After having noticed irregularities during an audit, the owner of a convenience store in the Metro Atlanta area contacted us indicating being suspicious of employees involved in lottery theft.
Where would you start when assigned a task like this? First we needed to gather additional information which the loss prevention investigator did with the use of two covert closed circuit TV cameras installed to view the cashiers’ area and the lottery machine. Video confirmed that the store manager, who had been employed for several years, was routinely stealing large quantities of lottery scratch off tickets.
Another employee would pocket the cash from cash sales after having given customers their change back from the register.
Once the loss prevention investigator had gathered this information, the convenience store manager could be interviewed. The Atlanta area convenience store manager admitted stealing lottery tickets totaling $111,150.00 and cash in the amount of $6,500.00. The store manager had a gambling problem and stealing lottery tickets satisfied that problem. The cash had been stolen to pay for some bills.
The second employee admitted to stealing approximately $3,400 in cash by ringing up sales and pocketing the cash. The loss prevention manager was able to obtain a confession from this second employee as well who admitted to stealing “spending money”. This employee also indicated knowledge of the manager’s lottery ticket activities. This individual who needed spending money had been employed for a year and a half at the convenience store.
In Atlanta please call us at 770.426.7593.
After having noticed irregularities during an audit, the owner of a convenience store in the Metro Atlanta area contacted us indicating being suspicious of employees involved in lottery theft.
Where would you start when assigned a task like this? First we needed to gather additional information which the loss prevention investigator did with the use of two covert closed circuit TV cameras installed to view the cashiers’ area and the lottery machine. Video confirmed that the store manager, who had been employed for several years, was routinely stealing large quantities of lottery scratch off tickets.
Another employee would pocket the cash from cash sales after having given customers their change back from the register.
Once the loss prevention investigator had gathered this information, the convenience store manager could be interviewed. The Atlanta area convenience store manager admitted stealing lottery tickets totaling $111,150.00 and cash in the amount of $6,500.00. The store manager had a gambling problem and stealing lottery tickets satisfied that problem. The cash had been stolen to pay for some bills.
The second employee admitted to stealing approximately $3,400 in cash by ringing up sales and pocketing the cash. The loss prevention manager was able to obtain a confession from this second employee as well who admitted to stealing “spending money”. This employee also indicated knowledge of the manager’s lottery ticket activities. This individual who needed spending money had been employed for a year and a half at the convenience store.
In Atlanta please call us at 770.426.7593.
The skill set of a private sector Loss Prevention Investigator can be deployed in the retail sector or for that matter in any type of business. The skills acquired are unique but seamlessly and effortlessly cross over industries.
A Loss Prevention Investigator may handle employee theft or embezzlement cases as well as business fraud and vendor fraud issues – to name just a few.
Why pay for an investigator? Why wouldn’t you just call the police? Police Departments are notoriously understaffed in this area since violent crime always takes priority over other criminal matters. And with the budgetary constraints policy departments are also affected by having to cut staff.
A typical law enforcement investigator may be assigned upward of 25 cases a month. How many of those are going to get the attention they deserve. Yours case may just be added to the pile. If you do not submit a finished case that is wrapped up in a bow that is exactly what will happen. We are typically told that it will take three months up to one year before law enforcement may file any charges.
A private sector loss prevention investigator will typically do the work with higher quality and can be dedicated to that one investigation at a time. Again it is the difference between the public and private sector.
Should you possibly hire an off duty police officer? Again, the difference between the public and private sector is that not only will the lpi generally have a higher skill level but someone who is a lpi will also be a business person and not only a law enforcement officer. We understand business needs and are not only concerned with putting someone in jail.
Atlanta is a very dynamic city with a vast and diverse business community. Law enforcement in the metro are is stretched to the limit. Don’t let your case be put in “the pile”
Contact us or in the Atlanta area call 770.426.7593
