Stop Shoplifting-4 WC Blog 157
Checkpoint labels-3
“Witless” Protection Program; Trying To Stop Shoplifting And Dumb Criminals, True Loss Prevention Stories Part I
Over the course of my careers, I have had to stop shoplifting, arrest intoxicated persons, conduct traffic stops for traffic violations, etc. Looking back on my U.S. Air Force experiences and my Loss Prevention experiences, I have to wonder what some people were thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) when they committed their crimes. Some people commit criminal acts, and in return for testifying against others, they are exonerated or given plea deals, they may even be placed in a Witness Protection Program. I have never dealt with those people. I, on the other hand, have dealt with some who should have been placed in a “Witless Protection Program” because they just…well, let my examples speak for themselves.
In one store which I worked, our team frequently focused efforts to stop shoplifting in the jewelry department where we saw a high stock shortage percentage. One day I watched a teenage girl as she stopped at a jewelry counter and began looking at earrings on countertop displays. I observed her select and place a pair of earrings in her pants pocket and head for the doors. Our earrings did not have any Checkpoint labels on the backers so unfortunately, no alarm sounded when people would exit with stolen earrings. Well, that turned out to be the case this time. The young lady exited, no alarm sounded, but I knew she had the merchandise so I stopped her and returned with her to go to the security office. As we arrived in the office, my shoplifter had a sudden “asthma attack”. I might have taken it seriously had I not observed her sliding the earrings from her pocket and trying to hide them underneath her posterior as she slid down the wall to the floor. She was very dramatic, wheezing, breathing hard and holding her chest with her free hand. I informed my suspect that if she got a break during her asthma attack I would appreciate it if she could hand me the earrings she had taken out of her pocket and was sitting on. It didn’t take too long before the “asthma attack” was over. Earrings recovered and teenager turned over to mom.
It isn’t always easy to stop shoplifting of some merchandise because it is so small it can be hard to detect. Then there are situations when it is apparent someone has stolen merchandise, but the suspect is clueless. In another store where I was the Loss Prevention Manager I encountered a “Nitwit” thief who decided to steal a Maglight flashlight. If you aren’t familiar with these items they are the large, aluminum flashlights often carried by police officers. This particular flashlight is nearly one foot in length. I watched from the end of the aisle as the perpetrator removed the flashlight from the peghook and placed it down the front of his pants. It was so long it stuck out of the top of his waistband. These items were protected with Checkpoint labels and when I followed him to the front of the store, as he started through the Checkpoint antennas, the alarm did sound and I stopped him. Once we were back in the security office he tried to deny he had anything despite the alarm activation AND until I pointed out the part of the flashlight that I could see! Yes, another candidate for the “Witless Protection Program”.
During my time in the U.S. Air Force, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist. On one occasion when I was on patrol I received a call to respond to a location for an attempted suicide. When I arrived I pulled in front of a red, fastback Ford Mustang and noticed a young man was sitting on the curb in front of this unique, classic car looking rather sheepish. The driver who was standing beside the suspect told me the young man had decided to try to kill himself by jumping in front of his car. The driver turned the Airman over to my custody and left. As I took the slightly inebriated Airman into custody I explained to him that the next time he decided to try to commit suicide, it would be best not to do it in front of the Base Commander’s car! My prisoner would have been a perfect fit for the “Witless Protection Program”.
There are plenty of thieves and just plain dumb criminals out there. Some are shoplifters. For those who shoplift Checkpoint labels work and can stop shoplifting. Keep your “wits” about you and protect the merchandise in your store and keep profits up.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Over the course of my careers, I have had to stop shoplifting, arrest intoxicated persons, conduct traffic stops for traffic violations, etc. Looking back on my U.S. Air Force experiences and my Loss Prevention experiences, I have to wonder what some people were thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) when they committed their crimes. Some people commit criminal acts, and in return for testifying against others, they are exonerated or given plea deals, they may even be placed in a Witness Protection Program. I have never dealt with those people. I, on the other hand, have dealt with some who should have been placed in a “Witless Protection Program” because they just…well, let my examples speak for themselves.
