Uncategorized — Page 176

What Is This??? Retail Loss Prevention – Atlanta

October 15, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I’ve been in the retail loss prevention field for over a decade. The other day my daughter, who’s now 12, asked me, “Dad, what’s loss prevention ?” I was almost offended. “I leave home everyday” I thought, “and bring home the proverbial bacon so that you can have those ungodly-priced tennis shoes, and you don’t even know what I do?” However, her question caused me to do an impromptu poll of my friends and family and I found that my daughter wasn’t alone. A great deal of people have no idea just what loss prevention is, so I decided to take a moment to explain.

Retail loss prevention is a sort of private investigation into various kinds of theft or larceny. The focus of these investigations usually center on shoplifting or organized retail theft, internal theft, embezzlement and credit and check fraud. The purpose of these investigations is to maximize profits by reducing the overall shrink within a company. We use many different tools to complete these investigations including: Exception-based reporting, CCTV surveillance, EAS (or Electronic Article Surveillance), audits, reports, integrity shops and many others.

Why all of the hullabaloo? Inventory shrinkage costs American retailers over $31 billion a year. That’s a lot of cash, clams, bread or ducketts, no matter how you look at it. Why should the average person care about retail loss prevention ? At some level or another we are all consumers. When a company loses sizable profit due to inventory shrinkage they are left with little choice but to raise prices on merchandise in order to offset that loss. That means higher prices on everything from t-shirts to toilet paper. So, in the end retail loss prevention helps keep life affordable for everybody.

For more information about loss prevention contact us: retail loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547

Clothing Security Tags – 3 Alarm Hard Tags From Alpha

October 15, 2010 by Staff Editor

Imagine this: a shoplifter steals a piece of your merchandise They as they leave the store the Checkpoint System alarms but the shoplifter runs but your clothing security tags themselves have an alarm sounder built in and as he is running down the mall or street the is sounder is blasting away, for the next 30 minutes.

Or inside the store the shoplifter has picked up a piece of merchandise she intends to steal. But it has an Alpha 3 Alarm tag on it. As she tries to pry the tag and pin apart the built in sounder blasts out.

Clothing security tags are nothing new. This is! Alpha 3 Alarm hard tags go into alarm if tampered with, sound if removed from the store as they trip the Checkpoint System. These tags are designed for clothing security and accessories. You could use them on any cloth type material. They are black in color and 2.5” x 1.75” x 0.5” thick. The built in battery will power the internal sounder for 30 continuous minutes. There are several different pins available to fit most any retailer’s clothing security needs.

Another great point is that they require an S3 key to remove them. This means that shoplifters do not have access to the keys.

I do not believe that a retailer should try to use these for every application. But high theft, expensive items such as leather, hats, accessories are ideal. Another version of the 3 Alarm comes with a cable loops from 6 up to 90 inches in length.

For more information on clothing security tags contact us at clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Clothing Security, clothing security tags

The Background Check – What Does it Cost?

October 15, 2010 by Staff Editor

The Background Check – What Does it Cost?

“How much is a background check?” is one of the first questions asked of most providers by a company looking to start or change its employee screening process.

This is a somewhat complicated question to answer because a lot of the cost depends on how reliable the company wants its information to be.

There are web sites where users can go online, sign up, and get a “National Background Check” for as little as $9.99. The results obtained from this type of check are going to be unreliable at best and damaging at worst. The information contained in this type of report is generally available instantly, so no recent activity could possible be on it, and it is prone to missing legitimate records while posting false positives on others. But many companies use them, thinking they are protecting themselves from thieves and violent offenders. Never depend on information found in an “Instant National Criminal Database”, or you are likely be disappointed.

So why should a company pay $20 and up for a simple criminal history check? First, at the county level, someone has to actually go to at least one courthouse and sometimes more, to check the name index for the applicant and retrieve the record if it exists. In addition to compensation for this individual, some clerks and courts charge fees just to access the information, and some, known as “Clerk Search Courts” charge for the time the clerk spends retrieving the record, sometimes by appointment only. Currently, the most extreme example of an add-on fee is in the state of New York, which charges $62.00 to access their court records.

