do it repeatedly.

Employee theft can range from seriously toying with accounts to taking home a stapler from the office, but it all adds up. The first thing to do in order to prevent employee theft is to simply expect it. Employers should also be firm, and institute a zero-tolerance policy for theft. Theft will happen inevitably, but here are 5 technologies to reduce the occurrence of it.

1. Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring involves placing cameras throughout a work environment, which is especially useful for businesses with lots of inventory, such as retail stores. Whether or not the employees know about the monitoring is up to the discretion of the employer. However, letting employees know they’re being monitored can help sidestep any potential “privacy violation” finger-pointing down the road.

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What Are Thieves Looking To Steal In Your Business?

February 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)According to studies done by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, Shoplifting is a relative common behavior. People with a history of shoplifting can be associated with a psychological disorder, and men in particular can experience an anxiety episode before committing the crime. Some of the thefts are done unpremeditated and although there are many reasons for these individual thefts, we cannot compare thefts done by organized crime. What are the things that individuals and organized crime leaders fancy when entering your business? Follow the links below to read more about this topic.

The 10 Weirdest Things Thieves Steal

1. Laundry detergent

Procter & Gamble and Arm & Hammer are not the only ones to discover the value in laundry detergent. Thieves have too. This relatively expensive everyday household product is found in nearly every home, which can partly explain its appeal as a stolen good. Consistent demand makes a product much easier to sell. In particular, Tide — a recognized, easy to spot brand — is traded on a regular basis for drugs, other illicit items, and sometimes right back to stores looking for better profit margins. Additionally, the lack of serial numbers on the packaging makes detergents very difficult to track.

2. Allergy medicine

Among organized retail crime gangs allergy medicines in particular have become quite popular, according to a 2013 crime survey conducted by the NRF. Part of the value of allergy medications may be the consistently high demand for the product, as many people suffer from allergies. According to Rich Muller at the NRF, however, people are often more willing to suffer through allergy symptoms than buy antihistamines. As a result, a cheaper, boosted product has more success among consumers. While recreational use of antihistamines could be another explanation, stolen allergy medicines are re-sold primarily for intended use.

5 weirdly tempting targets for thieves (and investors)

High prices for some basic commodities have thieves stealing a lot of stuff that might not seem worth the trouble, such as cattle and manhole covers. So lock up your Nutella, and remember that hot products can make for good investments.

Some of the hottest items are commodities

Smartphones, jewelry and cash are among the things we expect thieves to target. So we take precautions and lock them up.

Fewer people, though, are as careful with laundry detergent and steaks. But a lot of everyday, ordinary items have become hot commodities with thieves.

Some items on this list may seem like unusual targets because their value is not readily apparent. For example, thieves love to steal catalytic converters from cars because they contain rare metals, including platinum. Frank Scafidi of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also gives the example of manhole covers, which municipalities have been known to leave lying around in the street. Yet the number of thefts of manhole covers has risen considerably in recent years, as has the theft of copper pipe from homes, because of the rising price of the metals they contain.

Rising Tide Thefts Leave Colo. Retailers Airing Dirty Laundry

Retailers in Colorado are cracking down on Tide laundry detergent thefts by locking up the product and hiring undercover security guards to patrol their aisles.

The Colorado Retail Council hopes that such measures will help protect retailers from people who are shoplifting laundry detergent at an alarming rate.

“It’s a very large problem that we have to spend a lot on and, unfortunately, that cost gets passed on to the costumer,” Chris Howes, president of the Colorado Retail Council, said.

Police in Colorado are searching for a man they believe has stolen more than $8,000 worth of Tide laundry detergent in the Ft. Lupton area in Weld County. Police said the male suspect has been caught on surveillance video knocking off six different stores, taking Tide and expensive face lotions.

Tide is one of the most recognized laundry detergents with its bright-orange container. With a retail price from $10 to $20, Tide has become liquid gold on the streets. It can sell on the black market for half the price and it’s impossible to track.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , ,

Who Is The Shoplifter And Why?

February 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (5)According the National Association for shoplifting prevention approximately 25 percent of shoplifters are kids, 75 percent are adults. 55 percent of adult shoplifters say they started shoplifting in their teens.

Although shoplifting is a crime, the people who steal are adults from any social and economic background and the reasons they give for shoplifting are vague, and the shoplifting act is often not premeditated.  To read more about this topic please follow the links below.

Shoplifting

Sarah and Lisa always enjoyed hanging out at the mall. But one Saturday, after shopping for jeans, Sarah pulled a new shirt out of her bag. Lisa didn’t remember seeing her buy it.

“I didn’t,” Sarah told her. “I lifted it.”

Lisa was upset and puzzled. Stealing didn’t seem like something Sarah would do.

Who Shoplifts?

There’s no typical shoplifter — people who steal from stores can be any age, race, gender, and social and economic background. Shoplifters generally fall into two categories:

  1. Professional shoplifters. These people usually take expensive items, like clothing and jewelry, that they can resell easily.
  2. Amateur or casual shoplifters. Most shoplifters are in this group. Casual shoplifters don’t usually go into a store with the intention of stealing — they simply see the opportunity to take something and do.

Many people assume that shoplifters have a mental disorder or that they must really need the items they are stealing in order to survive. But the truth is that’s not why most people steal. Very few people have kleptomania (a compulsive urge to steal), and many people who steal have enough money to pay for the items.

Why Do Shoplifters Steal?

In simple and concise terms… “TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING.”
While we all like to get things for free and the stores are constantly promoting and placing merchandise on “SALE” to generate excitement about getting a bargain, most people don’t cross over the line and steal the item. But some people do. Why?

The answer is… to most non-professional shoplifters, “getting something for nothing” is like giving themselves a “gift” or “reward,” which in turn gives them a “lift.” Many people feel they need a “lift” just to get through the week or even the day. A study by MasterCard International found that shopping was second only to dining as the primary way people reward themselves. Take it one step further and you can see how “shoplifting” the merchandise increases the reward.

Shoplifting incidents triple at UBS

Thefts have tripled this year at the University Bookstore on Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus. So far, there have been 30 reported incidents of shoplifting since August.

Last year, GVSU reported 10 incidents of shoplifting at the Allendale UBS. This year, there were 22 reported cases during the fall 2013 semester and eight incidents since the beginning of the winter 2014 semester. Stolen items range from apparel to small electronics.

Though the number of incidents has increased drastically since last year, there may not be a significant change in the amount of people stealing, but rather the amount of people getting caught in the act, said UBS manager Jerrod Nickels.

The UBS has been relying more on a surveillance system in the store, which is often used to catch suspects.

“Our primary goal in addressing theft is deterrence rather than apprehension,” Nickels said. “We try to focus on the dual goals of providing good customer service and preventing shoplifting. However, no matter how much prevention we try to ensure, shoplifting incidents do occur.”

The staff is also on the lookout for suspicious behavior, Nickels said. Staff members have undergone training to detect and verify occurrences of shoplifting.

“Each incident is different, so a lot of our training comes with experience and we tend to learn from each new incident,” he said.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , ,
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