In one store which I worked, our team frequently focused efforts to stop shoplifting in the jewelry department where we saw a high stock shortage percentage. One day I watched a teenage girl as she stopped at a jewelry counter and began looking at earrings on countertop displays. I observed her select and place a pair of earrings in her pants pocket and head for the doors. Our earrings did not have any Checkpoint labels on the backers so unfortunately, no alarm sounded when people would exit with stolen earrings. Well, that turned out to be the case this time. The young lady exited, no alarm sounded, but I knew she had the merchandise so I stopped her and returned with her to go to the security office. As we arrived in the office, my shoplifter had a sudden “asthma attack”. I might have taken it seriously had I not observed her sliding the earrings from her pocket and trying to hide them underneath her posterior as she slid down the wall to the floor. She was very dramatic, wheezing, breathing hard and holding her chest with her free hand. I informed my suspect that if she got a break during her asthma attack I would appreciate it if she could hand me the earrings she had taken out of her pocket and was sitting on. It didn’t take too long before the “asthma attack” was over. Earrings recovered and teenager turned over to mom.
It isn’t always easy to stop shoplifting of some merchandise because it is so small it can be hard to detect.Then there are situations when it is apparent someone has stolen merchandise, but the suspect is clueless. In another store where I was the Loss Prevention Manager I encountered a “Nitwit” thief who decided to steal a Maglight flashlight. If you aren’t familiar with these items they are the large, aluminum flashlights often carried by police officers. This particular flashlight is nearly one foot in length. I watched from the end of the aisle as the perpetrator removed the flashlight from the peghook and placed it down the front of his pants. It was so long it stuck out of the top of his waistband. These items were protected with Checkpoint labels and when I followed him to the front of the store, as he started through the Checkpoint antennas, the alarm did sound and I stopped him. Once we were back in the security office he tried to deny he had anything despite the alarm activation AND until I pointed out the part of the flashlight that I could see! Yes, another candidate for the “Witless Protection Program”.
During my time in the U.S. Air Force, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist. On one occasion when I was on patrol I received a call to respond to a location for an attempted suicide. When I arrived I pulled in front of a red, fastback Ford Mustang and noticed a young man was sitting on the curb in front of this unique, classic car looking rather sheepish. The driver who was standing beside the suspect told me the young man had decided to try to kill himself by jumping in front of his car. The driver turned the Airman over to my custody and left. As I took the slightly inebriated Airman into custody I explained to him that the next time he decided to try to commit suicide, it would be best not to do it in front of the Base Commander’s car! My prisoner would have been a perfect fit for the “Witless Protection Program”.
There are plenty of thieves and just plain dumb criminals out there. Some are shoplifters. For those who shoplift Checkpoint labels work and can stop shoplifting. Keep your “wits” about you and protect the merchandise in your store and keep profits up.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Checkpoint Tags-4 WC Blog 170
Checkpoint Security Systems-3
Trying To Bypass Checkpoint Systems And Other Stories Of Dishonest Employees: Part 1
One of my favorite things to do during my time as a Loss Prevention Manager was to conduct internal investigations. We might begin an investigation based on exception reports we received, watching video that corresponded to the report. Some investigations originated from employee tips, alerting us to suspicious actions on the part of a fellow team member. Other investigations began with good old fashioned camera surveillance for no particular reason than what is called a gut feeling. During these employee investigations I saw all types of activity that solidified my cases, for example; deactivation of Checkpoint Tags on clothes at the point of sale when no one else was around. Ringing merchandise for a friend and removing security devices, then voiding the items so the friend could bypass the Checkpoint Security Systems in the store. Special offers of gift cards with purchases were good times to watch cashiers who would “forget” to give a customer a gift card they were supposed to have received and then the cashier kept the gift card themselves. Getting the dishonest employee to admit to their crime could be difficult and that was where a detailed investigation became critical. A good investigation meant that whether an employee confessed to the crime or not, there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute them anyways. Then there were the cases where an admission was either easy or funny to obtain. In the next two articles I would like to share a few of my favorite cases.
Before I continue with my story, I want to quickly explain what Checkpoint Tags are for those who may not be familiar with them. Checkpoint tags are small, electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensitive stickers that can be applied to almost any type of merchandise. In our stores we often applied them to a wide range of merchandise, from clothing to music CD’s. The tags are made to be set to a specific radio frequency (RF) and when brought into range of EAS antennas, set off the alarm built into the antennas. The tags are deactivated when passed over a deactivation pad at the point of sale and cannot be reset. Checkpoint Security Systems carry a wide variety of EAS antennas, deactivation pads, tags and labels as well as accessories such as detachment keys.
