Employee Theft

Like An Old Friend- Loss Prevention Workshop

November 3, 2014 by Staff Editor

Everyone has that one person in their lives that they look up to and frequent for insight and advice. This person is usually experienced, wizened and has seen enough of the world to have a different, and useful perspective on any given situation. These are the mentors we rely on for advice in our love lives, financial matters, and other personal questions.

Hopefully, we also have a mentor like that in our work lives, not just in our personal lives. This should be someone who has a greater insight to different aspects and topics of our business than we do. It should also be someone who has valuable insight based off of his or her own experiences.

A mentor like this is particularly important when it comes to loss prevention and store security. The business acumen needed for these areas can’t easily be learned simply from reading up on the topics. Having a mentor, especially one that has personally encountered many of the potential security situations, helps you become that much more knowledgeable.

Having an experienced mentor to explain the nuances and pros and cons of certain actions to improve store security and reduce shoplifting losses will be far better than anything you can get from a manual computer based learning scenario alone.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting

Retail Shoplifting Rings

October 28, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Shoplifting according to research can begin early in your teens and become a dangerous criminal habit into your adult life. Shoplifting rings across the nation are becoming a way of life for the people involved without thinking anything serious can happened to them. Many of these people began when teenagers, and as more people become involved, the amount they can and will steal from a store can be in the thousands of dollars. For more information about this and other stories follow the links below.

Kelly’s Stupid Criminals of the week!

Featuring this week a “British fraudster who pretended to be quadriplegic and sometimes comatose for two years to avoid prosecution has been convicted after police caught him on camera driving and strolling around supermarkets.”

CLICK HERE

And a 30 year old woman was arrested Sunday morning after police say she spent a few hours stuck in a chimney of a home of a man who had recently ended a relationship with her. Not the best way to win back his heart..

8 accused in Polk retail theft ring

POLK COUNTY, FL (WFLA) –

Polk County Sheriff’s detectives say eight people suspected of participating in a retail theft ring are accused of stealing $6,500 worth of merchandise from local stores.

The suspects are 17 to 26 years old. Most were arrested last week.

Detectives say the suspects worked together as a group and stole items from several retail locations including Bealls Outlet, Sports Authority, Hot Topic, Footlocker, Rainbow, Crush, Dillard’s, Kohl’s, Toys R Us, Cotton On, and the Burlington Coat Factory.

The group primarily stole clothing by concealing the merchandise and walking out of the stores without paying for the items, according to investigators. Approximately $6,500 in stolen property has been identified, but suspects are believed to have been responsible for stealing merchandise worth thousands’ more.

“Retail theft is a serious problem in Florida. It drives up the cost of goods and we all suffer through higher prices. We often find that these thieves are stealing every day. I applaud the hard work of our detectives—we will work hard to make sure these suspects are held accountable,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Seeking Safety: A blueprint for reducing youth crime that works

Almost every time a teenager was gunned down in Minneapolis, Mayor R.T. Rybak took to the street corners to console family and friends of the victim and to search for answers.

More often than not, Rybak said, people in those neighborhoods told him they could see it coming. The victims almost always led lives marked by violence. Most were young gangbangers with guns and little hope, teens who seemed predestined to die in a city that Time magazine dubbed Murderopolis in 1996.

With every killing, Rybak wondered the same thing about the people who knew the victim was on the wrong path: “Why the hell didn’t they do anything?”

That thought remained with Rybak when Minneapolis – like so many other cities across America – had a defining moment that brought the city to action.

Woman accused of shoplifting over $500 in clothing arrested

$660 worth of clothing was recovered by a loss prevention worker at the JC Penny store located in Stones River Mall on Sunday. According to a Police Incident Report, a shoplifting suspect by the name of Maria Fernandez entered the store and stuffed over $600 worth of clothing into her purse. The woman then passed every point of purchase.

The 54-year old woman is being charged with theft over $500.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention

Identifying Time Card Theft- Loss Prevention Seminars

October 21, 2014 by Staff Editor

Cash theft or inventory theft are not the only ways an employee can steal from you. Any unauthorized use or gain of company assets- including payroll is considered a form of employee theft.

