It isn’t something that we would ever want to admit too or acknowledge openly, but the truth is that there are some Loss Prevention Agents out there guilty of as much internal theft as any other employee.  The fact of the matter is we are human beings and as such are prone to the same moral lapses, financial pitfalls, or sociopathic tendencies as anyone else.  No human being is perfect, even those who try to put out the image that they are.

Just as with any other form of authority there needs to be a method of checks and balances to ensure that no one can try to take advantage of any opportunities.  Of all the tools available to provide these checks and balances the CCTV system is by far the greatest asset.  With a well implemented camera system any store can observe the sales floor as well as any offices in the building.  Giving employees, no matter their designation or level, as few places to covertly commit employee theft as possible allows for a greater reduction simply through deterrence.  However the threat of being seen isn’t enough.  LP agents and managers usually know where any and all cameras are currently active in your store which is why measures need to be taken to discreetly place covert units from time to time.  Utilizing these prudent tools is vital to guaranteeing that there is little to no chance for ANY of your employees to get away with an internal theft.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

The people that you work with day in and day out, the people you hired off the street and trained, the people who say good morning to you every day, the people who you may have gotten to know personally… these are the same people who are ripping you off behind your back. Sadly, employee theft is responsible for at least half of your losses in any given year. In my twelve years as a Loss Prevention Manager, I have had detailed conversations with these employees. After conducting an in depth employee theft investigation, we were able to determine the facts. Facts like how many times a week the employee stole, how much in dollars of internal theft we lost due to this one employee, as well as what method they used. During the course of the interview with the associate you will learn other facts, like why they committed the theft and how long they have been stealing from you and your customers.

I have seen cases that totaled more than $100,000 and involved internal theft with multiple employees being involved. Also some of the largest dollar value cases are going to come from your most trusted employees. Managers and security personnel have access to more merchandise than anyone and no one tends to question their integrity.

An employee theft investigation can unveil some shocking finds about any one of your employees. Experts can quickly identify your problem areas and target certain areas to expose employee theft; saving your profit and setting the tone that you will not tolerate theft inside your place of business.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

This doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone company out there, but if your store or company possesses an employee run satellite property like a warehouse or shipping site you may want to give this a read.

Catching internal theft in your immediate vicinity is tough enough as it is.  If you give said employees a building all to themselves with nothing but product and time they will figure out a way to fleece you good.  Even if you implement standard methods of catching employee theft like installing cameras or making random inventory counts they will still find some way to get around it.

My store in particular has an off-site warehouse which is manned for eight hours out of the day by two members of the stock team.  It is a dull post and the warehouse is filled to the rafters with expensive product ranging from appliances to overstock clothing.  After a few reports of large quantities of items going missing my team conducted a full inventory of the property and found the stock levels were all wrong in comparison to what was in the system.  We tried reviewing the tapes from the warehouse cameras but came up with nothing.  Instead we used a more ‘old fashioned’ employee theft investigation to uncover the truth.

With an agreement from a nearby fast-food restaurant we established a rotation of stake-outs.  It is just as it sounds.  A member of my team, armed with a pad and a long zoom camera would sit in the parking lot across from the warehouse and watch it.

It took only two days of this to catch someone in the act.  It amounted to was a massive employee theft case that resulted in the prosecution of three employees because of their parts in the matter.  Sometimes it takes a more traditional approach to employee theft investigation to get results.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

One of the biggest ‘no-no’s in most every company handbook I have ever read was that employees are not allowed to cohabitate, date, sleep with, or be related to any superiors or subordinates within their home store.  When such an event occurs it usually results in the transferring of one member of the party to another department or location if not outright termination.  However I have noticed quite a few companies turning a blind eye to violations of this policy and all I can say is that it spells trouble.