Returning to my favorite cases, in one of my investigations I had two young ladies who were cashiers and had been ringing merchandise for each other, deactivating Checkpoint Tags on clothing, bedding, and other merchandise, then voiding items from the transactions and giving the merchandise to each other anyways as if purchased. This activity went on for several weeks while I investigated to see how deep the activity went. When I finally had enough evidence, I went through my protocols, then pulled both employees at the same time and placed them in separate rooms for interviews. I had manager witnesses in each room, so I was able to walk back and forth between the rooms to talk to the young ladies. Initially neither was quick to confess to anything until one admitted to a small item her friend had “passed” to her. Well, once that started I had my opening and took the information to the other suspect and told her that her “friend” had admitted to a little of the theft, but said the other one had done most of the stealing. That did not sit well with friend number two who then turned on her former partner in crime and spilled all the beans. I continued going back and forth between the rooms, as the admissions and accusations flew. Eventually I had full admissions with a little bit I had not known about previously. Watching the two friends/thieves turn on each other was, admittedly, a somewhat humorous ending to this case. I never learned if they at least got to share a cell together in the local jail.
The fact that my two employees recognized the need to deactivate merchandise before trying to pass it confirmed for me that Checkpoint Security Systems do deter theft and make it more difficult for employees to steal from their place of business.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
One of my favorite things to do during my time as a Loss Prevention Manager was to conduct internal investigations. We might begin an investigation based on exception reports we received, watching video that corresponded to the report. Some investigations originated from employee tips, alerting us to suspicious actions on the part of a fellow team member. Other investigations began with good old fashioned camera surveillance for no particular reason than what is called a gut feeling. During these employee investigations I saw all types of activity that solidified my cases, for example; deactivation of Checkpoint Tags on clothes at the point of sale when no one else was around. Ringing merchandise for a friend and removing security devices, then voiding the items so the friend could bypass the Checkpoint Security Systems in the store. Special offers of gift cards with purchases were good times to watch cashiers who would “forget” to give a customer a gift card they were supposed to have received and then the cashier kept the gift card themselves. Getting the dishonest employee to admit to their crime could be difficult and that was where a detailed investigation became critical. A good investigation meant that whether an employee confessed to the crime or not, there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute them anyways. Then there were the cases where an admission was either easy or funny to obtain. In the next two articles I would like to share a few of my favorite cases.
Before I continue with my story, I want to quickly explain what Checkpoint Tags are for those who may not be familiar with them. Checkpoint tags are small, electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensitive stickers that can be applied to almost any type of merchandise. In our stores we often applied them to a wide range of merchandise, from clothing to music CD’s. The tags are made to be set to a specific radio frequency (RF) and when brought into range of EAS antennas, set off the alarm built into the antennas. The tags are deactivated when passed over a deactivation pad at the point of sale and cannot be reset. Checkpoint Security Systems carry a wide variety of EAS antennas, deactivation pads, tags and labels as well as accessories such as detachment keys.
Returning to my favorite cases, in one of my investigations I had two young ladies who were cashiers and had been ringing merchandise for each other, deactivating Checkpoint Tags on clothing, bedding, and other merchandise, then voiding items from the transactions and giving the merchandise to each other anyways as if purchased. This activity went on for several weeks while I investigated to see how deep the activity went. When I finally had enough evidence, I went through my protocols, then pulled both employees at the same time and placed them in separate rooms for interviews. I had manager witnesses in each room, so I was able to walk back and forth between the rooms to talk to the young ladies. Initially neither was quick to confess to anything until one admitted to a small item her friend had “passed” to her. Well, once that started I had my opening and took the information to the other suspect and told her that her “friend” had admitted to a little of the theft, but said the other one had done most of the stealing. That did not sit well with friend number two who then turned on her former partner in crime and spilled all the beans. I continued going back and forth between the rooms, as the admissions and accusations flew. Eventually I had full admissions with a little bit I had not known about previously. Watching the two friends/thieves turn on each other was, admittedly, a somewhat humorous ending to this case. I never learned if they at least got to share a cell together in the local jail.