Other jurisdictions are discovering that this can be a good source of income in a down economy.

A good number of states that offer access to the statewide repository of criminal information (some are better and more accurate that others) also charge varying amounts to those who access the records.

Then, the records are reviewed for accuracy of identifiers and any restricted information.

Most background check providers charge a fair price and pass on court fees to the end user. Be sure you are aware up front of any potential fees that you may be charged.

The question is, are you comfortable that the results you receive from your background company accurate and reliable, or are you receiving a commodity, information bought and sold without regard to its content?

To discuss your background check program, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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Why you may want to seek help from a Corporate Fraud Investigator

October 15, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you are aware that your business is suffering from internal theft you likely have a CPA or CFE working on gathering accounting evidence to identify the source of the problem, maybe you contacted an attorney to lead the quest or play a role. What you may not be aware of is the option to contract hire a corporate fraud investigator as a link in the chain of your corporate fraud investigation, or how they fit with the experts already on the task.

Typically a good CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner – usually a CPA with specialized training and certification) will find the forensic evidence needed to point towards suspects. This is similar to how an attorney gathers evidence and information to build a case that he or she believes will win the favor of a judge panel or jury in court.

A good corporate fraud investigator with a loss prevention background will often come into play when interviewing employees and or interrogating suspects. This specific skill set is based on training from organizations such as the John Reid & Associates Institute or Wicklander – Zulawski & Associates. These skills lead the corporate fraud investigator to orchestrate interviews in a particular order and style based on the evidence compiled by the CPA – CFE etc… The results are written confessions through non confrontational techniques and a complete case file that can be handed over to authorities ready for processing in criminal court if desired.

Calling a corporate fraud investigator up front may help avoid some costs in the overall process depending on the experience of the CPA and or attorney on the case. The trained investigator can help guide the investigation offering some specific direction to the team that will reduce the amount of time necessary to land on a confession. This saved time means saved dollars spent on hourly fees etc…

For more information visit: corporate fraud investigator

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: corporate fraud, corporate fraud investigation, corporate fraud investigator, internal theft

Case report on employee theft – stealing time

October 15, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Employee theft is often thought of as merchandise or cash theft, have you considered stealing time as employee theft ?

Store loss prevention personnel found night shift employees were stealing time from a company by taking long breaks. The company had a policy on stealing time which resulted in the suspension and subsequent firing of eight employees. Three of the employees claimed they were fired because of race stating a violation of Title VII and 1981 (civil rights act of 1964).

The federal district court found the evidence clearly showed all employees caught sleeping on the job or taking longer than permitted breaks were treated equally regardless of race or age.

What is your company policy on stealing time? Does it outline it at all? Ever Considered stealing time as employee theft or employee fraud ? Many readers of this article who own or manage a small to mid sized business are falling into one of two categories. First, they have no loos prevention policies and procedures, which is where the time stealing policy would be listed. Second, those who have written policies are taking notes to be sure and add that to their list. Those who actually define stealing time in their policies are ahead of the crowd, but is it being enforced? Stealing time may be one of the most common forms of employee theft and most overlooked.

If you need help solving tough issues with employees or want more info visit employee theft.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee fraud, employee theft

White Collar Crime – Atlanta

October 14, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary describes white collar crime as “a variety of non-violent financial crimes committed by business people or public officials, involving commercial fraud, consumer fraud, swindles, insider trading on the stock market, embezzlement, bribery, or other dishonest schemes.” Today we usually associate the term with individuals like Bernie Madoff, a stock broker who “made off” with billions of dollars of his clients money by turning his wealth management business into a humongous Ponzi scheme. However, white collar crime is far more often perpetrated on a less grand scale.

