Lesson 14: Larceny-Theft

What is check kiting?

Cash is drawn on accounts that have uncollected funds. To do so, the criminal has accounts in two bank institutions. The criminal draws funds from one bank to cover a check drawn from the other bank.

What is the impact of check fraud?

Check fraud is a larceny-theft offense and costs banks millions of dollars each year and stopping bank fraud is a constant challenge.

What is the impact of credit card fraud?

Credit card fraud continues to be a problem. Counterfeit cards alone costs issuers of plastic about $1.6 billion a year in false charges and in addition to the production of counterfeit credit cards, criminals gain access to credit cards through methods such as burglary, robbery, and pick-pocketing.

What is credit card fraud?

Credit card fraud is a form of identity theft that involves an unauthorized taking of another's credit card information for the purpose of charging purchases to the account or removing funds from it.

What is check fraud?

A criminal act that involves the unlawful use of checks to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do not exist within the account balance or account-holder's legal ownership.

What is a fence?

A fence, a person who buys and sells stolen property with criminal intent, is used.

How does the burglar work with a fence?

After a burglary, the thief will try to get rid of the stolen property as soon as possible and most often a fence is used and fences may use pawnshops or used furniture stores to front their business as legitimate.

What is the crime of embezzlement?

Employees of an organization steal significant amounts of money (currency) from the organization over a period of time; also the theft of money (currency) over a long period of time that tends to be purposefully intended (commissioned) for a modest amount of money that may not be considered to be financially damaging.

What are fungible goods?

Fungible goods are items like tools, liquor, and clothing that are indistinguishable from other items like them.

What type of information is critical to officers investigating credit card fraud?

Information critical for investigators who are investigating credit card fraud to obtain includes: (1) The name and address of the victim store's name, (2) The name of the store manager and clerk who may be able to provide information about the suspect, and (3) The name and address of the legitimate card holder

What does the crime of manipulation of accounts involve?

Manipulation of accounts typically involves employees in an accounting department where accounts are manipulated so that the employee can embezzle some money.

What is pilferage?

Pilferage is when employees steal merchandize from an employer.

What are some examples of larceny?

Pocket-picking, Breaking into coin machines, Purse snatching, Shoplifting, Stealing bicycles, Stealing motor vehicles, and Stealing motor vehicle accessories

What are the different types of shoplifter?

Shoplifters can be either professional or amateur.

How is shoplifting crimes investigated?

Shoplifting investigations are done either reactively or proactively.

What is the impact of shoplifting?

Shoplifting is a problem that has increased significantly over the last 20 years and the losses caused by shoplifting have been estimated at about $16 billion a year. Retailers should annually expect about a 10 to 15 percent increase of shoplifting occurrences

Who mostly commits the crime of shoplifting?

Shoplifting is mostly done by amateurs.

What is shoplifting?

Shoplifting is the criminal action of stealing goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer.

What are some important questions that investigator ask when investigating check forgery?

Some important questions to ask when investigating check forgery include: (1) What was said when the suspect was passing the check? (2) Did the acceptor of the check see the check being written and/or signed? (3) What identification was provided by the suspect? (4) What did the suspect look like? (5) Had the acceptor ever seen the suspect before? (6) Does the acceptor know what type of transportation the suspect used?

What is the trend of the crime of embezzlement in the United States?

Statistics related to this crime show that embezzlement has become quite common and popular over the years and has actually increased at about 15% per year in the United States.

Who is the amateur shoplifter?

The amateur shoplifter, also called a snitch, steals the goods for his/her own use.

What are the categories of embezzlement?

The categories of embezzlement are, theft of currency, manipulation of accounts, and theft of inventory

What is the impact of the crime of embezzlement?

The cost of the crime of embezzlement is estimated at about $4 billion annually.

Why has embezzlement become more popular over the years?

The crime of embezzlement has more popular over the years because of these possible facts: (1) More employees are willing to steal from their employers, (2) More employers are reporting this crime, (3) Law enforcement is more willing to prosecute people involved with this crime

What is check forgery?

The illegal act of falsifying a check to collect money, and forgery in general is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive.

What is the most vulnerable time for criminals who steal?

The most vulnerable time for the criminal is during the possession and storage of stolen goods but it is sometimes difficult to prove a fencing operation.

What is a proactive investigation?

The proactive method of investigating is typically handled by security personnel employed by the company and is used when a shoplifter is caught in the act.

What are the characteristics of a professional shoplifter?

The professional shoplifter, also called a booster or heel, steals goods in order to resell the items for a profit.

What is a reactive investigation?

The reactive investigation involves interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence.

What does the crime of theft of currency include?

Theft of currency is the most common form of embezzlement. Examples of this type include an employee stealing money from a cash register, a sales clerk failing to ring up a sale and then pocketing the money, or a corporate executive taking a "cash loan" from the company and then never paying the money back.

What does the crime of theft and inventory involve?

Theft of inventory occurs when an employee steals merchandize from an employer; this practice is also known as pilferage.

What is the difference between simple larceny and grand larceny

Theft of property valued at less than $200 is a of charge simple larceny but theft of property valued in excess of $200 is considered grand larceny.

What is needed to prove that a property is stolen?

To prove that the property is stolen, identification numbers and receipts are helpful, but some fungible goods (such as tools, liquor, and clothing) are hard to distinguish from other similar items.

What are some techniques used to decrease or stop check fraud?

Use of a thumbprint for non-account holders who want to cash checks is one practice that has been implemented by some banks to help stop check fraud. Programs such as the Duplex/B.E.I. Check Fraud Prevention Program have also been established to assist banks in identifying patterns of criminal behavior related to suspicious checks.

What happens when theft of a credit card is reported to law enforcement?

When a credit card theft is reported, investigators typically contact the credit card company. These companies often have their own professional investigators who can provide valuable assistance to law enforcement

How do investigators investigate check forgery?

When it appears that check forgery has occurred, the investigator who should be called, should begin by interviewing the person who received the bad check and he/she should ask specific questions that can help him/her identify the suspected criminal.