The fact that my two employees recognized the need to deactivate merchandise before trying to pass it confirmed for me that Checkpoint Security Systems do deter theft and make it more difficult for employees to steal from their place of business.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Thunder Tags-4 WC Blog 191
Checkpoint Classic N10-3
i-pad theft-3
Tablet theft – 3
Need a Prescription To Prevent Mobile Medical Device Theft? Use An Alpha Thunder Tag And Classic N10 Antenna.
The use of mobile technology in healthcare is becoming routine. Go into a hospital and laptop computers on carts are wheeled around from room to room as nurses assist patients and gather personal medical information. In a dentist office the staff are calling out patients from the tablet they are holding with the patient’s information at their fingertip. Go to a corner pharmacy for a nurse practitioner visit and the first thing to do is complete a patient profile on an i-pad device attached to the counter of a private both or table. Electronic storage of information is so much easier than the cumbersome task of filling out form after form of paperwork. The opportunities for dropping pages or losing a patient’s folder are less likely when the information is stored in a digital format. But Doctor’s offices aren’t the only ones that benefit from using mobile medical devices. Pharmacies are also finding that the same devices can help improve the delivery and accuracy of their services. One precaution that all medical providers must take however, is to protect against i-pad theft or tablet theft. Not only is the device itself an expense no one wants to replace, but the lost data is more of a concern since confidential patient information is at risk once a device is missing.
It is possible to protect against tablet theft or i-pad theft if an office will invest in two things, a Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna system for each point of exit to a building and Alpha Thunder Tags. The Classic N10 antenna is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) detection system that picks up radio frequency signals emitted from an EAS tag, such as Alpha Thunder Tags. When the tag is within a certain distance from the antenna, the antenna alarm activates and sounds loud enough that staff members can respond and recover an item being removed from the building. Occasionally a thief will drop an item when an alarm sounds, again offering an opportunity for recovery of stolen equipment.
The Thunder Tags are small enough that they can be applied to almost any mobile devices using an adhesive supplied by the manufacturer. Thunder Tags have a tamper alarm that will sound if someone attempts to remove it from a device without using the proper detachment tool. The 3-alarm Alpha Thunder Tags also have an internal alarm that sounds when an item protected with a tag is removed from a building through the EAS antennas. With the protection of the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna and the tags, mobile medical devices will be safe within the hospital or office environment.
Pharmacies can benefit with the introduction of mobile medical technology, just as other medical fields are doing. According to a report titled “Evaluating Mobile Medical Applications” by Conor Hanrahan, Timothy Dy Aungst and Sabrina Cole, from the web site www.ashp.org, one application being explored used the camera in mobile devices. The researchers state, “Another ongoing project includes utilizing the camera of a smart device to conduct pill identification” (pg6). While the pill or a picture of a pill should be no cause for privacy concern, what if a patient shares information through a mobile device because they have mixed up pills or cannot recall what a pill is? A patient’s personal information may be on record with the pharmacy and that information helps them determine the pill a client sends in a picture. Strict control of mobile devices is critical so this information is not compromised. The report also claims that, “Future research will investigate the utilization of mobile apps to improve patient health through diet and exercise trackers, and as ways to increase medication adherence.”
Increased pharmacy apps will continue to drive mobile device use in drugstores, pharmacies and other drug dispensaries. Maintaining client confidentiality and protecting the devices is extremely important to the facility and the patients. I-pad theft and tablet theft can be prevented if Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas are placed at entrances/exits and Alpha Thunder Tags are installed on every mobile medical device.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/Bookstore/For-Institutions/Mobile-Medical-Apps.pdf
The use of mobile technology in healthcare is becoming routine. Go into a hospital and laptop computers on carts are wheeled around from room to room as nurses assist patients and gather personal medical information. In a dentist office the staff are calling out patients from the tablet they are holding with the patient’s information at their fingertip. Go to a corner pharmacy for a nurse practitioner visit and the first thing to do is complete a patient profile on an i-pad device attached to the counter of a private both or table. Electronic storage of information is so much easier than the cumbersome task of filling out form after form of paperwork. The opportunities for dropping pages or losing a patient’s folder are less likely when the information is stored in a digital format. But Doctor’s offices aren’t the only ones that benefit from using mobile medical devices. Pharmacies are also finding that the same devices can help improve the delivery and accuracy of their services. One precaution that all medical providers must take however, is to protect against i-pad theft or tablet theft. Not only is the device itself an expense no one wants to replace, but the lost data is more of a concern since confidential patient information is at risk once a device is missing.
