What Are Thieves Looking To Steal In Your Business?

According to studies done by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, Shoplifting is a relative common behavior. People with a history of shoplifting can be associated with a psychological disorder, and men in particular can experience an anxiety episode before committing the crime. Some of the thefts are done unpremeditated and although there are many reasons for these individual thefts, we cannot compare thefts done by organized crime. What are the things that individuals and organized crime leaders fancy when entering your business? Follow the links below to read more about this topic.

The 10 Weirdest Things Thieves Steal

1. Laundry detergent

Procter & Gamble and Arm & Hammer are not the only ones to discover the value in laundry detergent. Thieves have too. This relatively expensive everyday household product is found in nearly every home, which can partly explain its appeal as a stolen good. Consistent demand makes a product much easier to sell. In particular, Tide — a recognized, easy to spot brand — is traded on a regular basis for drugs, other illicit items, and sometimes right back to stores looking for better profit margins. Additionally, the lack of serial numbers on the packaging makes detergents very difficult to track.

2. Allergy medicine

Among organized retail crime gangs allergy medicines in particular have become quite popular, according to a 2013 crime survey conducted by the NRF. Part of the value of allergy medications may be the consistently high demand for the product, as many people suffer from allergies. According to Rich Muller at the NRF, however, people are often more willing to suffer through allergy symptoms than buy antihistamines. As a result, a cheaper, boosted product has more success among consumers. While recreational use of antihistamines could be another explanation, stolen allergy medicines are re-sold primarily for intended use.

5 weirdly tempting targets for thieves (and investors)

High prices for some basic commodities have thieves stealing a lot of stuff that might not seem worth the trouble, such as cattle and manhole covers. So lock up your Nutella, and remember that hot products can make for good investments.

Some of the hottest items are commodities

Smartphones, jewelry and cash are among the things we expect thieves to target. So we take precautions and lock them up.

Fewer people, though, are as careful with laundry detergent and steaks. But a lot of everyday, ordinary items have become hot commodities with thieves.

Some items on this list may seem like unusual targets because their value is not readily apparent. For example, thieves love to steal catalytic converters from cars because they contain rare metals, including platinum. Frank Scafidi of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also gives the example of manhole covers, which municipalities have been known to leave lying around in the street. Yet the number of thefts of manhole covers has risen considerably in recent years, as has the theft of copper pipe from homes, because of the rising price of the metals they contain.

Rising Tide Thefts Leave Colo. Retailers Airing Dirty Laundry

Retailers in Colorado are cracking down on Tide laundry detergent thefts by locking up the product and hiring undercover security guards to patrol their aisles.

The Colorado Retail Council hopes that such measures will help protect retailers from people who are shoplifting laundry detergent at an alarming rate.

“It’s a very large problem that we have to spend a lot on and, unfortunately, that cost gets passed on to the costumer,” Chris Howes, president of the Colorado Retail Council, said.

Police in Colorado are searching for a man they believe has stolen more than $8,000 worth of Tide laundry detergent in the Ft. Lupton area in Weld County. Police said the male suspect has been caught on surveillance video knocking off six different stores, taking Tide and expensive face lotions.

Tide is one of the most recognized laundry detergents with its bright-orange container. With a retail price from $10 to $20, Tide has become liquid gold on the streets. It can sell on the black market for half the price and it’s impossible to track.