Large corporations oftentimes have revenue in the tens of millions and even billions of dollars. Those that sell physical products can have inventories of huge value as well. And sadly enough, when lots of money is involved, criminal activity of some sort is often not far behind.
Internal inventory theft can be extremely common in these situations. This involves one or more people stealing inventory from a company’s warehouse or large facility. As some companies own huge facilities that comprise tens of thousands of square feet of physical inventory, keeping track of such inventory can be difficult. The theft may be going on for months or even years before the missing inventory is discovered. Once the discovery has been made, tracking down the culprit can be a difficult task as these facilities are often comprised of hundreds of individual workers. In these situations, hiring a private investigator to infiltrate the facility and get to the bottom of the thievery can be an incredibly wise decision.
These types of scenarios make up a large portion of what is known as “Commercial Investigations” and they involved a hired investigator posing as a company employee to uncover the criminal activity. The investigator will perform the job duties just as every other worker. Punching in daily, going through the motions just as every other worker will do. BUT, this “worker” will be performing some overtime duties as they investigate the facility, and the workers as well. A few of the extra duties (that none of the other workers will be aware of) the investigator will perform include:
Employee interviews– Sometimes, the best way to find a guilty person is just getting them to TALK. The investigator will begin to talk with other employees, uncover their daily routines, and take note of any suspicious conversations or anything that doesn’t match up with what the company has told the investigator. In some cases, an overzealous criminal will share their misdeeds with this new “worker” that seems trustworthy.
Listening in– You can be sure that an experienced investigator will be placing a variety of listening devices throughout the warehouse or facility. This will allow to listen to real time conversations or record them for later listening. Poring through some audio evidence can often uncover proof of the criminal activity.
Photographic evidence– In addition to the previously mentioned techniques, the private investigator will also take pictures…MANY pictures…as well as video detailing the daily activity within the facility. This will include the comings and goings of the daily workers, any deliveries that arrive, and any materials that leave the facility for any reason. The investigator will then go over these photos and videos with the company to uncover any activity that shouldn’t be happening or at least seems suspicious.
Sometimes, these cases can take many months before the true culprit or culprits have been identified and the thievery is put to an end. But, considering these scenarios can often result in companies being robbed of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars worth of inventory over time, hiring a private investigator to uncover the truth and stop the illicit behavior can be an extremely justified decision.