Consumer fraud, for example, can involve anything from bait and switch practices to full blown identity theft. This type of fraud can take place in person, over the telephone, or online. As technology continues to improve at a supersonic rate, many businesses are turning to the internet to give their customers more ease and versatility in acquiring their product. Look, you’re on it right now! As a result, internet fraud has risen faster than any other in the last few years. No business is too large or too small to fall victim to these types of crimes.

Computer fraud, credit card fraud, embezzlement and plain old theft all fall under the umbrella of white collar crime . What motivates people to commit these types of crimes? The same thing that (more than likely) motivated you to go into business in the first place: money. How do you safeguard your business and your customers against these crimes? Education and awareness are key. Inform yourself, be proactive, and enlist the services of a professional. The best way to prevent white collar crimes is to build barriers, or checks and balances, which limit the opportunity for those crimes to occur.

For more information about employee theft , white collar crime investigations contact us at White Collar Crime or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, white collar crime

Employee theft biggest threat & most overlooked

October 14, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When interviewing retailers experiencing inventory losses I am not surprised anymore how quickly they dismiss employee theft as a possible issue. Not surprised because it is almost universally met with the response “I trust my people they have been with me for a long time” or “we have a family business here”. In fact they often seem pretty defensive and sometimes mildly offended that I would bring up internal theft as a possibility.

Year after year the number one source of retail loss is via employee theft as measured by multiple neutral organizations that are tracking a wide variety of retailers across the nation. In fact it is found to account for close to half of all inventory losses on retail businesses.

To properly catch employee theft you should be sure you have good procedures in place that are checked by multiple people. There should be more than one person responsible for any task related to inventory. Having systems in place will raise questions when anything unusual happens.

You should also be sure to have a good camera system in place that records activity in your store. This is a major resource for proving internal theft and many other issues like false slip and fall claims. A good system will deliver face recognition. How many times have you seen the news show a blurred out figure caught “on tape” in a robbery? Quality only costs a little bit more.

The best way to solve an employee theft issue is to rely on those who are trained in the area. Loss prevention professionals are trained on interviewing and conducting an employee theft investigation . Using these professionals also separates you from the process and protects you from potentially damaging relationships with good employees.

For more info visit employee theft.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, employee theft investigation, internal theft

Prevent shoplifting with a new attitude – Atlanta

October 14, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Maybe what is holding you back in your quest to prevent shoplifting is your own attitude. Many retailers need to look with in before they invest in any equipment such as CCTV. If your attitude is not one of attacking your shoplifting problem through customer service then you do not have a good foundation to build on. Any equipment you add will simply be an investment that does not fully pay off.

Customer service is the primary tool to prevent shoplifting . Customers love customer service, shoplifters absolutely hate it. The beauty of this is that the more you do the better your sales. Think about it. If your staff is aggressive with quality customer service, by knowing the products you sell and are not afraid to approach each and every customer you will increase sales and as important “add on sales”. For example if a member your staff is assisting a customer who is purchasing an electronic device that takes accessories are they discussing the good and bad points of those items. Are they making recommendations and offering those additional items?

In doing this they will find out quickly if this person is a customer or a shoplifter. A shoplifter will react completely differently. A shoplifter will resist the attention and all though some legitimate customers will do the same an experienced and alert employee will notice differences such as a lack of interest in the product being purchased and indifference about price.

So what does the employee do at this point? If they have developed a feeling that the “customer” is possibility a shoplifter it is not the time to back off. If the person is resisting more customer service then they should stay in the area being very visible. This will frustrate most shoplifters. In most cases the shoplifter will simply move on to an easier target, probably your competitor.

But at the same time your store will earn a reputation as the place that provides customer service that is above and beyond. This will spread by word of mouth. Friends will tell friends. The same thing will happen with shoplifters. Shoplifters talk and will share this information. The shoplifters themselves will be a positive part of your program to prevent shoplifting .

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting

What can a Loss Prevention Agent do for your business? – Atlanta

October 14, 2010 by Staff Editor

A loss prevention agent can be a very valuable tool for any retailer. Specializing in the apprehension of shoplifters, an agent can dramatically impact shrink and protect profits.

