EMPLOYEE THEFT IS BIG BUSINESS – Atlanta Georgia

As a loss prevention executive with more than a decade of experience working retail loss prevention I can attest that internal theft is directly related to more than 50% of company loss each year.  Every major retail corporation in the United States dedicates time and resources to employee theft investigation.

One thing I have learned over the years is that good people make poor choices.  Sometimes the employees that are causing the most loss are last ones anyone would have rushed to judge responsible for employee theft.

A company I once worked for resolved more than $150,000 in employee theft is just one year. This was a shocking revelation!  We successfully investigated and prosecuted internal theft by sales associates, merchandising staff, shipping and receiving staff, custodians, contractors, and unfortunately our most trusted team member – the executive.

When I think back to this period of time one case in particular comes to mind. I conducted an employee theft investigation into the transactions of a sales manager who had been with the company for 15 years.  The manager was highly respected for her hard work and team spirit.

Our inventory revealed inconsistencies in the volume of merchandise we had on hand versus the number of sales and returns she was crediting.  We suspected employee theft right away and my employee theft investigation revealed she was selling one item and giving out a duplicate item in conjunction with a sale.

The customer would return to the store the following day and return the duplicate item with a receipt to obtain cash refunds for the total amount of the purchase.  In the loss prevention business this type of internal theft is referred to as “under ringing” or a “pass out.”

Internal theft investigations saved our business and our jobs!

Employee theft investigation is a delicate process.  You must be liability conscious and your investigator must be properly trained handle employee theft cases to protect your business from adverse action.

For more information on employee theft, employee theft investigation or internal theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia