I was browsing an online auction site and found several items that I purchased. During my search I was finding a lot of video game units and video game system software. While most of the prices of the games appeared reasonable for how new they were and how recent the release of those games were there were some that caught my attention. It seemed to me the prices were low considering the item being offered by the buyer. My experiences as a retail Loss prevention Manager started to make me question those prices. Something just didn’t appear legitimate about those items. If I had purchased them would I sell them at such a discounted rate? I am reasonably certain there are stores I could take them to and get more money for my game. My inclination tells me that there are some stolen games being sold on these sites. I can remember numerous cases I had involving the theft of video games and I knew some were being pawned and some were suspected of going to flea markets. Some games were being traded for drugs and others were being sold to video game stores or mom and pop shops. Most of the theft involved shoplifters but I did apprehend a dishonest employee every now and then who was also stealing from the store. I had several options for trying to prevent shoplifting and pilferage but at the time Alpha Keepers were not one of my choices. Had they been we would have prevented even more video game theft than we already were.
Alpha Keepers are a line of retail anti-theft devices that provide showcase quality security with the added benefit of a tamper alarm. They eliminate the necessity of having an employee with a key readily available to open it at any moment of the day. Keepers are boxes made of a clear, solid material that allow your patrons to pick up and carry merchandise through the store as they continue to shop. Since they are clear your customers will be able to look at the product packaging and read the information on the labels without waiting for someone to open a showcase and babysit while the customer looks over the item. Keepers have a locking hinged door that can only be opened by a cashier at a register. Any effort by a would-be thief to try to get to the merchandise and steal it results in a tamper alarm. The alarm is a shrill, obnoxious screech (for lack of a better description) that can be heard throughout a store. The sound draws employees over and they provide extreme customer service in order to recover merchandise.
There was a shoplifting case I had that was hurting my shortage in the electronics department. The store had $29.99 games and under on open shelf display. We had a problem with criminals removing the cellophane on the games and removing the discs from the plastic case. The cases were left on the shelf making it more difficult to see where concealment was taking place since the suspects were not walking around the store. After a number of situations where we would see members of the group in the store and being unable to see the theft take place I decided to try to deter them. I walked up on one suspect who started digging through the game packages. When I found one that was empty the suspect got nervous and started to walk away. Eventually he walked behind a fixture of jackets and came out. I went behind him and checked the pockets of the jackets and found several discs in one of them. I knew I could not stop him but I also knew he was aware that we knew who he was. I did not have a problem from this group again. The thing about this story is, if we had Alpha Keepers at that time there wouldn’t have been a problem removing the games from a locking showcase and putting them on open shelves. Keepers would have allowed us to still prevent shoplifting and provided easy access to the majority of the customers in the store who were honest. In fact Keepers not only prevent shoplifting they encourage sales since customers no longer have to wait for assistance.
There can be no argument, access to merchandise drives sales. Retail anti-theft devices deter and prevent shoplifting. Combine the two and the sky is the limit on how profitable a store can be. Start reaching for the sky today.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Manager Training To Stop Employee Theft-4 WC Blog 520
Stop Shoplifting-5
Manager Training To Stop Employee Theft Is More Than A Crash Course From LPSI
I work in a college library and not long ago one of our student workers left a locked book drop open and it made me think about manager training to stop employee theft. What is the correlation you may be asking? I come from a Retail Loss Prevention background and still work in a retail store on a part-time basis. I know the necessity of keeping buildings and property secure and it requires training to get others to understand it as well. When they don’t have a good grasp of it or training isn’t reinforced mistakes are made and eventually it leads to a theft problem especially in the world of retail. Is a book drop left unlocked a big deal? Not when it is empty but when someone disputes a replacement charge for a book they say they returned in an outside book deposit and we know we have had security lapses we don’t have a leg to stand on. In fairness to the customer we would have to err on the side of the customer and give the benefit of the doubt that the book may have been returned and one of our students left the drop opened after checking it. That security lapse can be costly. The same can be true in retail. Procedures may be in place to protect merchandise and prevent shoplifting or employee theft but if managers are not properly trained or receive refresher training it can cost money. This is where Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can help retail businesses improve profits through manager training to stop employee theft and to stop shoplifting.
Training comes in different forms. It may be from reading a book or manual and it may be self-taught training through trial and error. C.E.O. and founder of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar wants store owners and managers to know that the best training comes from experts in a field. You may be able to learn about employee theft and how to stop shoplifting to a certain extent from trial and error but what will it cost you in monetary terms? Will your lessons learned be adequate to help identify the signs that an employee may steal or has started stealing? Is shoplifting an amateurish prank or can it be an organized group working together to clean out stores? Who is responsible for tossing out the store trash at the end of the day and is this an opportunity an employee is using to steal from your store? LPSI offers manager training to stop employee theft and training to stop shoplifting. Live seminars and online training opportunities are administered by a professional with extensive experience in the retail business. There is nothing that can substitute for the training provided by those who have caught, interviewed and investigated dishonest employees and shoplifters.
I know there is someone reading this and saying, “Wait a minute, I read a drivers manual and got my driver’s license! I can surely stop shoplifting in my store the same way.” Hmmm, you didn’t get a driver’s license simply from reading a manual. You obtained the book knowledge required to receive a permit but you didn’t just hop into a car and start driving on your own. You had someone by your side who showed you the basics. They showed the proper way to start the vehicle, accelerate and brake. Some people learn faster than others and catch on to how to drive but it is a progressive experience. Loss Prevention is sort of like driving. You can read articles, newsletters and information but it will only get you so far. The LPSI team are the equivalent of the driving instructor who will guide and train you from the experiences they gained in the field. In the process they will get you to the point where you can safely operate on your own. As a business owner this means you will be able to operate your store share your knowledge with your employees.
Your store is much more important than a library book drop. The merchandise you carry, the cash in the registers, the team that works for you all are much more valuable than a few books. Lose that money, merchandise or property or put employees at risk by hiring the wrong people and it can put you out of business. Find out just how much of an impact manager training to stop employee theft and to stop shoplifting can have for your business.
Need information on manager training to stop employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I work in a college library and not long ago one of our student workers left a locked book drop open and it made me think about manager training to stop employee theft. What is the correlation you may be asking? I come from a Retail Loss Prevention background and still work in a retail store on a part-time basis. I know the necessity of keeping buildings and property secure and it requires training to get others to understand it as well. When they don’t have a good grasp of it or training isn’t reinforced mistakes are made and eventually it leads to a theft problem especially in the world of retail. Is a book drop left unlocked a big deal? Not when it is empty but when someone disputes a replacement charge for a book they say they returned in an outside book deposit and we know we have had security lapses we don’t have a leg to stand on. In fairness to the customer we would have to err on the side of the customer and give the benefit of the doubt that the book may have been returned and one of our students left the drop opened after checking it. That security lapse can be costly. The same can be true in retail. Procedures may be in place to protect merchandise and prevent shoplifting or employee theft but if managers are not properly trained or receive refresher training it can cost money. This is where Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can help retail businesses improve profits through manager training to stop employee theft and to stop shoplifting.
Training comes in different forms. It may be from reading a book or manual and it may be self-taught training through trial and error. C.E.O. and founder of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar wants store owners and managers to know that the best training comes from experts in a field. You may be able to learn about employee theft and how to stop shoplifting to a certain extent from trial and error but what will it cost you in monetary terms? Will your lessons learned be adequate to help identify the signs that an employee may steal or has started stealing? Is shoplifting an amateurish prank or can it be an organized group working together to clean out stores? Who is responsible for tossing out the store trash at the end of the day and is this an opportunity an employee is using to steal from your store? LPSI offers manager training to stop employee theft and training to stop shoplifting. Live seminars and online training opportunities are administered by a professional with extensive experience in the retail business. There is nothing that can substitute for the training provided by those who have caught, interviewed and investigated dishonest employees and shoplifters.
I know there is someone reading this and saying, “Wait a minute, I read a drivers manual and got my driver’s license! I can surely stop shoplifting in my store the same way.” Hmmm, you didn’t get a driver’s license simply from reading a manual. You obtained the book knowledge required to receive a permit but you didn’t just hop into a car and start driving on your own. You had someone by your side who showed you the basics. They showed the proper way to start the vehicle, accelerate and brake. Some people learn faster than others and catch on to how to drive but it is a progressive experience. Loss Prevention is sort of like driving. You can read articles, newsletters and information but it will only get you so far. The LPSI team are the equivalent of the driving instructor who will guide and train you from the experiences they gained in the field. In the process they will get you to the point where you can safely operate on your own. As a business owner this means you will be able to operate your store share your knowledge with your employees.