It is possible to protect against tablet theft or i-pad theft if an office will invest in two things, a Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna system for each point of exit to a building and Alpha Thunder Tags. The Classic N10 antenna is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) detection system that picks up radio frequency signals emitted from an EAS tag, such as Alpha Thunder Tags. When the tag is within a certain distance from the antenna, the antenna alarm activates and sounds loud enough that staff members can respond and recover an item being removed from the building. Occasionally a thief will drop an item when an alarm sounds, again offering an opportunity for recovery of stolen equipment.
The Thunder Tags are small enough that they can be applied to almost any mobile devices using an adhesive supplied by the manufacturer. Thunder Tags have a tamper alarm that will sound if someone attempts to remove it from a device without using the proper detachment tool. The 3-alarm Alpha Thunder Tags also have an internal alarm that sounds when an item protected with a tag is removed from a building through the EAS antennas. With the protection of the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna and the tags, mobile medical devices will be safe within the hospital or office environment.
Pharmacies can benefit with the introduction of mobile medical technology, just as other medical fields are doing. According to a report titled “Evaluating Mobile Medical Applications” by Conor Hanrahan, Timothy Dy Aungst and Sabrina Cole, from the web site www.ashp.org, one application being explored used the camera in mobile devices. The researchers state, “Another ongoing project includes utilizing the camera of a smart device to conduct pill identification” (pg6). While the pill or a picture of a pill should be no cause for privacy concern, what if a patient shares information through a mobile device because they have mixed up pills or cannot recall what a pill is? A patient’s personal information may be on record with the pharmacy and that information helps them determine the pill a client sends in a picture. Strict control of mobile devices is critical so this information is not compromised. The report also claims that, “Future research will investigate the utilization of mobile apps to improve patient health through diet and exercise trackers, and as ways to increase medication adherence.”
Increased pharmacy apps will continue to drive mobile device use in drugstores, pharmacies and other drug dispensaries. Maintaining client confidentiality and protecting the devices is extremely important to the facility and the patients. I-pad theft and tablet theft can be prevented if Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas are placed at entrances/exits and Alpha Thunder Tags are installed on every mobile medical device.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Security tags on clothes-4 WC blog 183
Checkpoint tags-5
Clothing security tags-3
Clothing Security Tags Aren’t Simply For Clothing Retailers: Part 1
I have a question for you and it may be a little more difficult than you might think at first glance. What kind of stores should use be using clothing security tags? The obvious answer is clothing stores right? Well, the answer is really yes AND no. Clothing retail stores should be using security tags on clothes, but so should other retail businesses you may not necessarily think about on a regular basis. I was in a grocery store the other day and noticed they were selling T-shirts for a local university which had recently won a very big college sports championship. Loss Prevention folks are always thinking about shortage and theft and tend to think about what they might do differently if it was their store. I noticed the store already had a Checkpoint electronic article surveillance antenna at the doors, so why not use Checkpoint tags on the clothes as well as the foods?
For those readers who may not be familiar with Checkpoint tags, these are both soft tags and hard tags that can be attached to clothes or stuck on hang tags. The soft tags have adhesive backings, and can be stuck to any number of surfaces, but for clothes they are best applied to manufacturer hang tags. Because Checkpoint clothing security tags are designed to be radio frequency sensitive, they are tuned to be picked up by the EAS antennas if they come into the range of the antennas. Hard tags differ from the soft tags because they are applied directly to the article of clothing. They are two-part devices that are pinned to the garment and clamp together. They are extremely strong and difficult to tamper with and remove without a detachment tool available from Checkpoint.
Checkpoint tags can be applied to any article of clothing. If there is concern about delicate fabrics like silk or satin, soft tags may be used. Hard tags can be applied to all materials including leather and denim. Inserting the pin in the seam of a garment protects from concerns about pin holes, while providing proven protection of the merchandise. Hard tags are large enough to be visible to customers and simply the sight of them on clothing is often a deterrent to potential shoplifters.
So what other stores may carry clothing that we may not traditionally think about for clothing security? I will discuss several types of retail businesses in this article and continue the discussion in part two of this series. As you read, think about any retail stores I may have missed that could also benefit from using security tags on clothes.