Attending loss prevention seminars that cover a variety of theft situations can help you understand and identify some of the seemingly lesser methods of employee theft. One of the methods covered in the loss prevention seminars is time card theft.

Because it is easier for an employee to justify a slide in their favor of the hours worked than it is to justify stealing cash for that same amount of money, time card theft is an often overlooked but equally as detrimental form of theft. Time card theft usually starts out pretty small- a few minutes here and there. If left unchecked, employees can start to wheedle multiple hours out of you before you begin to notice.

Loss prevention training can help you to not only see when time card theft is happening, but what to do about it, and ultimately how to avoid it from happening again. Stores that consistently over in their budgeted hours every week should take a closer look to see if they are being affected by time card theft. Even a few extra hours each week can add up to big losses throughout the course of a year.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Cash theft or inventory theft are not the only ways an employee can steal from you. Any unauthorized use or gain of company assets- including payroll is considered a form of employee theft.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting

Development Of Assets- Loss Prevention Training

October 8, 2014 by Staff Editor

Investment groups are becoming notorious for buying up retailers and small businesses with one clear intention- creating unmatched profits and massive payouts for the top-level executives, as well as for the investment firm.

One of the main changes these investment firms will make is in staffing and payroll reductions. They reduce the employee hours and benefits to about as minimum as what they can get away with. Depending upon which side of the coin you are on, this is either a completely brilliant or completely inane business strategy. The deciding factor falls within what you want the longevity of your business to be.

For the companies being sold to investment firms, many will not be around in five to ten years. They will be sold, or may go under completely after all of the assets have been striped of any redeeming value. The longevity of the company is not important, the short-term profits are.

For companies who are looking for longevity, treating employees as assets to be nurtured and developed is essential. The more training employees have, they more they will feel in control, and valued. They are more willing to go the extra mile for the business, and want to further their own growth and development as an employee.

Employee development can take the form of computer based learning, seminars, workshops, and one on one development.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Employee development can take the form of computer based learning, seminars, workshops, and one on one development.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting

October 7, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

The figures for employee theft are staggering. According to a report by the ACFE the loss for fraud in a typical organization is 5% of its revenues. That amount corresponds to losses of more than $3.5 trillion worldwide.

Employee theft is an ever growing social and economical issue that is affecting everyone. The retail industry alone losses are in the billions of dollars every year. Employee theft can be done by employees with seniority or low level employees that find an opportunity to commit the crime. More than three quarters of employee theft is done by employees with no previous record, or that have not been charged with a theft related incident before. To read more about employee theft, follow the links below.

Former Barnes & Noble employee accused of stealing $46,000 in merchandise from Mandeville store

A former Barnes & Noble employee was recently arrested for allegedly stealing about $46,000 in merchandise from the store over a three-year period, Mandeville Police reported Tuesday (Sept. 30). Tomas Santamaria, 32, is accused of selling more than 700 stolen items, mostly DVD’s and novels, on eBay and funneling the proceeds into his bank account, police said.

Santamaria, of 19246 Antenor St. in Mandeville, was booked Sept. 23 with money laundering, computer fraud and theft.

An investigation began July 31 of this year after the bookstore on U.S. 190 reported a suspected employee theft, the police department said in a news release. Detectives determined Santamaria stole about $46,000 in merchandise between September 2011 and July of this year, the release said.

Retail employee accused of stealing cash over time

A retail store employee was arrested Tuesday and accused of stealing thousands of dollars from her register over a period of several weeks.

Alexis W. Causey, 22, of 507 Church St., West Monroe, faces one count of theft.

An arrest report said Monroe Police were sent to Target at 4103 Pecanland Mall Drive in reference to employee theft. Once there, an officer spoke with an employee who said Causey took $2,000 from her register from the first part of September through Monday.

After being questioned, Causey reportedly said she took the money. Causey reportedly said she would remove the cash from her register and place it in a trash can. At the end of her shift, she would remove the money before emptying the can.

A&P Employee From Ossining Charged In Theft Of Meat From Store

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. — An Ossining man was charged with grand larceny on Tuesday after he was accused of stealing goods from his employer, according to State Police from the Cortlandt barracks.