Your store is much more important than a library book drop. The merchandise you carry, the cash in the registers, the team that works for you all are much more valuable than a few books. Lose that money, merchandise or property or put employees at risk by hiring the wrong people and it can put you out of business. Find out just how much of an impact manager training to stop employee theft and to stop shoplifting can have for your business.
Need information on manager training to stop employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Wardrobing-5 WC Blog 441
Return Fraud-3
Do Gift Cards Remove The Incentive To Commit Return Fraud? Part 1
As a Retail Loss Prevention Manager I remember getting frustrated at the growing trend I was seeing over the years of people returning merchandise without receipts and we stopped issuing cash back or credit card credit and started giving refunds back in the form of a store credit or gift card. I wanted to see more even exchanges for no-receipt refunds. The concept behind the gift cad issuance as I understood it was, if we give a gift card we are keeping the money in the store so we really don’t lose anything. On the surface it sounds right. The person committing the fraud can only use the store gift card in our stores so I guess it really does stay in the store. Then I started finding that those committing return fraud were turning right around and attempting to sell the gift cards to customer in the parking lot or in the store. We would chase them off letting them know we had a no-solicitation policy. That worked for a bit and then we found out through an apprehended shoplifter that he was returning stolen merchandise, getting gift cards as a refund and then taking the gift cards to local pawn shops and selling them. Added to the mess of fraudulent returns were those who engaged in wardrobing. Their returns were more complicated because while fraudulent they didn’t meet the criteria of fraud for any type of prosecution.
What is wardrobing you may ask? It is a type of return fraud when the person intentionally buys an item to wear once or twice and then return for a full refund. The customer makes the purchase, keeps the tags on the clothing by hiding them and of course keeps the receipt. They may also carefully remove tags and replace them when they are ready to take the garments back to the store. The merchandise is worn to dinner, an event or party and it appears the person has a new addition to their clothing repertoire. Rather than keep the clothes and continue to wear them in the future they go back to the store for a full refund. Making matters worse for the retailer is that many times the clothing being returned by a wardrobing customer is that the merchandise has odors from perfume, cologne, food or cigarettes or there may be make-up stains or food stains.
As gift cards have become a more popular form of credit for retailers to avoid the “incentive” of giving cash back for fraudulent transactions the need for selling the cards on the street or in pawn shops has been eliminated. There are now online web sites that will purchase gift cards from people. One web site claims a gift card seller can get up to 92% of the value of a gift card. As I perused the site I found I could buy a $100 CVS gift card for $90 and another website offered a $25 American Outfitters gift card for $19. I found that the website tells a seller that a credit card has to be on file so they will charge it if it is found a gift card was obtained through fraudulent or illegal means. What was not clear to me is how they make this determination? While there are some gift cards I was able to put a stop on because I could prove they were obtained through fraudulent means, such as the use of a stolen credit card or stolen checks, those situations were the exception. I don’t know how or if the site can determine gift cards were obtained through return fraud.
By the way, if someone is committing wardrobing fraud in most cases they don’t worry about getting the gift card. They are receiving cash back because they have all of the proper tags and receipts. There may be a few situations where they receive the gift card because of excessive wear and tear on the garment but often they raise their voices and create a scene to get their way. In part 2 of this article I will discuss how retailers can deal with wardrobing versus other types of fraud.
Get more information on return fraud contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
As a Retail Loss Prevention Manager I remember getting frustrated at the growing trend I was seeing over the years of people returning merchandise without receipts and we stopped issuing cash back or credit card credit and started giving refunds back in the form of a store credit or gift card. I wanted to see more even exchanges for no-receipt refunds. The concept behind the gift card issuance as I understood it was, if we give a gift card we are keeping the money in the store so we really don’t lose anything. On the surface it sounds right. The person committing the fraud can only use the store gift card in our stores so I guess it really does stay in the store. Then I started finding that those committing return fraud were turning right around and attempting to sell the gift cards to customer in the parking lot or in the store. We would chase them off letting them know we had a no-solicitation policy. That worked for a bit and then we found out through an apprehended shoplifter that he was returning stolen merchandise, getting gift cards as a refund and then taking the gift cards to local pawn shops and selling them. Added to the mess of fraudulent returns were those who engaged in wardrobing. Their returns were more complicated because while fraudulent they didn’t meet the criteria of fraud for any type of prosecution.
