There are many types of business crime, including, stealing (shoplifting), robbery, break and enter, wilful damage and fraud. Being aware of what crimes can occur within your business will allow you reduce your vulnerability to certain offences.

How to prevent business crime

Stealing

Shoplifters generally fall into two categories:

• Amateur shoplifters - tend to steal on impulse, maybe to impress friends or as a result of peer pressure.
• Professional shoplifters - often steal to gain fraudulent refunds or resell high ticket items.

You can take these simple steps to deter shoplifting:

• Make the layout of your store as open as possible. Eliminate areas that feel isolated or have low levels of staff surveillance.
• Stack shelves neatly.
• Display expensive items in lockable cabinets.
• Install theft detection sensors at all entry/exit points. Tag all expensive or high-theft items. Check bags each time the alarm sounds.
• Prosecute all shoplifters, regardless of the value of the theft.
• Consider professional security services at peak trading times.
• Educate staff on security policies and procedures.
• Be aware of behaviours that indicate the intention to shoplift (customers who appear nervous, are looking at security cameras or are trying to distract staff).
• Acknowledge all customers who enter the store and offer assistance to anyone that is acting suspiciously.

If you detect a shoplifter:

• Do not approach if they pose a safety threat to you, staff or property. Personal safety is more important than the value of stolen goods.
• Ask them to surrender any property which is not rightfully theirs.
• To assist police in an investigation, provide them with as much detail as possible about the offence and the offender.  

While it may be store policy to conduct bag searches, it is not an offence for a person to refuse a bag search. Staff and security personnel are not legally entitled to detain or conduct searches of a suspected shoplifter.

Fraud

Fraud is a common form of business crime. It includes acts that are corrupt, dishonest, unethical or deceptive. Fraud can be committed internally (by staff) or externally (by customers or suppliers).

Internal fraud

Internal fraud committed by employees is common, and at times difficult to detect. It can include:

• discounting or not charging friends or family for stock removed from the premises
• allowing fraudulent refunds
• delivery scams
• passing confidential or restricted information to external parties.

You may detect internal fraud when employees:

• work long hours, especially when other regular staff are not present
• are unusually interested in a company’s cash handling or delivery systems
• avoid having others assist or relieve them
• have a large number of cash register voids and a low number of transactions.

Take care not to confuse enthusiastic employees with those potentially committing business fraud. Ensure that you secure sufficient evidence before approaching the employee or police.

Take the following steps to minimise your company’s chances of becoming a victim of internal fraud:

• Have strict cash and stock handling procedures, including procedures for serving family/friends, providing refunds and staff purchases.
• Have all banking checked by two staff members, preferably alternating between staff. Have an independent employee (preferably supervisor or above) check banking and safe totals at both scheduled and random times.
• Investigate all cash shortages.
• Make sure staff know that you will investigate all cash discrepancies.
• Challenge all suspicious transactions including refunds where stock cannot be located.
• Carry out regular stocktakes, through an external agency.
• Schedule regular cash and stock audits and make employees aware of these.
• Limit access to confidential information and cancel access immediately if staff transfer or leave.

External fraud

External fraud is commonly committed by customers and suppliers to fraudulently obtain goods, services and cash. It includes:

• using credit cards to purchase goods and services fraudulently
• using credit cards to fraudulently obtain a cash advance
• refunding stolen goods
• presenting forged or stolen cheques.

You can take these steps to reduce opportunities for external fraud in your business:

• Credit card purchases
  • Always check credit cards bear the correct hologram signature (this should match the signature on the receipt). If no signature is present on the credit card, ask for a driver’s licence as proof or decline the sale.
  • Have procedures for over-the phone purchases that verify the person purchasing is the rightful owner of the credit card used.
• Cheques
  • Make sure the date and the amount in words and numerals match on cheques, and check all other information is correct.
  • Ask to see photo identification when cheques, including company cheques, are presented. Record details including name, address and drivers licence number.
  • Only accept cheques made out to the registered company name in full. Cheques must not be made out to ‘cash’ or a person.
• Stock
  • When the business receives stock, check that all stock is invoiced and paid correctly.
  • Carry out random and regular audits on stock handling processes (invoicing, payments, credit requests).
  • Maintain a professional working relationship with suppliers and make sure that gifts and/or bonuses do not create bias for suppliers.