Sporting Goods stores may come to you fairly quickly as you think about the items they carry, baseball caps, running shoes, warm-up attire, sweat shirts, t-shirts and socks. Even merchandise such as baseball gloves can be protected with Checkpoint tags. Pin one end through the hand strap that goes across the back of the hand and the second piece secures it inside the strap.
Lingerie stores can decrease theft by using security tags on clothes. As mentioned previously, some people may be concerned about delicate materials being pinned but if that is the case, soft tags can be placed on the manufacture labels fastened by the plastic hang tag attachment.
One retail business you may not have thought of was an automotive parts store. Some of these stores sell t-shirts and ball caps advertising parts companies or their own business. Some are sponsors of race car teams and therefore carry team gear.
Clothing security tags used with EAS antennas are a strong deterrent to theft and increase profits through reduced shortage. Any number of businesses, including clothing stores can improve profits by investing in Checkpoint tags. Consider whether you might be overlooking the benefits of using security tags on clothes in your business.
Need information on Checkpoint tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
have a question for you and it may be a little more difficult than you might think at first glance. What kind of stores should use be using clothing security tags? The obvious answer is clothing stores right? Well, the answer is really yes AND no. Clothing retail stores should be using security tags on clothes, but so should other retail businesses you may not necessarily think about on a regular basis. I was in a grocery store the other day and noticed they were selling T-shirts for a local university which had recently won a very big college sports championship. Loss Prevention folks are always thinking about shortage and theft and tend to think about what they might do differently if it was their store. I noticed the store already had a Checkpoint electronic article surveillance antenna at the doors, so why not use Checkpoint tags on the clothes as well as the foods?
For those readers who may not be familiar with Checkpoint tags, these are both soft tags and hard tags that can be attached to clothes or stuck on hang tags. The soft tags have adhesive backings, and can be stuck to any number of surfaces, but for clothes they are best applied to manufacturer hang tags. Because Checkpoint clothing security tags are designed to be radio frequency sensitive, they are tuned to be picked up by the EAS antennas if they come into the range of the antennas. Hard tags differ from the soft tags because they are applied directly to the article of clothing. They are two-part devices that are pinned to the garment and clamp together. They are extremely strong and difficult to tamper with and remove with a detachment tool available from Checkpoint.
Checkpoint tags can be applied to any article of clothing. If there is concern about delicate fabrics like silk or satin, soft tags may be used. Hard tags can be applied to all materials including leather and denim. Inserting the pin in the seam of a garment protects from concerns about pin holes, while providing proven protection of the merchandise. Hard tags are large enough to be visible to customers and simply the sight of them on clothing is often a deterrent to potential shoplifters.
So what other stores may carry clothing that we may not traditionally think about for clothing security? I will discuss several types of retail businesses in this article and continue the discussion in part two of this series. As you read, think about any retail stores I may have missed that could also benefit from using security tags on clothes.
Sporting Goods stores may come to you fairly quickly as you think about the items they carry, baseball caps, running shoes, warm-up attire, sweat shirts, t-shirts and socks. Even merchandise such as baseball gloves can be protected with Checkpoint tags. Pin one end through the hand strap that goes across the back of the hand and the second piece secures it inside the strap.
Lingerie stores can decrease theft by using security tags on clothes. As mentioned previously, some people may be concerned about delicate materials being pinned but if that is the case, soft tags can be placed on the manufacture labels fastened by the plastic hang tag attachment.
One retail business you may not have thought of was an automotive parts store. Some of these stores sell t-shirts and ball caps advertising parts companies or their own business. Some are sponsors of race car teams and therefore carry team gear.
Clothing security tags used with EAS antennas are a strong deterrent to theft and increase profits through reduced shortage. Any number of businesses, including clothing stores can improve profits by investing in Checkpoint tags. Consider whether you might be overlooking the benefits of using security tags on clothes in your business.
Need information on Checkpoint tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
THE RISE OF CREDIT CARD FRAUD
Every month, our Treasury department emails us a list of all credit card chargebacks for the previous month. I used to ignore this report as I didn’t understand the implications of each chargeback. Once I realized that my company was essentially paying for criminals to go on shopping sprees, it forced me to change my tactics when it came to investigating credit card fraud.
