Loss Prevention Seminar

Give Away The Answers- Employee Theft

September 25, 2014 by Staff Editor

I was having a conversation with a peer of mine that runs his own business. He was telling me that he was not convinced that he should do employee theft training with his employees. He felt that if he did formalized loss prevention training on employee theft, he would be giving away the answers and ways for his employees to turn around and steal from him.

I had to stop and think about it for a minute. Yes. It is possible that an employee might get ideas on how to defraud his employer after going through that sort of loss prevention workshop. What my peer didn’t think about is that the employee was probably already toying with the idea of theft, or had already tested the waters in their own way.

The flip side is that when you take your team of employees to a loss prevention workshop, you are actually showing them why they should not steal. These seminars are designed to create more eyes that will be aware of what is going on at the store level.

If an employee is thinking about stealing, they know that there are more people aware of methods and red flags- making it more likely to be caught. By sending your employees to training also sends a message that you are raising awareness of all facets of your business and that employee theft will not be tolerated.

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

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

Racial Profiling In the Retail Industry

September 24, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

According to The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention “There is no profile of a typical shoplifter. Men and women shoplift about equally as often.” And race does not matter. Men, women, teenagers and children shoplift regardless of their race or economic status. Yet, entering a store race does matter, and profiling takes place immediately. Allegations about racial profiling involving Macy’s is one of the most recent news in this country, but it won’t be the last.

To read more about racial profiling in the retail industry follow the links below for more information.

“There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.”

President Barack Obama

Racial Profiling
How does it make you feel when you hear the President of the United States making these remarks? Is it an accurate statement? Is it a fair statement? Is it a reflection of one man’s opinion, or an indictment of the loss prevention industry as a whole? Regardless of your personal politics, a statement made with such conviction from the leader of our country sends a powerful message—and one that deserves our collective attention.

But when the comments were made by the President and repeated over and over by the press following the Trayvon Martin verdict, the implications were accepted by the general public with very little push-back. Why is that? If it’s a valid assessment, why hasn’t it been addressed more aggressively? If it’s not a valid assessment, why haven’t we been more forward or vocal in our objections? More likely, the general response—or lack thereof—is largely a product of many factors that can complicate the subject and lead us down difficult roads. Have we done enough? Do we need to do more? It is a highly sensitive topic, but it’s one that’s not going to go away or can be buried in the sand.

Macy’s reaches agreement over racial profiling allegations

Macy’s, Inc. today issued the following statement: “Macy’s has reached resolution with the New York State Office of the Attorney General related to allegations of racial profiling in our stores in New York. We also have settled in principle various lawsuits related to these allegations.

“To be clear, our company’s policies strictly prohibit any form of discrimination or racial profiling and any occurrence of such behavior will not be tolerated in our organization.

“Moving forward, our company will be initiating a series of measures including enhanced training and education for our loss prevention and sales associates. We also will be adopting an expanded role for our security monitor to help ensure that we have the right policies and procedures in place, and that we are constantly reviewing our compliance with them.

“We at Macy’s are committed to fulfilling to the ideals of diversity, inclusion and respect that our company aspires to achieve – every day, in every store and office, with every customer and associate.

Racial Profiling

Does Profiling Exist?

The media often asks me if retail store security personnel use “profiling” tactics as a means of determining which customers are most likely to steal. The answer is undeniably, yes.

Profiling is a Tool

The concept of shoplifter profiling is a proven loss prevention tool and is currently being practiced in most major retail stores by trained loss prevention or security staff. Does that seem shocking? It shouldn’t, as long as it doesn’t include the discriminatory practice of focusing on the race of the customer alone. Profiling is used everyday as a method for quickly focusing in on a person, a product line or a section of a store most likely to contribute to shoplifting. All investigative agencies including the police, FBI, and others have used profiling as a tool to narrow the field of possible suspects. Why shouldn’t retail store security be able to do the same? Store and customer profiles are developed during day-to-day operation and by collecting and analyzing inventory data. This data provides both a quantitative and a qualitative basis for determining where, when, how, and by whom shoplifting is likely to occur in the future.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha High Theft Solutions, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, racial profiling, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, surveillance

Shrinking Margins? Internal Controls Can Help

September 18, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Occupational fraud is a problem for most businesses, both large and small. Fraud is committed when an employee, through a deliberate and usually illegal process, misuses or misappropriates the resources or assets of a business for their own benefit. It’s willful and deliberate worker misconduct, which causes the business to suffer financially due to theft of time, services, inventory or money.

This type of fraud is such a widespread and injurious problem that approximately 1/3 of small businesses close due to it, mostly because it goes undetected. This is a regrettable situation, because it’s largely preventable if properly monitored internal controls are in place. It’s usually uncovered only by accident or through a whistleblower.