Gregory Rodriguez, 46, was accused of stealing $1,200 worth of meat from the Cortlandt A&P where he worked, by hiding the meat on himself before attempting to leave, police said.

Rodriguez was arraigned before the Town of Cortlandt Court and remanded to the Westchester County Jail without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday, Oct. 3, police said.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Shoplifting Prevention

Who Are You Really Hiring?

October 2, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

So you run an ad to fill a position you have available. You receive some really good resumes and you move to step two, screening them. With the intense competition for employment, how do you know if what you have before you is real or maybe…a bit over inflated? There are a couple of things that you can look at to help you to spot potential problems.

I view resumes and applications as a “test” to see if the candidate can spell, write properly and comprehend the questions and information requested. After all this person wants the job, you have the job, you would think they would want to put their best foot forward in their first impression. Integrity is one of those.

In the years that I have been a hiring manager I have found a few items to look at that help me sort good from bad.

Dates of Employment: I have found this to be one of the most lied about items on a resume or application. Let’s say the candidate has had three jobs. They were fired from job number two and do not want you to know about it. Instead of listing job number two, they simply stretch the dates of jobs one and three to cover. So, verify the dates of employment.

Over- Inflated Titles: Many times when you look at the resume you will find that a title does not fit the experience or even the age of the candidate. The resume shows a string of titles like this: Dock Worker then Dock Lead then Dock Supervisor then Dock Manager then Director, Central Intelligence Agency, then Dock Manager, Central Intelligence Agency. The candidate is 24 years old. Okay, maybe this was a bit of a silly example but you get the idea. Pay attention to titles and age.

Resumes That Are Too “Slick”: Most of us are not the greatest writers. Look at me. But we can get across our experience in basic form. Someone whose resume reads like an advertisement for a new car company probably had some serious help which could mean a professional resume writer put it together. This may be all right for some companies. But you have to ask yourself is this the person I am really hiring. It could also mean that the professional writer, in some cases to make their customer happy, over inflated the candidate’s experience. Does the resume seem too good to be true? Then it probably is.

All Candidate’s Should Fill Out An Application: This is in addition to their resume. Compare the two. You will be surprised in some case when you actually compare the two. They may not remember the lies they told on the resume. Always require both and compare them.

If they lied at this point in the application process what do you think they will do when they work for you?

Bill Bregar is the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems. He can be reached at 770-426-7593 x101 or at www.LossPreventionSystems.com

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha High Theft Solutions, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention

Should They Stay, Or Should They Go?

October 2, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

When you or your employees apprehend a shoplifter, you will need to make one of two choices as to what to do with them. You can either recover your merchandise and let the shoplifter go about their way, or you can take the shoplifter back to an office or other neutral location within your store. Both have their advantages, and both have potentially negative outcomes if not conducted properly.

The easiest thing to do is to retrieve your merchandise from the shoplifter and let them go. No muss, no fuss, and no lengthy apprehension process to deal with. You will need to document the incident and keep the report in a secured location. You need to document the time and date, the description of the suspect, what merchandise (include item numbers or UPC codes) was taken and recovered. Any video of the incident should be retained, and a photo of the merchandise should be taken also. Notate what happened to the merchandise- is it being kept as evidence, or was it returned to the sales floor after being photographed.

Don’t underestimate that a shoplifter will try and come back and sue your store for false detention and liable. They may assume that because you did not prosecute that you did not have enough evidence, which is why you let them go. Even if they were to loose the case (because you had everything well documented) you can still fight with your store’s reputation if the media gets involved, or simply the time and money it will cost you to fight the charges.

Of course this is assuming that the shoplifter stopped and willingly handed over the stolen merchandise they were carrying. If the shoplifter runs, fights, or is problematic, it might not be easy to recover your merchandise. Similarly, if the merchandise is hidden within a bag, or on the shoplifter’s body somewhere, you cannot go searching for it to get it back- especially if the shoplifter is denying having stolen anything.

If you do bring a shoplifter back to your office, you should do so with purpose. Do you need to recover product in a bag? The shoplifter will still need to hand it over to you; you may not search their personal belongings. If the suspect has hidden merchandise on their person, you may not make them disrobe to retrieve your merchandise. That is something that absolutely should be left for law enforcement to do.

