How Has Technology influenced Shoplifting - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Technology plays a much more significant role in Shoplifting Prevention as well as Shoplifting then ever before. We have seen numerous advances in technology to better protect retailer's assets, but on the flip side shoplifters have also benefited through the use of technological advances and now are more sophisticated than ever before.



Shoplifting and theft has doubled since 2000 and with the decline in the global economy it is expected to continue to rise. In an attempt to combat the increase in various forms of theft, retailers have been looking towards technology for help.

Although in the last few years there have been numerous advances in technology to better protect retailer’s assets, on the flip side shoplifters have also benefited with technological advances.

Lets first have a look at how new technology has helped retailers to deter and minimize shoplifting. One of the major advancements has come in the form of Digital Close Circuit Televisions (CCTV). Not only have cameras become much smaller and easier to conceal in unexpected areas but high definition imagery has become the industry standard. A few years ago security images were recorded on large analog video cameras and stored on VHS tapes. This resulted in poor quality grainy surveillance video often making it difficult to recognize a suspect or to use the video as evidence in a court of law. Today there have been some vast improvements in image clarity along with the storage of video footage. With video compression technology it is now possible to store hours of surveillance video on a DVR or a computer hard drive and access indexed video with relative ease. The next generation of video storage appears to be internet driven, whereby information will be stored on web based facilities often known as the “cloud”.

The Digital Age has also provided remote surveillance camera access to business owners and managers when offsite. To better illustrate this let me give you an example. One of my clients who owned men’s clothing store decided to check on his business while on holidays using his I-phone. He simply logged onto the internet and within seconds had full access to all his CCTV’s. His initial objective was to see how well his staff was working while he was away. But while shifting through the seven surveillance cameras within his store he noticed a shopper was acting strangely. As he continued to track the shopper’s movements he quickly noticed the suspect stuffing a number of items underneath his jacket. He immediately called his staff informing them about the thief and as the suspect exited the store with the unpaid merchandise he was nabbed by staff members and later successfully prosecuted.

Another loss prevention area that has seen some major advancement is the next generation of security tags and labels used with Electronic Article Surveillance systems. These are tags or labels that must be detached or deactivated when an item is purchased in order to prevent an alarm from sounding as the customer exits the store. Today smart tags and labels are much more sensitive and may pose a greater challenge to crafty thieves.

Finally technology has allowed both retail management and associates to access online training programs. Until recently Loss Prevention training was highly specialized and relatively expensive whereby a qualified instructor had to be brought onsite. In the past this excluded most retailers except large stores with a substantial loss prevention budget. Today this training is available to all and can be accessed at any time of the day or night via the internet often at an affordable price which is great news for smaller retailers with a limited security budget. Most loss prevention experts agree that a well trained staff in loss prevention is highly effective in reducing both external as well as internal losses.

Technology a Shoplifters Best Friend

Although there have been some major strides in technological advancements which undoubtedly has helped retailers in their fight against shoplifting it is important to point out that it also has given the shoplifter a major advantage.

Even a simple device like the cell phone has been used as tool to assist thieves. A shoplifter can easily communicate by cell phone or text message with one or more accomplices. For example an accomplice can instantly warn a shoplifter if a sales associate or a security guard is approaching. Today most retailers would not consider a customer using their cell phone or texting while shopping as unusual as it has become a common occurrence by many legitimate shoppers.

Social Media has also played a role in theft and is sometimes used to coordinate Flash Mob Robberies. This is an organized form of theft in which a massive group of participants enter a retail or convenience store and steal items, and then vanish before police arrive. Typically, employees become overwhelmed and are unable to stop it. Social Media is also commonly used to expose retailers which are considered an easy target

The internet also offers thieves another distinct advantage in the form of education. It has now become the training grounds for shoplifters and other thieves. There are hundreds of websites, forums and blogs that instruct shoplifters how to steal more without getting caught as well as how to act if caught. The internet is filled with hundreds of videos which demonstrate how to outsmart the latest anti-theft devices and surveillance systems. Some videos glorify stealing while others provide step-by-step instructions on how to successfully shoplift including how to build booster equipment. Booster equipment is usually a bag, box or a garment lined with special material that blocks the security signal and allows the shoplifter to walk out of the store undetected often with a large amount of stolen merchandise without leaving a trace.

While researching this article we accessed information through the internet on how to remove security tags and labels before walking through security gates while exiting the store. We even discovered a couple online businesses which sell portable security tag detaching devices. With this device a shoplifter could simply walk into a store, move the goods of interest to a secluded area, then use the device to detach the tags. Once the tags are removed the goods are stuffed into a bag and the suspect simply walks out the store undetected. The security gate alarm will not sound because all tags have been removed and the theft is only later detected when the discarded security tags are discovered.

Another area technology has assisted thieves is in the “fencing” also known as the selling of stolen merchandise. In the past stolen items were sold to family and friends or perhaps sold in a bar setting. Flee markets were also a common method of fencing shoplifted merchandise. Now stolen goods are easily sold online through the various auction houses as well as classified ad sites. Although attempts have been made to stop the sale of stolen goods, for the most part this area is poorly regulated as there are simply not enough law enforcement resources to deal with this growing problem.

As shoplifting continues to grow, technology remains a cat and mouse game and although there have been some major advances in retail loss prevention; the thieves have also enjoyed similar technological advancements in their attempt to outsmart the system.



Biography

After losing a business to shoplifting and two years later being a victim to a shoplifting assault FJ Tarasoff made a commitment that he would help retailers protect their assets as well as the safety of all staff members. Twenty years later, Tarasoff is a leading authority in retail loss prevention, he conducts training workshops on various loss prevention techniques, including shoplifting and intenal theft and is the developer of “The Shoplifting Prevention Program” an affordable online training program. He has also been interviewed by numerous media outlets including, The CBC, The Globe and Mail, Small Business report, Hardware Magazine, Grocer Magazine, GlobeandMail.Com, Canadian Retailer and is a member of Retail Loss Prevention professionals Group, Security and Loss Prevention for Retail Industry and the UK Loss Prevention Group.

For more information go to http://www.shopliftprevention.com

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