In one of my stores I have five employees who are all inter-related through blood or marriage.  Two are supervisors and directly oversee the work of the other three.  The company is aware of this and has done nothing to correct the issue.  I myself have scrutinized all their actions closely as their working together provides the whole group ample opportunity to commit to employee theft.  With the supervisors in play they could circumvent LP schedules and systems to allow for untold amounts of employee theft and without a carefully and discreetly implemented employee theft investigation I would be none the wiser to any wrongdoing.  As of this writing their situation has not bore any fruit of the internal theft tree but just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

Just with any other employee theft investigation, if the warning signs are there, no matter how long you may have to watch the subjects you are better off doing so then letting them go without being observed.  I have come across plenty of cases where a married couple or dating duo that working together got away with thousands of dollars of cash or product just because an employee theft investigation wasn’t vigilantly carried out.

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

Working Loss Prevention for over 5 years you see a lot of employee theft. There is always a good thrill in catching shoplifters but the real challenge is the internal theft. I have seen all kinds of clever ways associates steal from their companies. As many cleaver ways associates find to steal, loss prevention has just as many cleaver ways to catch the internal theft.

Catching internal theft is really similar to an Easter egg hunt. You know they are out there; you just have to hunt for them. Are they taking cash? Are they stealing merchandise? Are they misusing or abusing their associate discount or company coupons? Are they taking gift cards or merchandise credits? Statistics say that 1 in 4 employees will steal from their employers. So out of the 130 employees I currently have I should have 32 case files for an employee theft investigation going.

(Yeah right I wish).

It’s kind of funny how sometimes you can sit behind a computer screen running exception reports for hours looking for employee theft and come up empty handed. You will scratch your head because you know someone somewhere is doing something but you just can’t put your finger on it. You dig and dig but yet you still can’t find something to add to your employee theft investigation. Other times they just jump right out at you. Its almost like the employee wants to get caught sometimes.

Employee theft makes up about 30% of a company’s shortage. Most of the internal theft comes from things that won’t show up on an exception report. You need to get out there and get your hands dirty. What empty packages or tags are you finding in your stockroom or near your trash compactor? What bags are your associates or janitors walking out with? The most cleaver “Easter egg” I have found so far is a janitor bringing in and out his own vacuum. It was something odd however not exactly out of the ordinary. We later come to find that he was filling up the bag with merchandise throughout his shift and walking out with it at the end of the day. Sometimes that “Easter egg” is hard to find and other times its right there in front of you to find. Just don’t let any of those eggs sit too long, they will rot.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

Not every employee theft investigation is going to be the same.  Sure the excuses rarely change flavor: “I needed the money”, “I have a gambling problem”, “I just thought I could get away with it”, “I didn’t think anyone would notice”, but the methods involved tend to vary enough that such investigations hardly ever follow the same pattern.

Because more and more employees are becoming aware of the so-called ‘eyes-in-the-sky’ (that’s us in the Loss Prevention game for those who are having trouble following along) and our constant focus on internal theft many have begun to try more complex and determined tactics to fleece their companies of goods and currency.  The trend that is truly taking off is using outside help to accomplish illicit goals.

In one particularly recent internal theft incident I caught someone free-bagging goods with the help of a friend.  The employee and friend had met up towards the rear of the store and were chatting when I spotted them.  It was hardly conspicuous until I noticed the two women discussing in some detail the items in the friend’s basket.  After about ten minutes the employee went up to the front of the store to a register which was unnecessary as she was only a back-up cashier and there was no line.  Then the friend went to said register to ‘check-out’.  Here was where it got interesting.  The total sale for all of the products came out to around $45.00 and the friend handed over a fifty dollar bill.  The cashier then handed her back three ten dollar bills as change.  When the drawer was clocked at the end of the night there was only the $30.00 discrepancy which they couldn’t rectify to any single transaction until I brought my employee theft investigation to light.  When later confronted in interview the employee stated “I didn’t think anyone would notice that”.

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

When you work in the loss prevention or asset protection department, a large part of your daily routine is to look for and to begin employee theft investigations. Often the cases you start to develop are what we commonly refer to as “low hanging fruit”.

These are the employee theft investigations that you really don’t have to search for. They tend to fall in your lap from either blatant stupidity on the part of an employee, or they show up on an obvious exception report.

For those who haven’t worked with an exception report before, let me just say that you are missing out. These reports are designed to eliminate a major amount of time researching transaction and journal tapes. It’s sort of the cliff notes version of transaction research.

