For Whom the Bell Curves

Each employee theft investigation I have ever worked on has had its own very specific twists and turns. It sometimes took a lot of creativity on my part to figure out just what they were doing and how they would get away with it. In each case of employee theft there was always one common trait- The Curve.

The Curve is the point that an employee’s thefts swing upward in frequency, severity or both. While this is often the easiest time to identify an internal theft situation, it is also the most costly for a store.

When an employee first starts to steal they do it small. They will pick a low dollar amount of cash, or a single item to pocket or give to a friend. Then they wait. They wait to see if anyone notices, or calls them out on it. Once they realize that no one noticed, they are well onto the second step of employee theft.

This is the stage where they start to work out all the kinks in their plan. A change in how often they feel comfortable stealing. They will gradually increase the dollars of their losses to the stores. Still, they are tentative that someone may notice what is going on. This stage could last for weeks or months depending on how long it took them between their first and second thefts.

If they have yet to be questioned, The Curve is now in effect. This is the dangerous time where employee theft is rampant. They are comfortable in their MO and will steal with reckless abandon. They are confident that since they haven’t been caught yet, they have beaten the system.

It is here that they show up consistently on exception reporting. Their pattern has emerged and they are now the low hanging fruit of employee theft investigations.

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