While some of these activities are less common, many types of business crime occur every day. To protect businesses and the public, it is important to understand the different types of business crime, as well as how to prevent them.
Here are some of the most common types of crimes that occur at businesses and steps you can take to prevent them:
1. Fraud
Fraud is one of the most common types of business crime. These days, most criminals will commit credit fraud. This is where criminals buy material and goods on credit and then vanish without paying.
To help prevent fraud, especially credit fraud, watch for new customers who are ordering unusually large amounts of merchandise on credit. While this may seem like a gift, it is often a sign of suspicious activity. Similarly, you want to be careful when customer payments start to fall behind or there’s a sudden increase in orders for no obvious reason.
Other prevention methods include:
2. Cybercrime
Cybercrime is on the rise as more businesses become dependent on computer systems and the internet. Businesses can protect themselves against cybercrime by:
3. Internal theft
Internal theft is a big problem for businesses, with employees stealing equipment, inventory, cash and time. The good news is, there are lots of steps you can take to protect your business without your employee’s feeling like they aren’t trusted:
A Helpful Guide to Employee Theft and How to Stop it
4. Embezzlement
Embezzlement is a type of internal theft when a person or business with access to funds misappropriates them for their own gain. Embezzlement can be hard to detect, but there are ways to reduce the risk of it happening. To protect your business against embezzlement:
4. Robbery
Robberies are a common type of business crime, and can be particularly dangerous because it involves the criminal using force or the threat of it. To help prevent robberies, it’s important to make sure your business looks like it’s safe and secure:
In the case of a robbery, you will want to have policies and procedures in place for you and your staff.
5. Shoplifting
Shoplifting is a common type of crime that businesses experience, with criminals trying to steal merchandise from stores. To reduce the risk of shoplifting, you can:
6. Vandalism
Vandalism is a crime in which someone intentionally damages or destroys property, such as graffiti or breaking windows. To help protect your business from vandalism, you can:
Crime is a serious problem for business owners, their customers and the community. It is important to understand the different types of crime and how to prevent them. By following the tips outlined, you can help to protect your business and make it a safer place.
Want to better protect your business from crime? Get a free Sonitrol Western Canada security plan today.