What is wardrobing you may ask? It is a type of return fraud when the person intentionally buys an item to wear once or twice and then return for a full refund. The customer makes the purchase, keeps the tags on the clothing by hiding them and of course keeps the receipt. They may also carefully remove tags and replace them when they are ready to take the garments back to the store. The merchandise is worn to dinner, an event or party and it appears the person has a new addition to their clothing repertoire. Rather than keep the clothes and continue to wear them in the future they go back to the store for a full refund. Making matters worse for the retailer is that many times the clothing being returned by a wardrobing customer is that the merchandise has odors from perfume, cologne, food or cigarettes or there may be make-up stains or food stains.
As gift cards have become a more popular form of credit for retailers to avoid the “incentive” of giving cash back for fraudulent transactions the need for selling the cards on the street or in pawn shops has been eliminated. There are now online web sites that will purchase gift cards from people. One web site claims a gift card seller can get up to 92% of the value of a gift card. As I perused the site I found I could buy a $100 CVS gift card for $90 and another website offered a $25 American Outfitters gift card for $19. I found that the website tells a seller that a credit card has to be on file so they will charge it if it is found a gift card was obtained through fraudulent or illegal means. What was not clear to me is how they make this determination? While there are some gift cards I was able to put a stop on because I could prove they were obtained through fraudulent means, such as the use of a stolen credit card or stolen checks, those situations were the exception. I don’t know how or if the site can determine gift cards were obtained through return fraud.
By the way, if someone is committing wardrobing fraud in most cases they don’t worry about getting the gift card. They are receiving cash back because they have all of the proper tags and receipts. There may be a few situations where they receive the gift card because of excessive wear and tear on the garment but often they raise their voices and create a scene to get their way. In part 2 of this article I will discuss how retailers can deal with wardrobing versus other types of fraud.
Get more information on return fraud contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Pre-employment Screening- 4 WC Blog 429
Background Check Company-4
Pre-employment Screening Or Hiring Assessments; Is One A Better Tool Than The Other For Staffing Your Business? Part 2
In Part 1 of this article I spent some time discussing how hiring assessments can be detrimental to an employer in terms of the limiting effect it can have on a hiring pool. These assessments are often a hundred questions or more and can take an hour or so of a job applicant’s time. I related in part 1 my personal experience of taking an assessment for a department manager position and failing it despite my extensive management and retail background. It was also irritating to fail this assessment since I know many of the questions involved integrity issues and handling difficult situations or theft related incidents. Cover your ears, I’m about to shout…I WAS A RETAIL LOSS PREVENTION MANAGER FOR 13 YEARS AND HAD 17 YEARS OR MORE OF TOTAL LOSS PREVENTION EXPERIENCE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Shouting over, you can uncover your ears. You don’t handle many more integrity or theft situations than I have over my lifetime. To top it off, I figured out what the test was wanting, tested for a sales associate job for the same company and scored a 100% on the same day. The questions were generally the same so it was a flawed system, in my humble opinion. Using a background check company is a better way to assess whether an applicant would be a good member of your team than using one of these assessments.
A background check company conducts pre-employment screening for employers and looks at the background and history of someone applying to a business. These checks can be customized to the needs of a particular company so that pertinent information on a candidate can be more carefully scrutinized. A long-haul truck company may be more interested in an applicant’s driver history and training schools attended than his/her credit history. A school will be more concerned with a thorough check of sex offender registries than they will be of a driver history. All employers may want to know that their employees have proper I9 credentials to ensure their workers are working legally in the United States. Based on the position search criteria may be even more stringent. The depth and intensity of the checks can be determined by the background check company and the business. The important thing to know is that you can learn a lot more about who an applicant is through pre-employment screening than through a test/assessment that may not give a true picture of the person you are considering for the job.
Aside from my own experience I also want to share the story of another person who has been affected by one of these assessments. I met a homeless man and had a conversation with him. During the course of our conversation, I asked whether he had applied to a store nearby where I knew they were hiring and have a need for hard working, freight team members. The gentleman said he had applied and even had an interview but had failed the company’s assessment so they couldn’t hire him. I was furious. Not only was this man not out panhandling or asking for handouts, he was trying to apply for work and was turned down because of one of these STUPID assessments. And while he may have been telling me a story I don’t believe he was because I have failed one and I have a college degree and over 34 years of work experience.
