Good question. There are four broad categories for reasons why staff will conduct fraud and theft.

1. Sudden negative life changes.

The employee experiences a sudden, dramatic and unexpected negative life changes. These can be items like family break up, death, accident, anything that is catastrophic to the employee (but not always to others). More usually, these are unexpected financial matters that cause the employee heightened levels of distress. These can be as simple as a broken washing machine or unexpected car repairs, where the employee has no reserves or capacity to absorb the cost.

A typical profile is a long standing member of staff, that is well respected, but behind the scenes their life is managed hand-to-mouth. Any financial shock (even minor) pushes them to desperate measures.

More reasons why staff steal coming soon.