Actively managed internal controls can prevent or detect most types of misappropriation of assets and fraudulent financial reporting. They’re processes created to track and achieve goals in specific categories (i.e. operations, time keeping, inventory, financial reporting and compliance with applicable laws and regulations). While most of these processes are universal, specific ones may need to be added to address unusual situations or particular fraud concerns.

These controls should include operations and finances. They’re designed to create a system which protects assets through prevention and timely detection of unauthorized or illegal employee behavior. Some of these processes include: monitoring the flow of paperwork; reading, understanding and acting on financial reports; noticing and acting on the behaviors and attitudes of employees; listening to and acting on employee tips and hints about problems.

To start creating internal control measures a business can review past and current procedures, events and concerns – the company’s strengths and weaknesses, investigate and evaluate employee complaints, acknowledge and list all of the problems/symptoms, etc. This is done in a methodical timely way. It’s important to note that the controls are fluid and will need to be reviewed and changed over time.

Well managed, easy to use and structured internal controls are considered to be one of the most effective deterrents to occupational fraud. However, these controls are only paper work if management doesn’t take action. No program, by itself, will keep employees from stealing. Supervisors must be responsible and take action if it’s to be effective.

Opportunity (lack of controls) and ineffective or no consequences are 2 of the main reasons employees commit fraud. It’s unreasonable and naïve for mangers to expect their workers to be atypical. Yet they do, only to be taken advantage of. Unfortunately, many have learned this lesson the hard way.

Nicole Abbott – writer, educator and psycho-therapist

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

What Works Best- Loss Prevention Training

September 18, 2014 by Staff Editor

There are many different kinds of loss prevention training. Some are focused on shoplifting identification and shoplifting prevention. Other loss prevention training is centered on employee theft. Still others revolve around general store safety and operational best practices. Each focus can be the cause of major financial staring on small retailers.

When you understand what your store specific concerns are, it is easier to find a loss prevention workshop that will fit your needs. Why would you and your employees want to waste your time in loss prevention seminars that are too generalized or do not focus enough on your particular problems or worries?

The smart decision is to work with the training facilitators to make sure they understand exactly what your expectations are. There is no point in spending your time and your hard earned money on loss prevention training that will not produce a return on your investment later on.

One of the most commonly sought after loss prevention seminars are ones that focus on shoplifting. Regardless of your location, client base and product assortment, shoplifting can happen to you. Because of the frequency, these seminars are best suited for a wide array of retailers. Most shoplifters exhibit the same basic strategies and methods. The prevention tactics therefore are equally as universal as the crimes they are deterring and eliminating.

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

Beyond an EAS System- Loss Prevention Workshop

September 11, 2014 by Staff Editor

If you have a shoplifting problem in your store the obvious solution is to run out and invest in an EAS system, or similar retail theft prevention. EAS systems are a significant financial investment, one that will pay off over time, but may cause an immediate strain on some small business finances.

EAS systems are also not an immediate fix. You have to decide which system you want, have it installed and then EAS tag or label your inventory. Again, an extremely effective and worthwhile investment, but what do you do in the mean time?

Look into taking a loss prevention workshop for additional loss prevention training.

Sometimes the best solution is the most obvious solution. A loss prevention workshop can give you tips and tricks to mitigate some of your losses (for free) while you coordinate your efforts to install an EAS system.

One of the tips to stop shoplifting is to look at remerchandising some of the more desirable products within your store. Do you have small, high theft items on a shelf location in the middle of your store? Why not move them closer to the POS system? These items will have a better chance of being continually monitored, and anyone who picks one up can easily and immediately pay for it.

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

Look into taking a loss prevention workshop for additional loss prevention training.

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

Security and Operational Compliance

September 9, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

According to the most recent articles from Loss Prevention Magazine, the three major areas where the management or owners have to be vigilant about are internal theft, external theft and operational compliance. These three security areas have to be implemented correctly and to adhere to procedures the management or security team have dictated to be successful. For more information about this and other topics follow the links below.

Security Breaches Trigger Retail’s Big Players to Call for Major Tech Changes

The possible credit card breach at Home Depot Inc. prompted the retailer to speed up its implementation of chip-reading credit card terminals. Major credit card companies, too, have announced they will accelerate efforts to bolster electronic payments security and protect sensitive customer data. These moves could have a large impact on consumer confidence, which has suffered as a spate of cyberattacks hit major companies. But for retailers especially, the implementation of the new systems will take time, and are not a panacea for a company’s security risks.

Home Depot CEO Frank Blake told investors Thursday that the retailer would activate chip-reading technology on its new credit-card terminals by the end of this year. He said the company is “working around the clock” to find a breach linked to stolen credit and debit cards,” the WSJ’s Shelly Banjo writes, but stopped short of confirming an actual breach occurred.

