| No matter what industry you are in, no matter what | | | | reclaim your livelihood. |
| your assets include, inventory, money, information and | | | | I'm not suggesting paranoia, I'm preaching survival. |
| other resources critical to you and your business are | | | | Awareness, understanding, and prevention are |
| vulnerable to predators, outside of your company, who | | | | absolutely essential in order to defend yourself against |
| will go to great lengths to steal them. | | | | these losses; once you are aware that these thefts |
| All businesses suffer from fraud and theft: | | | | occur and you understand how they are committed |
| · The retailer is susceptible to shoplifters, check | | | | then, and only then, can you identify and develop |
| and credit card fraud, counterfeiters, quick-change | | | | measures to prevent them. |
| artists, vendor theft, robbers and burglars. | | | | As alluded to in the previous examples, fraud and theft |
| · The contractor may have building materials | | | | typically include: |
| stolen from the job site, confidential bid information that | | | | · Shoplifting |
| gets compromised, or has his business checks stolen. | | | | · Check Fraud |
| · The hotdog vendor could lose his credit rating | | | | · Credit Card Fraud |
| to an identity thief. | | | | · Refund Fraud |
| · The corporate headhunter isn't immune from | | | | · Robberies and Burglaries |
| these external attacks either; sensitive client lists, | | | | · Counterfeit Currency |
| candidate databases, and office equipment, are all up | | | | · Insurance Fraud |
| for grabs. | | | | · Corporate Espionage |
| What business is not subject to scams that run the | | | | · Vendor Theft/ Delivery Shortages |
| gamut from simple charities fraud to the much more | | | | · Scams and other Frauds including Identity |
| complicated credit fraud schemes? | | | | Theft and Credit Fraud |
| The U.S. Department of Justice predicts that losses to | | | | Of course not all businesses are subject to every type |
| business crime surpass $200 billion dollars each year | | | | of theft, but all businesses are subject to at least one |
| and that shoplifting alone costs the American public | | | | on the list. My hope is that you research further to gain |
| over $27 billion dollars annually. | | | | an awareness and an understanding of each type of |
| The most important point to understand is that it will | | | | loss so that you may be proactive in identifying and |
| continue to happen unless you decide not to be a | | | | preventing these crimes in your business. |
| victim any longer; until you get angry and fight to | | | | If you need help, contact a professional. |