I do not know this guy any more than I know the men who traveled to the moon. What I do know is had the business he applied to relied on a background check company to run a pre-employment screening in lieu of an assessment, he may have had a chance to pass and get a job. It is possible this business lost an opportunity to hire one fantastic worker. I know there are those who will be naysayers and insist that hiring assessments are unbiased and give the best evaluation of a candidate’s personality. Hold that thought. According to an article on the website “workable” titled, “Pre-employment Testing: pros and cons” by Nikolleta Bika, October 11, 2016, she lists the positives of pre-employment testing but she also lists the negatives of testing including: testing can be discriminatory, they invite lies and tests assume unique people are made through molds. https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/pre-employment-testing What I am trying to point out is testing is not necessarily going to give you the best candidates and you may cheat yourself out of a great employee. Use pre-employment screening and your interview process to get the best candidates for your team.
Get more information on pre-employment screening, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In Part 1 of this article I spent some time discussing how hiring assessments can be detrimental to an employer in terms of the limiting effect it can have on a hiring pool. These assessments are often a hundred questions or more and can take an hour or so of a job applicant’s time. I related in part 1 my personal experience of taking an assessment for a department manager position and failing it despite my extensive management and retail background. It was also irritating to fail this assessment since I know many of the questions involved integrity issues and handling difficult situations or theft related incidents. Cover your ears, I’m about to shout…I WAS A RETAIL LOSS PREVENTION MANAGER FOR 13 YEARS AND HAD 17 YEARS OR MORE OF TOTAL LOSS PREVENTION EXPERIENCE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Shouting over, you can uncover your ears. You don’t handle many more integrity or theft situations than I have over my lifetime. To top it off, I figured out what the test was wanting, tested for a sales associate job for the same company and scored a 100% on the same day. The questions were generally the same so it was a flawed system, in my humble opinion. Using a background check company is a better way to assess whether an applicant would be a good member of your team than using one of these assessments.
A background check company conducts pre-employment screening for employers and looks at the background and history of someone applying to a business. These checks can be customized to the needs of a particular company so that pertinent information on a candidate can be more carefully scrutinized. A long-haul truck company may be more interested in an applicant’s driver history and training schools attended than his/her credit history. A school will be more concerned with a thorough check of sex offender registries than they will be of a driver history. All employers may want to know that their employees have proper I9 credentials to ensure their workers are working legally in the United States. Based on the position search criteria may be even more stringent. The depth and intensity of the checks can be determined by the background check company and the business. The important thing to know is that you can learn a lot more about who an applicant is through pre-employment screening than through a test/assessment that may not give a true picture of the person you are considering for the job.
Aside from my own experience I also want to share the story of another person who has been affected by one of these assessments. I met a homeless man and had a conversation with him. During the course of our conversation, I asked whether he had applied to a store nearby where I knew they were hiring and have a need for hard working, freight team members. The gentleman said he had applied and even had an interview but had failed the company’s assessment so they couldn’t hire him. I was furious. Not only was this man not out panhandling or asking for handouts, he was trying to apply for work and was turned down because of one of these STUPID assessments. And while he may have been telling me a story I don’t believe he was because I have failed one and I have a college degree and over 34 years of work experience.
I do not know this guy any more than I know the men who traveled to the moon. What I do know is had the business he applied to relied on a background check company to run a pre-employment screening in lieu of an assessment, he may have had a chance to pass and get a job. It is possible this business lost an opportunity to hire one fantastic worker. I know there are those who will be naysayers and insist that hiring assessments are unbiased and give the best evaluation of a candidate’s personality. Hold that thought. According to an article on the website “workable” titled, “Pre-employment Testing: pros and cons” by Nikolleta Bika, October 11, 2016, she lists the positives of pre-employment testing but she also lists the negatives of testing including: testing can be discriminatory, they invite lies and tests assume unique people are made through molds. https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/pre-employment-testing What I am trying to point out is testing is not necessarily going to give you the best candidates and you may cheat yourself out of a great employee. Use pre-employment screening and your interview process to get the best candidates for your team.
Get more information on pre-employment screening, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Clothing security- 4 WC Blog 524
Checkpoint tags-5
Checkpoint Tags Help Offset Tight Employee Budgets
Clothing security can be difficult for small and medium size retailers that have limited resources. As a Retail Loss prevention Manager I had to deal with shoplifters and employees who have stolen clothes so I have seen the various methods employed by criminals. One of the favorite forms of theft for shoplifters and I include employees in this, is the use of fitting rooms and restrooms to commit their crimes. Rather than trying to hide merchandise in a purse, shopping bag or under their clothing and risk being observed by store cameras or plain clothes security they go where they know that cameras are not permitted. Thieves know that most stores restrict Loss Prevention personnel from making what are known as “fitting room” stops and the same applies to restrooms. In order to prevent shoplifting many of the large retailers will spend payroll on a fitting room attendant. This person’s job is supposed to be taking all merchandise from a customer, separating the items, inspecting to be sure nothing is in between items and there are not multiple items on a single hanger. It may not be feasible for smaller stores to spend scarce payroll dollars on a fitting room attendant. This is where clothing security can be enhanced in the form of Checkpoint tags available from Loss Prevention Systems Inc.