In the world of retail, shoplifters are an everyday occurrence. The average retailer is unaware of what a shoplifter looks like and may focus their efforts in the wrong areas. As an example, I worked for a retailer that automatically assumed all the homeless or “gang” member types entering his store were taking merchandise. His efforts of monitoring these customers proved nothing. In the meanwhile, the average looking, regular customer and the customer in the three piece suit were the ones really taking his business to the cleaners. He was stereotyping, a sometime critical mistake when addressing shoplifting activity in a store.

It is the responsibility of the professional loss prevention agent to identify and apprehend the shoplifter. He/she will do this by systematically working the store. At the start of their shift, the loss prevention agent will walk the sales floor, looking for empty packages and other signs of customer theft. Planning their shift around the aisles where the empty packages originated, working to catch the shoplifter.

Now, once the apprehension of the shoplifter has taken place, the agent will need to make the decision to prosecute or issue a civil demand based on the needs of the business. Is there a benefit to prosecuting? Would the business be better suited to issue a civil demand? What is best? Decisions like these can really affect several aspects of the business. Sending shoplifters out with the local authorities can benefit a business where shoplift activity and employee theft is a problem. However, issuing a civil demand can get the agent back out onto the sales floor and on the hunt for the next shoplifter.

None of these decisions should be taken lightly, and with the right agent, your store or business will remain profitable.

So, what can a loss prevention agent do for your business?

For more information about loss prevention consultants or loss prevention investigator contact us at loss prevention agent or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: loss prevention agent, loss prevention consultants, loss prevention investigator

Armed Robbery Survival, Loss Prevention Security – Atlanta

October 13, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Why would an armed robber choose your retail location? Because money is available.

Loss prevention security in a robbery situation must be treated very serious. Your security and loss prevention program should always include preparation for a robbery.

Most robberies only take one to two minutes to complete.

IF A ROBBERY OCCURS IN YOUR STORE OR AT THE NIGHT DEPOSIT, REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING:

* The safety of associates, customers and you is always top priority.

* Be completely cooperative.

* Be observant.

DO’S AND DON’TS DURING A ROBBERY

* Do not resist–heroics are uncalled for.

* Keep it short–the sooner it’s over, the better.

* Do give up the money when demanded.

* Do not argue.

* Do not over-react, do not attempt to grab the weapon or call out for help.

* Make every effort to remain calm. Set the example for your fellow associates.

* Be attentive. Listen to the robber and do exactly what you are asked.

* Do not make any sudden movements. Warn the robber of any surprises or unexpected noises.

* Expect strong/foul language. Expect to be told to lay on the floor or ground.

* Be alert. Try to remember details of the robber’s appearance, clothing and/or speech.

* Keep any holdup note, but do not allow people to handle it.

* If possible, watch the robber’s method and direction of escape. Do not go with the robber!

AFTER A ROBBERY, TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

* Lock the front door or gate. Robbers have been known to return to the store.

* Call the police immediately.

* Close off the area in which the robbery took place.

* Write down everything you can recall about the robbery. Provide this information to the police upon their arrival.

* Do not give the police an exact count of the money stolen. Tell them you will make an exact count and get back to them. You do not want this amount to show up in a police report, then the newspaper.

* Give the police any holdup note.

* Notify your supervisor immediately.

* Fill out a company security and loss prevention report. Forward a copy to your supervisor.

* Refer any media questions to your corporate office or loss prevention security department.

For more information about robbery or loss prevention security contact us at security and loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta

The Fine Print – DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

The information provided is for informational purposes only. It is important that you follow your company’s policies and procedures. The techniques presented although conservative should still be compared with individual state and local laws before proceeding. You should consult your own legal counsel before adopting or using any of the recommendations made. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever, which may arise as a result of adhering to or failing to implement procedures discussed in this material.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: loss prevention, loss prevention security, security and loss prevention