Robbery and burglary

You can follow these simple steps to secure your business premises and deter would be robbers from targeting your business.

• Make sure back and side windows and doors are secure, during and after business hours.
• If the business is closed, activate the alarm and check all doors and windows (including bathroom/toilets) are locked and secured.
• Do not discuss business procedures with customers or suppliers. Let staff know not to discuss these topics in public.
• Do not keep large amounts of cash in registers that the public can see during the course of business. Make regular cash drops into a time delay safe.
• Use signage and stickers inside and outside your business to promote your security measures (for example, CCTV, security patrols and time delay safes).
• Encourage EFTPOS and credit card payments – this will limit the amount of cash held on premises.
• If you operate in an isolated area consider having a security person on duty.

Design your business environment to prevent crime

A well-designed business environment can greatly reduce your vulnerability to crime. Apply these design principles to reduce crime risk and secure your premises.

Stock and cash

To secure your stock and cash, and reduce opportunity for theft:

• Layout your store so that there is good visibility between the counter and down the aisles
• Keep shelves tidy, and stock stacked tightly and neatly.
• Keep expensive or high-risk items inside locked cabinets.
• Keep stock displays inside the store only, where items are more difficult to steal.
• Count cash out of sight and in a secure area.
• Install theft detections sensors at store entry and exit points.
• Keep only minimal cash on premises in a secured safe.

Physical security

Take these measures to physically secure your business from intruders:

• Fit good quality deadlocks or other security locks to windows and doors.
• Install sensor lights on the exterior of the business premises.
• If your business is vandalised or tagged with graffiti, remove tags and repair damage as soon as possible.
• Secure outside furniture or stock items or bring them inside after hours to prevent theft or damage.
• Install height markers at premises entry points to help identify offenders’ heights.

Surveillance

Visible surveillance measures like cameras and staff monitoring may deter offenders from targeting your business.

To increase surveillance in and around your business:

• Install CCTV cameras near the counter, entry and exit points. Have this connected to an external hard drive to record any incidents.
• Install convex mirrors so staff can monitor areas that cannot be seen from the counter.
• Have employees greet customers personally
• Do not block window visibility with posters or stock
• Install TV monitors at the entrance to your business – when people know they can be seen they may be more reluctant to commit a crime.

Business crime incidents

It is important to prepare yourself, and employees for a business crime incident.

During an incident

• Keep yourself safe. Your safety is paramount. Try to reduce your risk of physical harm if the offender becomes violent or has a weapon:
  • Lock yourself in a secure room if safe to do so.
  • Comply with the requests of the offender and surrendering any money/property they ask for.
  • Verbalise your actions when the offender asks you to do something. For example, “I’m getting the key to unlock the register...”
• Try to make a mental note of anything the offender handles or touches. This may assist in an investigation later.

After the incident

• Secure the premises. Lock the doors once the offender has vacated the premises.
• Phone the police on triple zero (000) to report the incident.
• Notify the business owner or manager immediately, regardless of the time of day or night.
• Politely ask any witnesses to remain at the scene until police arrive or request and record their full name and contact details to provide to the police.

Reporting the incident

To report an incident:

• Phone triple zero (000) in the instance of a robbery or armed robbery (even if you have activated a hold up or duress alarm).
• Phone Policelink on 131 444 to stop stealing and wilful damage.

Have this information readily available:

• your exact street location
• the correct type of crime to report - correct reporting is important as it ensures the appropriate police response. Stealing becomes a robbery once the threat or use of violence is involved.

Make a mental note of the offender's characteristics like:

• Physical appearance – including approximate age, race, build, height, weight, hair colour, eye colour, scars/tattoos, accents/speech.
• Weapons in the offenders’ possession – note the type of weapon and its appearance.
• Vehicles you see that may be associated with the offender – note appearance, colour, age or any details like the make and model.

Make sure staff are trained in how to operate the business’s surveillance cameras to provide police with footage of the incident.

Workplace health and safety obligations

Do you know your workplace health and safety obligations as an employer?

For workplace health and safety information visit:

• business and employer responsibilities
• work health and safety laws.

Useful safety contacts

• Policelink: 131 444
• Emergencies (Triple zero): 000
• Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000
• Hoon hotline: 134 666

For more information contact us on 07 3412 3412 or email council@logan.qld.gov.au