Checkpoint tags for clothing are available in a sturdy design that is built to prevent shoplifters from defeating them. Tugged, pulled, pried or beaten on these tags will hold up to the most severe punishment. Of course it should be pointed out that in my encounters with anyone trying to pull a tag off of clothing they are usually putting so much effort into it they become obvious. Those shoplifters that choose to try to conceal tagged clothing and attempt to get out of a store will set off an electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm pedestal. The alarms and lights of the pedestals are so bright and noisy that employees respond and recover merchandise through a check of the culprit’s receipt. An employee well trained on appropriate EAS alarm response knows how to keep encounters calm and recover merchandise without a nasty confrontation.
The question arises, “Why can’t I just look in a fitting room and if there are empty hangers then I can simply stop the suspect?” You can never be absolutely sure that a hanger is an indicator of theft. Some people try on clothes and if they find a garment they like they don’t bother putting it back on a hanger. When I was a Loss Prevention Associate and brand new to the retail world I worked in a department store. I vividly recall going into a fitting room and bringing out a handful of clothes hangers. I showed them to the associates at the register and told them that someone had probably stolen the items that went on those hangers. The associates were none too pleased with me, a guy new to L.P. and retail. One of the associates took the hangers and told me that they do count items going in and out, not necessarily hangers. That associate, who is now my wife, kindly reminds me of that encounter from time to time to keep me humble. Clothing security was a priority then and items were counted but we did not use Checkpoint tags as much then as we should have. Clothing alarm tags can reduce the need to have a fitting room attendant for stores without the payroll to staff that position.
Restrooms can be another problem altogether because they are often in a corner or out of the main aisles of the store. EAS towers can be placed outside of the restrooms and if merchandise with Checkpoint tags is taken in the tower alarms will sound there too. Towers can’t be placed outside of a fitting room because the purpose of a fitting room is to take merchandise in to try on. Security tags on clothes provide protection for retailers when they can’t afford to place a person at the fitting room. As I mentioned if they tamper with tags they will damage the clothes, leave the tags in place and they will activate alarms.
If you have the resources to afford a fitting room attendant to stop shoplifting then continue to do so and let Checkpoint tags be a supplement to your security efforts. If you don’t have the resources, tag all of your merchandise with clothing security tags and watch your profits grow.
Get more information on Checkpoint tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Clothing security can be difficult for small and medium size retailers that have limited resources. As a Retail Loss prevention Manager I had to deal with shoplifters and employees who have stolen clothes so I have seen the various methods employed by criminals. One of the favorite forms of theft for shoplifters and I include employees in this, is the use of fitting rooms and restrooms to commit their crimes. Rather than trying to hide merchandise in a purse, shopping bag or under their clothing and risk being observed by store cameras or plain clothes security they go where they know that cameras are not permitted. Thieves know that most stores restrict Loss Prevention personnel from making what are known as “fitting room” stops and the same applies to restrooms. In order to prevent shoplifting many of the large retailers will spend payroll on a fitting room attendant. This person’s job is supposed to be taking all merchandise from a customer, separating the items, inspecting to be sure nothing is in between items and there are not multiple items on a single hanger. It may not be feasible for smaller stores to spend scarce payroll dollars on a fitting room attendant. This is where clothing security can be enhanced in the form of Checkpoint tags available from Loss Prevention Systems Inc.
Checkpoint tags for clothing are available in a sturdy design that is built to prevent shoplifters from defeating them. Tugged, pulled, pried or beaten on these tags will hold up to the most severe punishment. Of course it should be pointed out that in my encounters with anyone trying to pull a tag off of clothing they are usually putting so much effort into it they become obvious. Those shoplifters that choose to try to conceal tagged clothing and attempt to get out of a store will set off an electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm pedestal. The alarms and lights of the pedestals are so bright and noisy that employees respond and recover merchandise through a check of the culprit’s receipt. An employee well trained on appropriate EAS alarm response knows how to keep encounters calm and recover merchandise without a nasty confrontation.
