Workplace Theft Investigations/White Collar Crimes

According to the US Chamber of Commerce, employee theft is costing American business $40 billion annually and is increasing by 15% per year. At one point or another every employer will experience theft in the workplace. Very few will actually investigate, because investigating theft is complex. Faced with challenging economical times, however, businesses are less able to sustain losses and maintain business as usual, making workplace investigations increasingly more important.

Today's trends indicate a shift toward more sophisticated crimes including fraud and embezzlement and other crimes that often require computer network and IT investigations and investigative interviews. Employers must be more vigilant and do everything possible to prevent, deter and investigate workplace theft. In order to know what action to take, or to find out whether action is even necessary, the employer has to investigate the incident and ascertain the facts.

At The Intelligence Group. we have investigated issues relating to theft for employers throughout North America in many different industries, involving both union and non-union environments. By better controlling the quality of people hired, and investigating the environment in which they are placed, we can help you defeat employee malfeasance before it starts.

There are many benefits to using an unbiased third party to conduct the investigation and employee interviews that can stop the theft of company assets. A well-planned and executed workplace investigation by a private investigator can be a very effective way to identify those involved with theft and prevent its recurrence.

An effective workplace investigation allows the employer and counsel a solid basis for taking corrective action and defending against claims of inaction and unfair treatment. Done accurately, investigations will either keep you out of court, or enable you to seek prosecution toward the person(s) found to be involved in the crime.

The following information indicates patterns to look for when seeking to identify workplace theft suspects.

Suspect Identification Signs:

• Excess cash
• New clothing or jewelry
• New vehicle
• Eating out
• Negative attitude toward management due to their earnings
• Unusual relationships with truck/delivery drivers or outside vendors
• Security guards and management level employees should also be considered potential suspects
• Report if packages and lunch boxes are inspected by security upon entering/exiting the facility

The following information highlights areas to investigate when seeking information concerning theft. Workplace theft occurs in several different ways and locations.

Focus Areas:

• Identify if vehicles are parked near doors or docks that lead outside.
• Shipping and Receiving or other locations where finished product is stored.
• Trash and collection sites where trash is picked-up.
• Maintain close observation of entrances, exits, skylights and perimeter fences.
• Raw material is also stolen, and sold to recycling facilities.
• Finished goods are sold in swap meets, newspapers, recycler papers and similar publications.
• Pawnshops may be responsible for purchasing stolen goods.
• The Internet is also a resource to check for items stolen from your workplace.

Law enforcement is always involved in workplace theft investigation cases if the client wishes to have the perpetrator(s) arrested and ultimately convicted to obtain restitution.