Building A New Defense Team

As technology draws us deeper into a new age of business enterprise, we are continuously bombarded with waves of challenges and opportunities involving those with malicious intentions. These attacks come at us from every direction as the ingenuity of these criminal minds seek new and creative ways to infiltrate our information resources and engage in cyber warfare against our businesses.

In order to survive these reprehensible intrusions, retailers must fight back. We have to defend our ground and take the necessary steps to combat the threat. This requires that we build and recruit the resources that will help us win the battles. We must become cyber warriors in our own right; defending our computer and information systems against those seeking to seize and exploit the lifeline of our business.

Operational Compliance: Inspecting What You Expect (Part 1)

The evolution of the loss prevention profession has required a change in the way that we view what we do and the way that we approach the retail environment. First and foremost, we have come to recognize that shrink is a much more complicated problem than merely looking at the theft of merchandise. Shrink is a very complex issue that must take in to consideration a variety of different issues that can lead to losses. Shrink reduction is clearly seen as a vehicle of profit enhancement, and an integral part of the retail model. Additionally, we have perspective on how we can influence company profitability in other ways as well, which has allowed us to set our sights on the bigger retail picture. As a result our shrink management strategies require a multifaceted and broad-based approach in order to successfully design and administer the process.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha High Theft Solutions, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, internal Audit, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop

When There Are Children Involved

September 5, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

When we think about shoplifters and creating policies on what how to apprehend them, and what to do with them during and after the initial confrontation, we are doing so with a general image in mind. We are acting on an image of an adult shoplifter, who may or may not become physically aggressive. What many owners and managers frequently overlook is what to do when there are children involved during the shoplifting incident.

There is a sad reality that many shoplifting situations do involve children. Sometimes it is actually the children (or minors under the age of 18) that are the ones stealing. Sometimes it is adults- parents, caregivers, relatives- that bring children along while the adult is stealing. In some very unfortunate examples, the adults might actually be teaching and encouraging the children to steal for them.

As a result, policies and procedures should be in place to account for these situations. If you are trying to figure out what to do while the incident is already underway, you can end up in serious trouble if you make the wrong judgment call. So here is a quick overview of how to handle some of these situations.

What to do if a shoplifter is a child/ minor under 18 years of age? Start by determining if there is a responsible party somewhere in the store. This needs to be someone over the age of 18 that can oversee custody of the child. It should be a parent or guardian of some sort. A minor babysitter, older sibling, or friend is not who you want.

Next step is to use your best judgment for the shoplifter’s intent. A four year old taking a candy bar has less criminal intent than a seventeen year old stealing a pair of jeans. Determine from there if you are calling the police to prosecute. Ideally any juvenile in your custody should be released to either a parent or guardian, or the police within thirty minutes or less. Always have a witness present when you have a child in your custody. Never release a child out on their own, as you can be held liable if they are hurt, etc after leaving your store.

If the shoplifter is an adult, and they have children present, decide if you are calling the police or not. If you are prosecuting the adult, make sure the local law enforcement are aware that there are children present. They will need to make special arrangements for those children. While the adult shoplifter is in your custody, under no circumstances should the children be separated from that adult.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: EAS Devices, Employee Theft, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Perpetual Inventory, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

The Five Steps- Shoplifting

September 4, 2014 by Staff Editor

In the retail environment, there are five steps associates with stopping shoplifting in progress. While they may not correlate directly to a legal apprehension made by local law enforcement, these five steps are designed to keep a retail establishment in the clear from wrongful detainments.

If you are going to allow employees, whether it might be a manager, or a dedicated loss prevention employee (if you are so lucky to afford one), to make an apprehension, you need ensure these steps are followed to a T.

Loss prevention training is extremely important as the elimination of even one step can create a huge lawsuit and liability for your business.

The steps are as follows: First, you need to see the subject enter the store. The point is to see what they have, what they are wearing or carrying, so you can conversely know what merchandise they are stealing from you.

Next you need to see them enter the area where the merchandise is sold. You absolutely need to see them select (pick up) the merchandise in question. Again, this ensures you can verify the merchandise is absolutely your property and not theirs.

At this point you need to see them conceal the product or otherwise demonstrate that they are intending to steal.

Maintain constant observation of the merchandise. If you loose contact, can you be sure they did not discard the merchandise somewhere along the way? Some shoplifting suspects do get spooked and drop the product.

Finally they need to exit the store and pass the last point of sales. Loss prevention seminars are out there that can further expound on these steps, and explain the subtle nuances that can arise during an actual shoplifting stop.

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

In the retail environment, there are five steps associated with stopping shoplifting in progress. While they may not correlate directly to a legal apprehension made by local law enforcement, these five steps are designed to keep a retail establishment in the clear from wrongful detainments.

Loss prevention training is extremely important as the elimination of even one step can create a huge lawsuit and liability for your business.

At this point you need to see them conceal the product or otherwise demonstrate that they are intending to steal.

