Looking for Loss Prevention Consultants? – Atlanta Georgia

November 17, 2010 by

Are you a business owner looking for loss prevention consultants to help you identify losses?  Let me shed some light on these professionals.

Loss prevention consultants were hired recently at a small chain of hardware stores. The stores had been experiencing some severe shrinkage, as identified through the results of a recent inventory cycle. Wanting to help keep the small company profitable, the loss prevention consultants offered advice.

First, the store was recommended a loss prevention agent . For the past year, the stores have seen an increase in shoplifter activity and in many instances these shoplifters have taken very expensive equipment. The consultants detailed the loss prevention agent program and put together a plan of attack. To help the loss prevention agent increase his/her productivity and to additionally help the stores protect their assets, the recommendations to install CCTV equipment at the point of sale, at entrance and exits and in the receiving department.

Next, the loss prevention consultants reviewed the potential for internal theft. They noticed that in the evenings, the management was less involved with store employees and sometimes seemed to be non-existent on the salesfloor. Knowing that evenings are a very important time in the retail world, the consultants recommended bringing in a loss prevention investigator . A loss prevention investigator would be assigned the task of employee theft investigation. Although the management felt their employees would never steal, the consultants knew employee theft investigation could turn large results.

The loss prevention investigator was tasked with performing store surveillance in the evenings and at odd hours. Additionally, the loss prevention investigator was to report any and all finding to the consultants for documentation. The loss prevention investigator was also given access to the stores electronic journals to review transactions in the store and over CCTV.

The management agreed to the recommendations, and the loss prevention program was rolled out. Immediate results were produced by the loss prevention agent . Shoplift activity slowed. The loss prevention investigator also turned in positive results and uncovered several employees including one manager involved in merchandise and cash theft.

For more information visit us at loss prevention consultants or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Added security to your apparel line

November 17, 2010 by

Thinking of adding clothing security tags to your merchandise? I can offer some advice to help guide your decision.

I’ve worked in apparel retailers for years. I have the seen, first hand, the benefits of using security tags on clothes . Retailers for years have been wrestling with the many ways to protect their clothing. The reality of it is nothing works better for clothing security than a clothing security tags program.

In today’s society, groups of professional shoplifters will identify retailers with little to no security features on their clothing and do what’s called a grab and run. They simple walk a store, grab merchandise and run out of the store. If your clothing has no type of security devices, namely clothing security tags , you’ve just done yourself and the retail community a disservice. These thieves will back over and over until you put in place a security program or close your business forever.

As always, thieves prefer privacy, even the professionals. They want to get in and out of your store with as little recognition as possible. If your merchandise has security tags on clothes , thieves cannot get the privacy they want.

As an example, a retailer I worked for had been tossing the idea of putting  security tags on clothes . They had been hit by thieves in the past but hadn’t really seen the true loss. One week, downtown area stores reported over 50 grab and run type incidents. These stores screamed for some sort of help. A small investment was made, and the store installed a clothing security program. Now, when these professional shoplifters entered the store again, and saw merchandise had the clothing security tags , they stopped their activities. Does this happen every time? No. Is there a guarantee? No. However, what are you doing to stop your losses and boost your profits?

For more information on clothing security tags , security tags on clothes or clothing alarm visit us at clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547

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Using a Background Check Company

November 16, 2010 by

The use of a background check company can come in handy for many reasons. Let’s face it, as a small business owner there is rarely, if ever, a time where you can say “I need to find something to do.” You’re as busy as a one-legged rock kicker and an employment screening can be time consuming. Therefore, outsourcing that task may be beneficial to you and your organization.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, requires that you have all applicants sign a disclosure form authorizing you to perform employee background checks . In certain states you, the employer, are restricted from using certain information in the employment screening process. The American with Disabilities Act, or ADA, has their own set of rules restricting employers from using certain medical and disability information in the hiring process. There are even certain questions you are forbidden from asking during the interview process. Can you honestly say you’re well versed in all these rules and how they apply to you in the state which you do business? If not then the use of a background check company may be just the thing for you.

A background check company can assist you in finding accurate information on candidates and they should also be able to give you relevant legal advice on what information you can and can’t use during the hiring process. You have profit/ loss statements, inventory, employee performance and a litany of other issues to deal with. This is their only business, so it’s fair to assume they would be much more informed and thorough than you alone would be. Using a background check company can be an excellent tool to assist you in the accuracy of information and your own time management.

Employee background checks keep your company from making a fatal mistake in hiring.