Exception reports clarify employee theft investigations by giving not only specific information (like a dollar amount) but also time, date, and MO.

Exception reports can be anything from a no sale conducted after a cash transaction, to post voids. They can even incorporate statistical analysis based on the store’s norms.  For example, you can see cashiers who have a higher refund percentage in both transactions and dollar amounts.

By utilizing the work that the exception reports has already done for you, you can spend more of your time conducting live surveillance. You can also make sure that you have captured a higher percentage of fraudulent or loss incurring transactions than if you had to scour the paper trail on your own.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

When I was first starting out in the loss prevention/ asset protection field I was fascinated by employee theft investigations. More specifically, the investigative process fascinated me.

I would hear all of these stories about cases of employee theft and I would wonder, “How do they get the employee theft investigation started in the first place?”

Now, I know that a lot of investigators and agents would like you to believe that all they had to do was peer into a magic 8 ball to get all of the answers, but after working in the industry for many years, I know better.

One of the best ways to start an employee theft investigation is through employee tips. Even though nobody wants to be the store “rat”, there are still many honest people who want to stand up against a wrongdoing.

The best way to get tips is to be reliable, considerate and above reproach at all times. You have to have the trust and respect of your store before they will trust you with information.

Sometimes you can rely on theft good ol’ instinct to point you in the direction of employee theft. Remember, if for some reason you think something stinks, chances are it probably is rotten.

Lastly, it never hurts to trip over a case of employee theft by being in the right place at the right time. I did that once. Literally. I was walking around a corner and I tripped over an employee who happened to be walking a contractor out the door with product he never paid for. Nasty bit of a shock for both of us, I might say!

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

Throughout my career in loss prevention I was taught that three things cause shrink: external theft, internal theft, and paperwork error. Internal theft is the number one cause, followed by shoplifting, then operational miscues. Keeping track of employees is a necessity and this is done by conducting an employee theft investigation. These investigations don’t take a lot of time to complete and can be very beneficial in weeding out the dishonest employees that are causing more harm than good to you and your business.

Loss prevention and store management have a responsibility to monitor transactions and follow up on transactions that seem out of the ordinary in order to prevent as much employee theft as possible. Once some of the dishonest employees are caught and have their employment terminated, the other employees will notice this. The end result would be more honest employees who are reluctant to act dishonestly. If you were an employee that was thinking about stealing something and saw a co-worker being escorted out of the store by loss prevention or for extreme cases the police, would you think twice about stealing? The answer is yes. Deterrence works, letting your employees know that their work is monitored at all times works.

Employee theft is the worst cause of shrink and sadly it will take place. However with the help of loss prevention starting and completing a successful employee theft investigation, you can reduce the amount of loss while increasing the amount of honest and productive employees that you have in your place of business.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

Over a span of almost ten years in the loss prevention field, I have been involved with numerous employee theft investigations.  Unlike shoplifting cases, most companies want to know why an employee would turn to theft.  I would sit down on average 30-40 times per year with numerous associates asking just that question.  I will never forget the first time I heard an employee say, “the company has so much money, so I thought it was no big deal”.

No big deal??  I was taken aback by this very statement.  How can an associate with whom I’ve engaged numerous times feel internal theft was no big deal?  I had followed company programs, showed the standard employee theft investigation video during orientation, engaged in multiple conversations about theft, etc.  By the conclusion of the interview, we discussed at length the impact internal theft has, not only on the company, but on the individual stores and their employees.  They seemed to understand, but it was a huge wakeup call for me and my approach to the topic of employee theft.

Talking to associates about internal theft can be difficult and uncomfortable.  I’ve seen a drastic difference in companies that drug screen and run full background checks pre-hire vs. companies that do not.  While it may seem aggressive and costly, taking such a drastic approach on preventing employee theft prior to employment, gives associates a different mindset while on the job.  It’s been my experience that approaching the subject of internal theft and how employee theft investigations are conducted seems to be a lot easier after such intense screenings.  Showing them where cameras are located will act as a visual deterrent, not push them into spots where there is no coverage.  I am a firm believer that companies who hit the topic hard and aggressive prior to employment and keep the conversations and visual deterrence present to combat employee theft.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.