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

Deviate From The Policy- Employee Theft

August 20, 2014 by Staff Editor

If you suspect that employee theft will happen, or is about to happen, you need to be more prepared than having a sign that says, “shoplifting will be prosecuted”. You have to train your employees that you are aware of different methods, and tactics used in employee theft. You have to be able to train the other employees to be eyes and ears when you are not there.

Loss prevention seminars help you have the information to guide your employees toward making better decisions. Employees who see the heightened awareness level in a store are less likely to steal. They are less likely to spend their energy coming up with ways to work around your systems.

The stores that have a blanket statement, but no training or awareness, are more likely to have theft issues. Without a clear understanding of how deep the awareness and prevention goes in a store, the more likely employees are to abuse the system.

When an employee is unaware of all of the different levels of security and protection you have in place, they think it is easy to get away with employee theft. Using loss prevention seminars shows the employees that policies and procedures are already in place to combat the theft. If they start to deviate from those policies, a red flag will go up and they will be caught.

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

Apple Store and Iphone theft

August 19, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

All across the country carrying a smart phone is like carrying cash in your hands. Many thieves consider a smart phone as easy to steal as snatching a purse from an unsuspected woman. Lost and stolen phones are costing the American consumer millions of dollar a year according to some recent research and according to some news smart phone theft is happening at stores as well.

Follow the links below for more information about this and other stories.

Six Apple Store employees nabbed in iPhone theft ring

Sometimes it is those on the inside that you need to be worried about the most. In Fort Lauderdale, six Apple Store employees were snagged by the cops, as law enforcement smashed an iPhone theft ring that worked out of an Apple Store at the tony Galleria Mall. The six worked together to rip off the store out of 600 iPhones, valued at half a million dollars.
The scheme involved a number of thieves who wandered into the Apple Store, pretending to be customers. In the store, these “customers” would be helped by one of the six employees in on the scam, who would exchange a stolen iPhone for a brand new unit. The Apple Store employees who helped the transactions go through, were paid between $45 and $75 per unit for facilitating the exchange.

The cops arrested former Apple Store employees Devon Persad, Daniel Michael Scotti, Adam Alvarez, Anthony Joseph Tranchida, Sadia A. Dandia, and Otis Jerrell Ferguson. A seventh person arrested was Best Buy Mobile employee Sean Flynn. Flynn provided a list of serial numbers from smartphones on the shelves at Best Buy Mobile, to the other criminals. These numbers were used on the new iPhone models stolen from the Apple Store.

The cops are looking to identify those who brought the stolen phones into the Apple Store. They are also still looking to find the buyers of the new units that the stolen phones were exchanged for. A Broward Country prosecutor says that the phones were probably sold overseas.

Ex-Fairfax Deputy Headed To Trial On Shoplifting Charges

The case of the Fairfax County deputy charged with shoplifting at the Leesburg Target store will go to trial.

Robert H. Palmer Jr., 50, of Leesburg, appeared in Loudoun General District Court Tuesday morning. Judge J. Frank Buttery Jr. set a trial date for Sept. 23.

Palmer has been charged with two counts of petit larceny under $200, a Class 1 misdemeanor that carries a sentence of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

The case, first reported in May, gained national attention after Dallas Northington told The Washington Post he was fired as an assets protection specialist for Target after reporting two incidents of apparent shoplifting in which the suspect shown on surveillance tape was recognized by his superiors as Palmer, who’s worked for the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years.

Northington said he filed a complaint with the Leesburg Police Department as he did routinely in such cases. However, days later he was fired, told by his managers at Target that he had not followed company procedures.

Following the publication of Northington’s story, the Leesburg Police Department released a statement July 14 about its involvement in the case. According to the department, the initial complaint was filed at approximately 11 p.m. Tuesday, May 27. “The report was documented however, the reporting loss prevention officer did not witness the actual theft,” it said. During that investigation, “the individual involved in the alleged theft was positively identified as a Fairfax Sheriff’s Office employee.” On May 30, Leesburg investigators notified members of the Fairfax sheriff’s office about the report.

There the case stalled.

Mother leaves kids in store after shoplifting

Published on Aug 15, 2014

DELAND, Fla. (WKRC) — A Florida mother’s attempt at shoplifting ended with her running from police and leaving her children behind.

Deland, Florida police said Rebecca Stoltz went shopping at Wal-Mart with her 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old stepdaughter. When she allegedly tried stealing $44 of clothes, she got caught by security. In the panic of getting caught, police said Stoltz ran from the store and left her children behind.

Other parents shopping at the store said they were outraged.

Police said store security found the girls and they were both, “Clearly distressed and very emotional and both were crying.” Investigators said Stoltz knew what she did because she told a friend to go pick the children up from the store.

Police eventually arrested Stoltz who faces child abuse charges.

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