For more information on employment screening , employee background checks or criminal background check contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547

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Profiling and Retail Loss Prevention – Atlanta Georgia

November 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

One of the most useful and frequently used tools in the world of retail loss prevention is profiling. Yeah, I said it, but before you start writing letters let me explain. These days we tend to associate the word “profiling” with negative discriminatory acts or stereotyping. However, the actual definition of profiling is: “Recording a person’s behavior and analyzing psychological characteristics in order to predict or assess their ability in a certain sphere or to identify a particular group of people”. In retail loss prevention the group of people we are trying to identify are shoplifters.

 If it’s 80 degrees outside yet an individual has just walked into your store wearing a long overcoat aren’t you going to watch him/ her? Guess what, you just profiled them. An individual carrying a large, nearly empty purse or backpack is often worth watching for no other reason. It’s not just physical characteristics either; a person’s attitude or behavior can also be profiled. If someone is nervous or fidgety and avoids contact with associates and other customers they are someone you should pay attention to. After all, it’s a department store. How nerve racking can picking out a pair of socks actually be?

Profiling is a great tool in retail loss prevention . However, you must be mindful that the temptation may exist to take it too far. At no time should it ever be acceptable to profile someone on the basis of their race, sex, age, creed or religion. Not only are these practices morally reprehensible, but they will open up your company to a number of lawsuits and probably lost revenue. When used properly profiling can be a great asset in your retail loss prevention efforts.

For more information about loss prevention security or security and loss prevention contact us: retail loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Taking a look within – the role of a Loss Prevention Investigator – Atlanta

November 15, 2010 by

A loss prevention investigator can be brought into a business when there is a suspected loss caused by employee theft.  These types of cases need to be investigated and analyzed by those that are experts in the field of loss prevention and asset protection.

When a loss is discovered that is caused by an employee, the loss prevention investigator will analyze data, identify the extent of the loss, and use various reports to confirm the loss.  Once the loss has been pinpointed and a suspect identified, witnesses may be interviewed in an effort to build a case against the suspect.

In the same way police investigate cases, the loss prevention investigator explores all aspects of a case in order to build it into one that can be prosecuted if so desired.  Once a case is completed the investigator will probably conduct an accusatory interview of the identified suspect.

During an accusatory interview, the investigator will visit with the suspect and explain the situation, giving the suspect an opportunity to discuss their role in the loss the business has experienced.  A loss prevention investigator is trained to conduct these types of interviews.

Businesses that handle internal theft investigations, with or without an outside investigator, need to have a policy and set guidelines in place. Loss prevention consultants can help businesses create the type of protocol necessary to conduct a thorough and legal internal investigation.

Employing the expertise of loss prevention consultants and investigators is a sure way to develop a solid, legal, and prosecutable case against those employees that choose to betray your trust and steal from your business.

For more information about loss prevention investigator contact us: loss prevention consultants or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

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CORPORATE FRAUD…HOW COMMON IS IT? – Atlanta Georgia

November 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Corporate fraud schemes cost the United States billions of dollars every year.  With hundreds of different fraud schemes out there it’s hard to determine the exact cost to companies across the nation.  Believe it or not there are two specific types of corporate fraud involving insurance companies that all these schemes fit into…very simply hard versus Soft fraud. Both require a corporate fraud investigation.

Hard fraud schemes are meticulously planned out.  As an example of a “hard” fraud scheme, setting an arson fire to collect insurance money on a building.  Most organized crime rings have some sort of hard fraud scheme game they are into.  It can be setting up auto accidents or even as intricate as an auto theft ring.

Soft fraud is much more common in the scheme of the general world population.  Soft fraud is committed when an individual has an “opportunity” to exploit what might actually be a legitimate insurance claim. A soft fraud also requires a corporate fraud investigation.

Let’s look at an example of soft fraud.  So this giant clunker, rusted, beat up car pulls in behind you in a parking lot.  You don’t see the car.  You back right into it!!  Wow.  Aren’t you surprised when your insurance adjuster informs you that the small dent you thought occurred has turned into replacing the entire rusted front of this jalopy.  The person you hit has taken an “opportunity” to scam more money from your insurance company than is rightfully theirs.  And voila, you have corporate fraud the “soft” way.

Do you think that corporate fraud is occurring in your business?  Contact us at corporate fraud investigation or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Cause and effect of retail shrinkage – Atlanta Georgia

November 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Most business owners understand that retail shrinkage is part of doing business, but many do not realize what actually causes the shrink that they are experiencing.  Knowledge about retail loss helps the business owner battle this profit-eating monster.

A major contributor to retail shrinkage is employee theft.  Many business owners think that shrink is just caused by shoplifting, but studies have shown that employee theft will actually cost the business more lost profit than shoplifting.  Employee cases of theft tend to be higher in value per occurrence than shoplifting.

