Communication and Internal Theft

Proper communication is key in preventing internal theft. Without it you open yourself and your company up to a great deal of potential loss. For several years I worked as a Corporate Fraud Investigator for a local supermarket chain. As great as that position was, when the time came I moved on and took another position at a completely different company. Apparently no one got the memo. The other day a few friends and I were on our way to a baseball game and stopped in to pick up a few tailgating supplies. One of the managers recognized me, shook my hand, asked how I had been and then promptly opened the door to the surveillance office for me using his key.

I understand that my previous position as Corporate Fraud Investigator afforded me some trust, but that manager missed all the employee theft red flags: He hadn’t seen me in a while. I was accompanied by people he had never seen before. I was dressed for a baseball game (completely unprofessional). I had to quickly explain the situation to the manager who was completely embarrassed.

The fact is: lesser men would have taken that opportunity to commit some kind of internal theft. After all, as a Corporate Fraud Investigator I would have known exactly how to get around any of the usual behaviors that might have given me away as a thief. Most employee theft happens as a result of perceived opportunity. Had I been a disgruntled ex employee I might have easily taken advantage of the situation. An individual may not have gotten to work intending to steal but because a door was left opened or unlocked, merchandise untagged, or any other safety measure not taken they will. This occasionally opens a Pandora’s Box where that individual begins to seek out similar situations throughout the company and before you know it you’re out of thousands of dollars all because the proper precautions and necessary communication wasn’t taken in order to prevent internal theft.

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For more information on an Internal Theft Investigator in Atlanta, GA ; Employee theft or Internal theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547