Is Employee Theft Your Shop’s Biggest Security Blind Spot?

21% of shrinkage is due to internal theft. This figure, sourced from the AES Protection study, shines a light on a phenomenon often shrouded in taboo: theft committed by employees. While the watchful eye of security typically focuses on external threats, a crucial question remains: what about fraudulent behavior happening within your own walls?

In this article, we'll delve into why internal theft frequently goes undetected, explore the warning signs that should alert a manager, and examine how technological innovation could revolutionize prevention in this sensitive area in the future.

In-Store Theft: A Silent Drain on Profits

The precise scale of employee theft is notoriously difficult to pin down. Unlike external shoplifting, which is often caught on camera or flagged by inventory discrepancies, internal fraud leverages employees' access to products and their understanding of system vulnerabilities.

So, why does this type of theft fly under the radar so often?

• Undermining Trust: It's hard to challenge a relationship built on trust, which can make managers hesitant to investigate.
• Lack of Tools: Businesses often don't have the right tools to monitor discreetly without fostering an atmosphere of suspicion.
• Subtle Methods: Employee theft mechanisms are often more subtle than outright shoplifting. Think doctored till receipts, hidden products, or fake cancellations.

According to AES Protection, a dishonest employee can siphon off small amounts of money repeatedly, accumulating into thousands of euros in losses for a business each year.ion, a malicious employee can repeatedly steal small sums of money, which can ultimately cost a business thousands of euros a year.

Don't Overlook These Warning Signs

For shop managers, pinpointing employee theft is a challenging task. However, certain behaviors should definitely raise a red flag:

• Frequent, unjustified till errors.
• An employee consistently working alone in sensitive areas like storerooms or high-value departments.
• Unusual stock movements or excessive customer discounts.
• Reluctance to be supervised or to work collaboratively with others.
  

Towards a New Era of Detection: The Potential of Gesture Analysis

Currently, the Veesion solution is not specifically designed to detect internal theft. However, the power of real-time gesture analysis holds promising potential for enhancing transparency across all areas of a shop, including crucial spaces like stockrooms and storage areas.

Why consider a behavioral analysis solution for this purpose?

• Detect Abnormal Movements: It can pinpoint unusual activity in sensitive zones that might otherwise go unnoticed.
• Provide Neutral, Automatic Alerts: It offers an objective, automated alert system, reducing the need for direct human supervision and its inherent biases.
• Preserve Confidentiality and Trust: By focusing solely on factual observations, it helps maintain the relationship of trust with employees while respecting their privacy.

Prevention, Transparency, and Respect: Striking the Right Balance

Combating internal theft doesn't have to be synonymous with intrusive surveillance. Technology can emerge as a powerful and trusted ally by providing objective, non-judgmental data.

Establishing a culture of transparency, fostering collective vigilance among teams through training, and deploying the right technological tools can effectively prevent theft without resorting to stigmatization.

Veesion's Future Role in Comprehensive Loss Prevention

Faced with significant losses due to internal theft, retailers are actively seeking solutions that are not only more effective and discreet but also more respectful of their employees. Veesion is currently exploring new functionalities that could, in the future, contribute to preventing all forms of fraudulent behavior, including those originating internally.

👉 Interested in staying informed about Veesion's upcoming product developments? Don't hesitate to contact our team to learn more.