Corporate Fraud Investigator Finds Atlanta Assistant Manager Steals A Little Of Everything!

Our corporate fraud investigator initiated an employee theft investigation at the request of the Vice President of a local Atlanta retail store chain. The VP stated to that he had discovered information that an Assistant Manager (AM) of one of their metro Atlanta stores may be involved in internal theft and the destruction and of $305 in merchandise.

To gather additional information and investigative leads our corporate fraud investigator interviewed another Assistant Manager. She stated that she had observed the fellow AM give away merchandise to hourly employees. She also stated that she had observed him steal and consume candy offered for sale by the store. She had not considered this to be internal theft.

Another informational interview was conducted with an Hourly Employee. He stated that he had been given store merchandise by the AM to take home without payment. He also stated that he and other associates had been directed by the AM to throw away merchandise that the AM said were discontinued. He also said the volume of merchandise filled the dumpster. In addition he said that on another occasion after a customer complaint situation that the AM directed him to lie to the District Manager.

An interview was conducted by our corporate fraud investigator with the AM. During the interview he admitted to the theft of $300 in merchandise, $1800 in cash and the destruction and give away of $12,000 in merchandise. He stated that he stole merchandise for his own use and that he routinely consumed candy without payment. His last employee theft was the day before his interview.   He said that he stole cash via fraudulent refunds, post voids and by taking overages from the POS. He could not give a reason for his internal theft.

The AM also stated that he destroyed merchandise to clean up the store rather than going through the markdown procedure. He estimates that he discarded approximately 480 items valued at $25 each over several weeks.

All information and investigative facts developed during this employee theft investigation were turned over to the Vice President. The AM was terminated and criminal charges were filed with a local Atlanta police department.

To stop employee theft you must have systems in place to catch even small discrepancies. Don’t ignore this information.  The information about a small issue may lead to a much larger loss, which is typical in employee theft investigations.

In Atlanta contact us about corporate fraud investigator or call 1.770.426.0547

Atlanta Area Convenience Store Employees Caught In Theft Of Over $121,000 In Lottery Tickets & Cash

The owner of a Metro Atlanta area convenience store chain contacted us with a suspicion that several employees may be involved in lottery theft based on serious irregularities in the company’s books. We began an employee theft investigation.

To develop investigative information, our loss prevention investigator installed two covert closed circuit TV cameras covering the cashiers’ area and the lottery machine. Video confirmed that the store manager, who had been employed for several years, was routinely stealing large quantities of lottery scratch off tickets.

A second employee was found to be stealing cash from sales by accepting cash from a customer, making change from the register, then pocketing the cash.

Based on the information collected, the manager was interviewed by our loss prevention investigator . The Atlanta area convenience store manager admitted stealing lottery tickets totaling $111,150.00 and cash in the amount of $6,500.00. The money was taken to pay bills and for a “gambling problem” over a period of the previous 2 years.

The second employee was interviewed as well by our loss prevention investigator . This employee admitted stealing approximately $3400.00 in cash over the previous year by not ringing sales up and pocketing the money. The employee did this for “spending money”. This employee also admitted knowledge of the manager’s lottery activities. This individual had been employed for a year and a half.

Contact us at: loss prevention investigator or in the Atlanta area call 1.770.426.0547

 

Clothing security tags with ink

Really cool clothing security tags

Imagine this, a shoplifter in your clothing area wants to steal a dress. They conceal the item and leave your store. They are not suspected or caught. Will they be back? Oh yeah!

Now imagine that when they get home (somewhere under a rock) that they pull out their prize and discover a Checkpoint Chekink tag attached. OK now what?

 They will have to try to remove the clothing security tags forcefully. When they do, long before the tag is broken off the two vials of pressurized ink/dye rupture and spread on the dress. Because they are pressurized the ink does not just seep out.

But wait; let’s put the entire dress and Chekink tag in the freezer. Once we freeze the tag we try to then force it off. Sorry, we thought of that. The ink/dye in the glass vials are made with an anti-freeze solution. Oops, still pressurized and still liquid.

But what about accidents by store personnel? Wont we ruin merchandise sometimes? The amount of force to break the vials is pretty high and normal use does not pose a problem. Hit them with a hammer and we may have a problem. These are clothing security tags with a little something extra. Oh and by the way they work by themselves or with any checkpoint security system hard tag!

For more information: Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

New Clothing Security Tags

Checkpoint is releasing new  clothing security tags . They are called the “3G Hard Tag With Super Lock”. These tags are bi-color white and gray. The 3G is similar in size to the mini-hard tag.