The question arises, “Why can’t I just look in a fitting room and if there are empty hangers then I can simply stop the suspect?” You can never be absolutely sure that a hanger is an indicator of theft. Some people try on clothes and if they find a garment they like they don’t bother putting it back on a hanger. When I was a Loss Prevention Associate and brand new to the retail world I worked in a department store. I vividly recall going into a fitting room and bringing out a handful of clothes hangers. I showed them to the associates at the register and told them that someone had probably stolen the items that went on those hangers. The associates were none too pleased with me, a guy new to L.P. and retail. One of the associates took the hangers and told me that they do count items going in and out, not necessarily hangers. That associate, who is now my wife, kindly reminds me of that encounter from time to time to keep me humble. Clothing security was a priority then and items were counted but we did not use Checkpoint tags as much then as we should have. Clothing alarm tags can reduce the need to have a fitting room attendant for stores without the payroll to staff that position.
Restrooms can be another problem altogether because they are often in a corner or out of the main aisles of the store. EAS towers can be placed outside of the restrooms and if merchandise with Checkpoint tags is taken in the tower alarms will sound there too. Towers can’t be placed outside of a fitting room because the purpose of a fitting room is to take merchandise in to try on. Security tags on clothes provide protection for retailers when they can’t afford to place a person at the fitting room. As I mentioned if they tamper with tags they will damage the clothes, leave the tags in place and they will activate alarms.
If you have the resources to afford a fitting room attendant to stop shoplifting then continue to do so and let Checkpoint tags be a supplement to your security efforts. If you don’t have the resources, tag all of your merchandise with clothing security tags and watch your profits grow.
Get more information on Checkpoint tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Tablet Theft-4 WC Blog 477
Bug Tag-4
A Bug Tag Provides Protection Against Medical Computer Tablet Theft
Tablet theft from hospitals is a concern that cannot be overstated. The issues that surround a stolen computer, tablet or iPad involve the compromise of patient information. We see in the news that corporate giants lose customer information and we worry about the personal information that is exposed to the hackers. I think about the Equifax data breach that put the information of nearly 14.5 million people at risk. This follows a long list of other businesses that were violated in recent years. When a hospital or medical facility loses patient data a lot more can be at stake. Personal information becomes available, medical history, patient billing information and payment information are just a few of the things that can be targeted by hackers. Desktop computers have been replaced with laptops and in many institutions laptops have been replaced with medical computer tablets and iPads. Trying to protect against tablet theft is much different than trying to protect a desktop computer from being stolen. There is a way to stop thieves and it requires protecting devices with a Bug Tag.
A Bug Tag is a small anti-theft device that is stuck on a tablet or iPad by sticking the adhesive back of the tag to the device. Buildings that use electronic article surveillance pedestals at doors are able to detect protected devices if carried near the exits. In the event a tagged tablet or iPad is in the range of the pedestals a loud, beeping sound resonates through the building. Workers respond to the alarm and recover the computers before they leave the building. Concerned about someone tampering with the Bug Tag? No need to worry, the tags have tamper mechanisms that activate an internal alarm if someone tries to pry a tag off. Again, employees alerted to the noise respond and prevent a theft from taking place.
Is there really a possibility that a tablet that a tablet theft could occur at a hospital? In a recent article in abc15.com, Aug 1, 2017, by Joe Enea, “PD: Man slept in Phoenix hospital basement, robs them of computers”, the article reports that, “A man was caught stealing multiple laptops and large televisions from a Phoenix hospital last month.” The story reported how the subject had been sleeping in the hospital basement and sneaking laptop computers out of the hospital and then selling them. http://www.abc15.com/news/crime/pd-man-sleeping-in-phoenix-hospital-basement-robs-them-of-computers Something that stood out to me about the story is there was no mention about what happened to any information stored on those computers. What information was on those computers and could someone hack into them and obtain patient data? It also occurred to me that with the transition in many hospitals from laptops to computer tablets and tablets are so much smaller than laptops. How much easier a tablet theft would have been if they were used in this particular building?