Historically, the only times I would investigate credit card fraud would be when a customer would contact one of my stores to report a bogus charge. I would find the transaction, save the video and turn it over to law enforcement. My job would be done. Not very proactive and I’d go back to my normal routine. It wasn’t until our VP of Treasury held a conference call on this subject that I fully understood the financial impacts of these transactions. I always assumed that the banks absorbed the losses, but I was dead wrong. These were passed directly on to our company and it was impacting our bottom line significantly.
We (the investigative arm of our company) began changing our approach about 2 years ago. We now fully investigate credit card fraud and try to bring the culprits to justice as much as possible. That has led us to develop key relationships with members of local and federal law enforcement agencies. In fact, we recently helped bust a significant ring that had stolen the identities of thousands of hard working Americans and swindled my company out of nearly 5 million dollars.
It started by us reviewing a rash of high dollar chargebacks around a certain area of the country. From there, we drilled down further, to the transaction level and saw that all the purchases were for the same items, pre-paid Visa gift cards. If you ever want to launder money… that’s the way to do it. Once funds are placed on those gift cards, they are pretty much untraceable and unstoppable. Visa also doesn’t help much with tracking the cards once they are used either… A little more investigating and we see the same group of about 20 making these purchases. Very organized and very disciplined. They would target a dozen or so stores all at once, almost in unison. It’s very different from one or two boosters traveling down the interstate.
This went on for months, without a lead. We would have no warning and we were not able to track their movements. Out of nowhere, on seemingly random days, we would get hit and they would disappear into the wind just as quickly as they appeared. It was equally frustrating when we’d turn it over to local police; they really lacked the resources to fully investigate, so we were stuck. Until the group began to get greedy.
They changed their tactics after a few close calls and simply began withdrawing money from the ATM’s outside of our store. Easy cash, which they would then use to purchase the prepaid gift cards. What they didn’t realize is that those ATMs are secured by the FDIC, making their crimes a federal offense. This caught the attention of the local FBI field office, which was more than happy to take what we had on this group, which eventually led to their takedown.
Need information on Credit Card Fraud? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Every month, our Treasury department emails us a list of all credit card chargebacks for the previous month. I used to ignore this report as I didn’t understand the implications of each chargeback. Once I realized that my company was essentially paying for criminals to go on shopping sprees, it forced me to change my tactics when it came to investigating credit card fraud.
Historically, the only times I would investigate credit card fraud would be when a customer would contact one of my stores to report a bogus charge. I would find the transaction, save the video and turn it over to law enforcement. My job would be done. Not very proactive and I’d go back to my normal routine. It wasn’t until our VP of Treasury held a conference call on this subject that I fully understood the financial impacts of these transactions. I always assumed that the banks absorbed the losses, but I was dead wrong. These were passed directly on to our company and it was impacting our bottom line significantly.
We (the investigative arm of our company) began changing our approach about 2 years ago. We now fully investigate credit card fraud and try to bring the culprits to justice as much as possible. That has led us to develop key relationships with members of local and federal law enforcement agencies. In fact, we recently helped bust a significant ring that had stolen the identities of thousands of hard working Americans and swindled my company out of nearly 5 million dollars.
It started by us reviewing a rash of high dollar chargebacks around a certain area of the country. From there, we drilled down further, to the transaction level and saw that all the purchases were for the same items, pre-paid Visa gift cards. If you ever want to launder money… that’s the way to do it. Once funds are placed on those gift cards, they are pretty much untraceable and unstoppable. Visa also doesn’t help much with tracking the cards once they are used either… A little more investigating and we see the same group of about 20 making these purchases. Very organized and very disciplined. They would target a dozen or so stores all at once, almost in unison. It’s very different from one or two boosters traveling down the interstate.
This went on for months, without a lead. We would have no warning and we were not able to track their movements. Out of nowhere, on seemingly random days, we would get hit and they would disappear into the wind just as quickly as they appeared. It was equally frustrating when we’d turn it over to local police; they really lacked the resources to fully investigate, so we were stuck. Until the group began to get greedy.
They changed their tactics after a few close calls and simply began withdrawing money from the ATM’s outside of our store. Easy cash, which they would then use to purchase the prepaid gift cards. What they didn’t realize is that those ATMs are secured by the FDIC, making their crimes a federal offense. This caught the attention of the local FBI field office, which was more than happy to take what we had on this group, which eventually led to their takedown.
Need information on Credit Card Fraud? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