The 3G will solve several problems in the mini-hard tag area. Cheap imports knockoffs have been made to look identical to the Checkpoint tag, less the Checkpoint logo. These knockoffs generally have rough edges that snag clothing.  They also have very poor locking clutches that do not function smoothly.

3G clothing security tags will require a super detacher, which means that shoplifters will not be able to remove them. Placement of the 3G will be the same as any other hard tag. Place them on a seam, top rear of a shirt below the collar, eyelet of a shoe, etc.  Use the same pins you already have. The 3G also has a hole that will accept a flex string. Use this to loop the flex string through larger items.

Another clothing security tag tip is to drop a label such as a 410 in a pocket in addition to the hard tag. Double your security for a few more pennies.

For more information clothing security tags or call 1.770.426.0547

Clothing Security Tags Tactics

If you are using normal clothing security tags and still experiencing loss you need to evaluate the problem and take further action Follow the steps below:

1 Is the loss on all types of merchandise you sell or just specific types of items. In other words certain lines such as Polo or leather jackets are being targeted. You have to know this first. Keep a log. Have your employees note where and when they find evidence of this.

2 You need to consider how and where you apply your clothing security tags . Are they on a seam or other location that is robust enough to make tag removal difficult? Are your employees applying tags to every one of the items that you have decided must be tagged? Many times tagging does not happen and the product gets put out anyway.

3 If it is specific line of items that have problems you may need to add a new tag to your arsenal of tags. There are tags that take your security to another level. This tag is not used in place of your standard hard tags but in addition to it. This new tag will still cause an alarm on your Checkpoint system. However, the tag itself can have its own built in sounder that is VERY loud. The sounder will go off if the tag goes through the Checkpoint antennas. There is little doubt at that point where the tag is.

But, better yet while in the store if the shoplifter attempts to damage or remove the tag the built in tag sounder goes off.

4 When the Checkpoint Anti-shoplifting system alarms, are your employees simply waving the customer on? Every time you do this you train your customers, shoplifters and anyone else that observes this that you can shoplift to your hearts content.

If you take clothing security tags seriously then you will reduce shoplifting.

Learn more:  clothing security tags or call 1.770.426.0547

or visit Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.

They Didn’t Stop Employee Theft Soon Enough!

Simply put waiting to stop employee theft will just cost a business more in the end.

An employee theft investigation was initiated at the request of the Owner of a retail store chain located in the Atlanta metro area. The owner stated that his Accounting department had discovered a loss of cash and merchandise of approximately $28, 308.00. This loss was attributed to the one store.

The owner explained the procedures and operations of the company. In addition, a review of the background of the three employees at the store was conducted.

An interview was conducted with one employee. During the interview the employee admitted to the theft of $ 23, 250.00 in cash from the store. He stated that he needed the money for bills including child support, fuel, food, a car note, clothing and because of garnishments, which decreased his take home pay.

The employee stated that he stole approximately $100 each day he worked. He stated that he did this by not ringing selected transactions into the cash register and pocketing the money.

He admitted that he had been stealing for 14 months. The employee further stated he stole every day he worked, which was five to six days a week. He said that he stole in that manner three out of four weeks. He said that the last time he stole cash was the day before the interview.

The employee also stated that he stole merchandise valued at an average of $40.00 each month by giving it to friends.

The employee incorporated his admissions into a voluntary written statement. As a result of the employee theft investigation criminal charges were filed with a Metro Atlanta area Police Department.

You must be proactive to stop employee theft . I have found that after a business looks back at a typical employee theft investigation they find that they waited entirely too long before taking action.

More info? Contact us in the Atlanta area to stop employee theft or call 1.770.426.0547

Atlanta Loss Prevention Investigator

Loss prevention investigator’s in the Atlanta area.

A loss prevention investigator conducts employee theft investigation in any type of business, traditionally in the retail sector. However, we have found that the skills and techniques are used seamlessly across any business sector.

Employee theft, embezzlement, business fraud and vendor fraud are just a few of the areas that a loss prevention investigator can look into. Why pay for an investigator? Why would you not just call the police? First Police Departments have always been traditionaly understaffed in this area. With the economic problems the country is going through staff cuts have also hit the police. Then keep in mind that violent crime always takes priority.

In addition a typical law enforcement investigator in the U.S.is assigned an average of 30 cases a month. How many of those are going to get the attention they deserve. Yours would be added to the pile.