There are ways that you can help prevent employee theft in your business.  Make sure you have an understanding of your inventory levels so you know when something is missing.  Stop into your business unannounced and at later hours.  Also, do not allow your employees to keep their purses or coats in their immediate work area.  Provide them a locker or an area where these items can be kept so that the opportunity to conceal merchandise is reduced.

Another type of retail loss is employees that help customers steal from your business.  An employee that has access to the cash register might not ring up all the items that the “customer” is paying for.  This is called “underringing”, and is a type of theft that can be difficult to detect.

Watch for customers that loiter near employees, or seem to wait for a certain employee to be available to help them.  These customers and employees may also appear nervous and may be watching other employees or managers.

Retail shrinkage will happen, but to what extent depends on you, the business owner.

For more information contact us: retail shrinkage or retail loss or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

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Making a Federal Case out of Background Checks

November 14, 2010 by

Making a Federal Case out of Background Checks

Many employers don’t have their background check company look in the federal courts for violations because they feel that if someone has been prosecuted for a crime in Federal Court, surely they must be a career criminal and have other charges in local courts, or they don’t understand the nature of federal courts.

For a federal court to have jurisdiction, the crime must have been created by constitutional authority, or have occurred on property owned or controlled by the federal government.

The constitutional authority is extremely broad as at one time or another interpretations have granted jurisdiction over common law crimes if state boundaries have been crossed in their commission, or occur relating to a regulated agency such as the FAA (on airplanes), Commerce (bank robbery), and Immigration.  And of course tax law violations fall under federal courts as well.

Examples of property owned or controlled by the US include national parks, federal courthouses, buildings, prisons, and military bases (civilians only), and Washington, D.C.

So the reach of the federal court can be wide and encompass a variety of violations and crimes from littering in a national park to terrorism.

Although federal criminal searches are less frequently requested by an employer of their background check company, there is still the possibility that derogatory information may exist outside the more popular searches of county and state records.

Complete background checks should include federal searches.

For more information on this topic and others, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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Pre employment screening not the commodity it appears to be

November 14, 2010 by

If you do a search on google for pre employment screening you will find there are 1,460,000 results listed.  There are thousands of resources available to employers today to conduct pre employment screening and just about every company out there does background checks on potential hires today.

So how will you know who you should trust to conduct your pre employment screening  background checks?  Look for one who does more than just the county the candidate lives in for a criminal background check.  You will find there are many many options for where to look when conducting a criminal background check, be sure your source is thorough.

Are they offering a social security number trace?  How about a Motor Vehicle report?  And if there is a multi state residence history are they conducting the searches in all states or just the current one?

Typically a background check company who has actual human beings looking over your pre employment screening results before sending them over will find patterns, discrepancies, red flags etc… that an automated click and get instant results sent to your inbox solution will not deliver.  If you are serious about your employee background checks you will want to be sure to interview your source and ensure they have staff people who are experienced in  background checks looking over your candidate files.

Form more information visit: pre employment screening

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WHITE COLLAR CRIME AND THE CELL PHONE BANDITS!! – Atlanta Georgia

November 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

White collar crime usually involves the upper crust of the criminal element.  Typically these offenders are of high social standing, have higher than average paying jobs and commit some sort of crime.

I remember starting in the corporate world and there was no such thing as a computer on everyone’s desk or a cell phone in everyone’s pocket.  Nowadays, with all the technology around us, white collar crime has a whole new set of avenues to venture down.  One of those roads is through cell phone fraud.

What is cell phone fraud?  It’s the unlawful use, tampering or manipulation of a cell phone or the actual cell phone service.  It would never occur to most people but…There are all types of evil criminal things we can do to commit fraud with a cell phone.  The two most prevalent crimes are cell phone cloning and subscriber fraud.

Cloning is based on the fact that every single cell phone in the world has a unique factory set electronic serial number and telephone number.  You can take a phone, “clone” another phone’s electronic serial number and phone number and bam, an unsuspecting user is charged for fraudulent calls.  Where does the white collar crime come in?  It’s easier to work for a cell phone company and obtain the electronic serial numbers to commit the cloning.

Subscriber fraud is when a person or persons signs up for service with fraudulent identity.  Where is the white collar crime in this?  When you are a patron at a store or retail outlet try to keep all your personal information private.  If employees steal your information it can take months or years to straighten out your credit report.

Have you been a victim of white collar crime ?  Contact us at white collar crime or call 1.770.426.0547 for assistance – Atlanta Georgia

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