Once back in the office, your witness should be taking notes as to what is being said, and what transpires. The shoplifter’s ID should be obtained and photocopied (as proof of who was stopped). You may question the suspect to find out why they are taking product from you and what were they going to do with it later. This is particularly important if you are experiencing multiple losses of the same products. Keep in mind that they may not talk to you, and they are not required to talk to you. You may not force them or coerce them into confessions or into giving up more information.

Your company should have a set policy on who is prosecuted and who is not (also why not). Commonly, elderly, young children or minors, and mentally disabled are not prosecuted. Generally it is because these categories of people do not have the mental capacity to distinguish right from wrong. Prosecutions and referrals to law enforcement should have standardization to them. This way, employees won’t need to make a personal judgment call on who is prosecuted and who is not.

Finally, keep you back office area, or where ever you will bring shoplifters to, clean. There should not be anything large or heavy (staplers, three hole punches, scissors) that can be turned into a weapon. This area should also be relatively remote. It should not be an area where customers and other employees can walk by. The suspect has a right to their privacy during the apprehension. They should not feel like they are out on display.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha High Theft Solutions, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, mobile POS loss prevention, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Training Your Witness

October 2, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

When apprehending a shoplifter, you need to make sure that all employees are aware of what their roles are and what they are responsible for doing. You should use job positions as a basis for who is responsible for what. For example, you might determine that only managers are allowed to make shoplifting apprehensions. You might qualify any employee who has gone through loss prevention training can make shoplifting apprehensions. Determine your skill level and staffing requirements to determine what makes the most sense for your stores.

The next step is training employees to be a witness during a shoplifting apprehension. Most loss prevention training revolves around identifying and detaining a shoplifter. Having a witness and defining what that witness can and cannot do is often overlooked. Unfortunately, it is very easy for a witness, who is not properly trained, to do more damage during the actual apprehension than they provide a benefit.

Even when an employee is only a witness, they are still acting in an official capacity as a representative of your company. If these employees were to make comments of take actions that are illegal or improper, the company can still be held liable for those actions. As a result, any employee who will potentially be called upon to act as a witness should be thoroughly trained prior to their involvement in any shoplifting detentions.

A witness is anyone who will assist a trained employee that making a shoplifting apprehension. The witness really needs to be another store employee. Using a customer as a witness is not advisable. Customers might take it upon themselves to exert undue force, or to make derogatory comments. A customer, no matter how well meaning their intentions may be, does not understand what their legal limitations are during the situation, and the store will still be held liable for any of their actions.

A witness should have a basic understanding of what a shoplifting apprehension is, and why it is happening. They do not need to be intimately aware of the actual sequence of events. They do need to understand they are there to provide an eyewitness to the detention and any questioning that may follow.

The witness should also provide a balance for the shoplifter. If a female is being apprehended, there needs to be a female employee involved in the apprehension. This can either be the employee who is detaining the suspect, or the witness. Same rules apply if the suspect is a male. To avoid a possible (warranted or not) sexual assault or harassment suit there always needs to be an employee present that is of the same gender as the shoplifting suspect.

Ideally, the same witnesses needs to be present from the time of detention to the time the shoplifter is either released on their own, or into the custody of law enforcement. Since the witness might be required to give a statement to the events, it is easier if only one person is there from start to finish. Having a replacement during the middle might provide unnecessary confusion as to who saw which part of the apprehension, and did some pertinent information get missed during the switch from one witness to the other.

Once the employees have made their initial approach for the detention, and have brought the shoplifter back to the office or room to do the interview, the witness needs to be in charge of documenting the incident. They should start by documenting what time the approach was made, what time the suspect entered the office and what has been said up to this point. Specifically, the suspect’s comments upon the initial approach should be quoted accurately. Did they deny it? Did they admit to stealing? What happened next? Was there a chase or a physical altercation? Did the suspect come back peacefully?

