The current economic climate has given rise to a major increase in workplace theft. This fact was highlighted in a 2012 Retail Ireland report on black market trading, counterfeit goods, shoplifting and theft. This report found that theft costs retailers €861 million each year, €110 million of which is a result of shoplifting and theft. There are many areas of threat for an organisation to consider namely financial loss, reputational damage, and the internal impact of theft on the organisation.

This article covers: ⚓︎

• Types of theft and fraud
• Is your organisation at risk?
• Prevention
• Whistleblowing

Types of Theft/Fraud ⚓︎

Theft can be in many forms, such as theft directly from the cash register or theft of stock. In past