Should You Investigate Potential Theft From Employees?

No business owner wants to think that one of their employees would steal from them, much less investigate them for theft. This is especially true for smaller companies. When you interact with your staff on a daily basis, you never think they would do something like this to you. Unfortunately, no matter how much you think you know a person, you never know what they’re capable of. Some employees who get caught stealing never could’ve imagined that they would be in the position they find themselves in. they say that desperate times call for desperate measures. This is usually what we find when our private investigators in Greenville try to help a company uncover the person responsible for missing cash or merchandise.

In fact, when we reveal who the suspect is to our clients, they are usually more hurt than anything else. With larger companies, there isn’t usually any emotion tied to this kind of thing. Managers expect there to be some level of dishonesty from their employees. But mom and pop shops often treat their employees like family. To learn that a worker would steal from them is hard for them to swallow.

Here, we will discuss the law in South Carolina and whether it permits an employer to investigate their employees for theft or embezzlement. We will also describe some of the tactics our team uses to sniff out the culprit in these commercial investigations.

Let Us Know How You Determined Somebody Was Siphoning Cash from Your Business

When our clients tell us what made them suspect that one of their employees was stealing from them, it can be difficult. We can see the pain, hurt, and anger on our client’s face. The last thing any business owner wants to learn is that they cannot trust their staff.

The good news is that, in our experience, it’s usually one bad apple that spoils the bunch. Most of your employees are good-hearted people who come to work to do their job. They would never dream of stealing from you. In fact, they would probably be just as upset as you are to learn that one of their coworkers is a thief.

What we’ll need from you is any evidence you’ve already collected that makes you suspect there is a thief in your office. Perhaps you have it on video already. Or maybe your staff’s cash registers have been off by a significant amount of late. Whatever it is, we’ll take it and run with it. Sometimes, what may seem like a small clue to you could be very important to our investigation.

Why Would Someone Want to Engage in Theft and Embezzlement?

Most people who steal from their employer are desperate. They usually are people who have worked for the company for several months. Over that period of time, they have probably stolen little bits of money here and there, waiting to see if you noticed.

As their tenure with your company continues, they get bolder. They start stealing larger bills. Or they may finagle accounts to make it look like they are ringing customers up, when they are really pocketing the money.

Other times, the thefts are much larger. An employee who is responsible for closing up may lie and say their money bag was stolen from them on the way to the bank. Or they may be so bold as to claim someone came into the store and robbed them. Depending on your security and camera system, they may be able to come up with a credible story.

By the time you realize something is wrong, you have lost thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, most employers don’t follow up on their suspicions until their employee makes a large blunder. Perhaps an employee entered the store during off hours. You may have a keypad system on the door, and you notice they have come in and gone back out at strange times. Once something like this catches your attention, it can be hard to ignore what’s going on right under your nose.

How Can a Private Investigator in Greenville Investigate the Case?

Our team of private investigators in Greenville have many tools at their disposal. They also have the experience it takes to spot a thief from a mile away. One of the first things they may do to investigate is interview the staff. Once your employees know someone is investigating the theft and embezzlement, the stealing may stop.

Or you may find that an employee calls out during the days our team is there to conduct interviews. They may hope that, if they stay out long enough, the problem will disappear. We have honed our detection skills over the years and know what signs to look for when we investigate.

If these early tactics don’t help, we will recommend that you install cameras and videos. You have no obligation to tell your employees that there are new cameras unless it is taping them in private areas (which is illegal anyway). This may give you the ammunition you need to have the culprit arrested and charged with theft and embezzlement.

Contact Our Office and Schedule a Consultation with an Experienced Private Investigator in Greenville

If you suspect one of your employees of theft and embezzlement, you should give our office a call to investigate. The last thing you want to do is try to investigate the matter yourself and end up slapped with an invasion of privacy lawsuit. Our team of private investigators in Greenville know what they are and aren’t allowed to do. They are also an unbiased party who can’t be said to have any reason to point the finger toward one employee over another.

When you call our office, let us know what you’re looking to find out. We can explain what services we offer and determine the best plan for your investigation. Once we have the information we need to get started, we’ll set up a time to come into your business and start our investigation. This way, you can focus on running your business rather than think about how you can prevent any further theft or embezzlement.

LATEST POSTS

TESTIMONIALS

Reid Latham
Easy to talk with and does a great job! Very discreet and a pleasure to work with. They know what to do and how to do and when to do it.
Jesse McGeE
10 out of 10 great people and very professional. 5 stars all the way.
James Martin
From my experience of knowing the Hawkins family. If you want professional service and dependability try Upstate Private Investigators.

FREE CONSULTATION

CONTACT US TODAY