You may be thinking this is an isolated case and chances are that even if a computer or tablet were stolen from a medical provider the encryption or security measures would prevent loss of data. You might want to rethink that. In another recent story, dated March 3, 2017, in the Times of San Diego, by Cassia Pollock, “Data of 750 Patients Compromised by Computer Theft at Sharp Healthcare”, the article discusses the possibility that someone may have access to the records of 750 outpatients due to the theft of a computer. What kind of information could someone possibly gain from this computer? “Each study record may have included patient name, date of birth, age, current medications, family history and a summary of studies performed.” https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2017/03/03/data-of-750-patients-breached-in-computer-theft-at-sharp-healthcare/ it should give us cause for concern the next time we visit a healthcare provider.
Obviously we have to give out our information in order to be seen by doctors, nurses and even pharmacists. We do have the right to expect they will take care of our personal information since they are requiring it of us. It is important then that medical centers, hospitals, clinics and any other facility with access to patient information takes necessary precautions to prevent the theft of portable and mobile devices such as iPads and tablets. Use the Bug Tag on each device and electronic article surveillance pedestals at all entrances/exits to keep hardware from leaving the building. The confidence instilled in your patients will keep them returning again and again.
For more information on Tablet Theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Tablet theft from hospitals is a concern that cannot be overstated. The issues that surround a stolen computer, tablet or iPad involve the compromise of patient information. We see in the news that corporate giants lose customer information and we worry about the personal information that is exposed to the hackers. I think about the Equifax data breach that put the information of nearly 14.5 million people at risk. This follows a long list of other businesses that were violated in recent years. When a hospital or medical facility loses patient data a lot more can be at stake. Personal information becomes available, medical history, patient billing information and payment information are just a few of the things that can be targeted by hackers. Desktop computers have been replaced with laptops and in many institutions laptops have been replaced with medical computer tablets and iPads. Trying to protect against tablet theft is much different than trying to protect a desktop computer from being stolen. There is a way to stop thieves and it requires protecting devices with a Bug Tag.
A Bug Tag is a small anti-theft device that is stuck on a tablet or iPad by sticking the adhesive back of the tag to the device. Buildings that use electronic article surveillance pedestals at doors are able to detect protected devices if carried near the exits. In the event a tagged tablet or iPad is in the range of the pedestals a loud, beeping sound resonates through the building. Workers respond to the alarm and recover the computers before they leave the building. Concerned about someone tampering with the Bug Tag? No need to worry, the tags have tamper mechanisms that activate an internal alarm if someone tries to pry a tag off. Again, employees alerted to the noise respond and prevent a theft from taking place.
Is there really a possibility that a tablet that a tablet theft could occur at a hospital? In a recent article in abc15.com, Aug 1, 2017, by Joe Enea, “PD: Man slept in Phoenix hospital basement, robs them of computers”, the article reports that, “A man was caught stealing multiple laptops and large televisions from a Phoenix hospital last month.” The story reported how the subject had been sleeping in the hospital basement and sneaking laptop computers out of the hospital and then selling them. http://www.abc15.com/news/crime/pd-man-sleeping-in-phoenix-hospital-basement-robs-them-of-computers. Something that stood out to me about the story is there was no mention about what happened to any information stored on those computers. What information was on those computers and could someone hack into them and obtain patient data? It also occurred to me that with the transition in many hospitals from laptops to computer tablets and tablets are so much smaller than laptops. How much easier a tablet theft would have been if they were used in this particular building?
You may be thinking this is an isolated case and chances are that even if a computer or tablet were stolen from a medical provider the encryption or security measures would prevent loss of data. You might want to rethink that. In another recent story, dated March 3, 2017, in the Times of San Diego, by Cassia Pollock, “Data of 750 Patients Compromised by Computer Theft at Sharp Healthcare”, the article discusses the possibility that someone may have access to the records of 750 outpatients due to the theft of a computer. What kind of information could someone possibly gain from this computer? “Each study record may have included patient name, date of birth, age, current medications, family history and a summary of studies performed.” https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2017/03/03/data-of-750-patients-breached-in-computer-theft-at-sharp-healthcare/ it should give us cause for concern the next time we visit a healthcare provider.
Obviously we have to give out our information in order to be seen by doctors, nurses and even pharmacists. We do have the right to expect they will take care of our personal information since they are requiring it of us. It is important then that medical centers, hospitals, clinics and any other facility with access to patient information takes necessary precautions to prevent the theft of portable and mobile devices such as iPads and tablets. Use the Bug Tag on each device and electronic article surveillance pedestals at all entrances/exits to keep hardware from leaving the building. The confidence instilled in your patients will keep them returning again and again.
For more information on Tablet Theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
