Little Black Book of Scams

As soon as the Little Black Book of Scams is printed it seems to be outdated. 

Criminals are finding new and unique ways to rip off small business every day. Remember this-this is their job. They have all the time in the world to sit back and watch your business looking for a loophole.

And the faster retailers are to implement new technology, the more opportunity they give these criminals to find a way to beat the system.

That is why a strong risk assessment plan is important with any new initiative.

See my article on Enterprise Risk Management for a full description of this process. 

In terms of the newest trends? 

The local “buy and sell” pages on social media sites allow criminals to peddle their wares before they even have to steal it. That’s right, they post a picture of an item, wait for the interested buyer to message them back, and then go out and steal it. This way they don’t have to hold on to inventory.

As a small business owner, you should be reviewing these sites for your local community to see if you are at risk. You should also check back here on a regular basis as we describe the most current trends as reported from our membership base. If you suspect you have fallen victim to a new scam, let us know so we can get involved to help out others.

Loss Prevention has always prided itself on being collaborative, and not competitive. The days of sending the criminal down the street to a c competitor by implementing measures and not sharing are long gone. We all need to group together in this fight.

Then there are the random emails. The most recent one being circulated claims to have compromising video or audio on by having accessed your computer remotely, and demanding payment.

The Competition  Bureau of Canada has graciously compiled what they believe to be the most popular and damaging scams. This is a great resource for small business and I encourage you to download it and use it as a tool during your weekly Loss Prevention talks.

Click here for your electronic copy

Hello, I'm Stephen O'Keefe. The information you read here is intended to help businesses answer some of the tough questions about everyday events in the retail environment. After spending over 3 decades in this industry we've seen a lot!

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