Three Groups of Thieves
There are essentially three groups of people who perpetrate business theft. At the top of the list are employees. This is no surprise, given that they have ample opportunity. Unfortunately, this particular group tends to cause the most heartbreak for employers. Business owners are distraught to learn that trusted employees would steal from them. What do employees steal? Anything and everything. Office supplies go missing from the storeroom. Inventory is stolen from the warehouse. Company credit cards are used for personal purchases. Even bookkeepers help themselves to the daily receipts. Anything that is not nailed down is a target. The other two groups of potential thieves are:- Customers – In a business-to-consumer (B2C) scenario, there is a general understanding that customers steal. Think of a retail setting. Shoplifting is an ongoing crime that retailers have been fighting since the birth of retail.
- Visitors – Visitors who do not necessarily qualify as customers might also steal. For example, you may have a number of vendors who visit your premises to provide on-site services. Some of their reps might help themselves to your property when they visit.
Why People Steal from You
By now you are probably wondering why people would steal from your business. According to research cited by the BBC in 2012, there are a number of reasons. The first is genuine need. A person might shoplift from your grocery store because they are legitimately hungry. They have no food and no means to buy it. Unfortunately, legitimate need is rarely the reason. In fact, research conducted in North America suggests that police officers, nurses, and doctors are involved in more shoplifting incidents than any other professions. They are not doing it because they have a genuine need. So what’s going on? People who steal without genuine need may do so for any one of several reasons:- Getting Even – Stealing in business settings is often a matter of getting even. An employee might feel they have been wronged and the only way to right that wrong is to steal. Another employee might steal because they feel they are being underpaid. They get even by taking company property.
- Dealing with Loss – Some people steal as a way of coping with some sort of loss. It might be the loss of a loved one or an important relationship. It could also be a loss that does not necessarily affect the thief personally. For example, doctors and nurses deal with loss of life every day. The loss is not personal, but it is one they have trouble coping with.
- The Thrill – People steal from businesses just for the thrill of doing so. They find it exciting to see if they can get away with it. The risk of being caught only heightens the pleasure.
- Psychological Compulsion – There is that small group of people who steal due to a psychological compulsion. They suffer from a condition known as kleptomania. They steal because they cannot help themselves.