If you do not submit a finished case and I mean a completely finished case that is exactly what will happen. We are routinely told three months to a year for law enforcement to bring the case to charges filed in a case they conduct by themselves.

loss prevention investigator can be dedicated to that one investigation and do the same work, many times with higher quality standards than a law enforcement investigator. Again it is the difference between the public and private sector.

Should you hire an off duty police officer? Again, the difference between the public and private sector is that not only will the loss prevention investigator generally have a higher skill level but also a true loss prevention investigator is a business person. We understand business needs and are not only concerned with putting someone in jail.

Atlanta is a very dynamic city with a vast and diverse business community. Law enforcement in the metro area is stretched to the limit. Don’t let your case be put in “the pile”

Contact us or in the Atlanta area call 770.426.7593

Juvenile Shoplifters & Security Tags On Clothes

Statistics show that placing security tags on clothes like a Checkpoint System is the most effective security device in deterring juvenile shoplifters. These security tags are hard to remove by anyone without a detacher unit. Kids do not have access to these detachers. Forcibly removing the tag will damage the clothing item.

Add an ink tag to this and if they attempt to remove a security tags on clothes that has an ink tag with it and they will be rewarded with a mess that becomes permanent. The pressurized dye in an ink tag will rapidly spread ink on the stolen item and will generally get on the kids hands. The dye is multi colored. Don’t worry, you have to use quite a bit of force to rupture the pressurized glass vials that are filled with ink. Normal and even rough handling by a customer or employee will not cause an issue.

Checkpoint even has a small plastic tag that can be applied to the ink tag. It displays a warning. Clothing security tags, ink tags and the warning tag are all reusable over and over.

Kids generally want to steal an item quickly and then use it right away. If they see security tags on clothes they will generally move on to another store that is unprotected. Clothing security is simple and cost effective.

Contact us at clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547

INVESTIGATION THROUGH PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING

Should employers actually check up on potential hires through pre-employment screening?  ABSOLUTELY!  A recent study showed that half of all reference checks conducted on prospective employees differed between what the job applicant provided and what the reference source reported.  Would a potential candidate actually lie on their resume or job application? In today’s job market, you better believe it!

Pre-employment screening through background checks, criminal or credit checks is a highly controversial topic.  Many people in the general public do not wish for their personal history to be poked through by some investigator.  Some people feel that the information that could be discovered is either irrelevant, or could be taken the wrong way, if the potential employer does not have all the facts.

One way to prevent harm to a potential employee is to provide them with the report prior to giving it to the employer.  This way, the individual can address any discrepancies on the front end.

In May, 2002, Northwest Airlines was hit with a civil lawsuit by 10,000 of its mechanics.  Basically Northwest was accused of using information that was past the 10 year limit set by some current laws.  According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, arrest records can remain for up to seven years.  Some credit information can remain for up to 10 years.

Employees working in the trucking industry, airports, ports of entry, cruise ships, etc will be subject to a pre-employment screening more often than other types of job categories.  Any employee who makes greater than $75,000 dollars per year may be subject to pre-employment screening and background checks that goes back for longer periods of time and contains more thorough information.

To gain assistance in your pre-employment screening and background checks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

Who Is A Qualified Loss Prevention Investigator?

When looking for a loss prevention investigator for employee theft investigations you should keep in mind that one of the principal requirements is a high skill level in interview and interrogation.

Very few people understand how this works. The average person takes what they see on TV as reality. Far from it.

An interrogation is a structured conversation that follows very clear guidelines. If someone says “I can just talk to him or her for a while and usually they will tell me something”, run. This approach along with good guy, bad guy routines and the like are simply garbage.

This is a skill that many portray as having, but few are truly qualified. When you need an loss prevention investigator look for the follow things:

1 A person who has worked successfully for several major companies such as Macy’s, Wal-Mart, The Gap… They should have a clean track record at each of these companies.
2 Did they actually do investigations on their own to completion?
3 How many interrogations have they done on their own? If it is less than 400, keep looking.
4 How many formal interview and interrogation courses have they completed? They should have certificates from organizations such as John Reid, Wicklander…. If they tell you “Oh I didn’t need those I learned on the job” find someone else. That’s like asking someone to be your lawyer based on the number of John Gresham books they read.

These courses and methods not only provide structure to the investigator but when you get to court not having formal training to hold up is asking for trouble. The defense will tear them apart.

Do not trust your business or investigation to a loss prevention investigator that is less than qualified.

Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547