Any statements made or given need to be notated. The final disposition of the suspect and the evidence needs to be made. If law enforcement was called the time the call was placed, and the time they arrived should be documented. Above all else, the witness needs to realize they are there to assist and not to interfere with the investigation and apprehension of the shoplifting suspect.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha High Theft Solutions, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, retail security, retail security and monitoring, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Managing and Reducing Shrinkage

October 1, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

The retail industry according to some reports was a $2.5 trillion in 2012 with a predicted increase of 3.4% for the year 2013. As the busiest season for the retail industry is fast approaching, retail stores and businesses will be busy keeping inventory on the shelves as avid customers shop at their stores. While many retail stores prepare for this time, retail security and surveillance should be part of their strategy to keep this year the best profitable yet.

For more information about shrinkage follow the links below.

Reducing Retail Shrinkage: How to Beef Up Security and Prevent Loss in Your Store

Shrinkage (aka: Public Enemy #1 for most retailers), can eat up a significant amount of your profits. According to the National Retail Federation, retail shrinkage amounted to $34.5 billion in 2011, and a big chunk of that was due to theft or fraud.

That’s why it’s critical to constantly stay on top of protecting your store. Keep your systems up-to-date, be vigilant about spotting fishy behavior, and see to it that your staff is adequately trained to deal with security issues.

To help you do all that, below are some of the most common causes of retail shrinkage along with security tips to help you prevent them.

Shoplifting

A common problem among retailers, you can prevent shoplifting with the following steps:

1. Recognize the signs – Educate yourself and your staff on how to spot shoplifters. Keep an eye out for people who:

Survey: Retail shrink translates into $57 billion loss; cash theft jumps 20%

New York — Shrinkage levels average 1.27% of sales, which translates to a $57 billion loss to the industry, according to the U.S. Retail Fraud Survey, which is based on research into the systems and strategies used by 100 leading North American retailers.

The biggest area of store loss remains employee theft (38% of shrink), up 3% from last year, according to the study, published by U.K. based Retail Knowledge and sponsored by Volumatic and Kount. It is followed by cash theft (24%), up 20% from last year, administration and book keeping errors (21%), down 9%, and shoplifting (11%), down 15%.

The biggest area of online loss is fraudulent use of credit cards (59% of shrink).

In other survey highlights:

• Return fraud is costing retailers an average of 0.25% of sales this year, compared with an average of 0.4% last year.

• With regards to loss prevention departments, on average, each member of the fraud prevention team is responsible for $103 million of sales.

Managing Loss Prevention

5 Tips for Reducing Shrink

1. Find vulnerabilities: Take a look at your store layout as though it were in a heist film and think, “If I were to steal something, how would I do it?”
2. Determine where to concentrate your resources: Your high value items that can be stolen easily should be of more concern for you when merchandising, as well as protecting with security features.
3. Cameras don’t work unless you use them: Installing cameras isn’t enough to deter employees and serial shoplifters. If you notice discrepancies in the register or on the shelves, look at the tape.
4. Signs deter some, not others: Professional thieves aren’t likely to care much about signs (or cameras for that matter). However, employees and amateur shoplifters can be dissuaded if they know they are being watched.
5. Talk to your team: Employees need to be on the same page as their manager when it comes to a loss prevention strategy. Source: retailminded.com

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha High Theft Solutions, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, retail security and monitoring, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Ownership and Understanding- Loss Prevention Training

October 1, 2014 by Staff Editor

Employee training methods are constantly changing and evolving. The purpose of employee training however remains the same: to promote employee ownership and understanding. Specifically to loss prevention training, employees who have a deeper understanding are more likely to take ownership of these processes and actively reduce shrinkage in your stores.

Loss prevention training takes many forms. Some of them are self-monitored, such as computer based learning programs, or handbook reviews. Some loss prevention training comes directly from supervisors in the store. These kinds of trainings center around store specific policies and procedures designed to minimize risk and exposure. Others are aimed toward store operations and how to handle day-to-day tasks and assignments.

Lastly, loss prevention seminars can take place. They might be geared towards the entire store, or it might be for all of the management staff for a multi location company. Either way, the end result is still to train your employees so they have a more through understanding of how certain actions affect a store’s shrink and profit lines.

It is also a way for employees to understand what to look for and why thieves act the way they do- which is a deterrent in and of itself for employee theft. The end result is that employees who are knowledgeable are more likely to react to situations they are comfortable with a positive result.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Seminar Tagged With: Employee Theft, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, shoplifting