What are common crimes against businesses? This article looks at crimes that affect businesses and how to protect your property. 24/7 Doors & Shutters Ltd provide commercial shutters and doors in Manchester for business security. Read more about common crimes against businesses.

Crimes That Affect Businesses

Running a business can be challenging, and one of the many obstacles that business owners face is the possibility of crimes committed against their businesses. Crimes such as theft, fraud and embezzlement can impact businesses in different ways, affecting the financial stability of the company and its reputation.

How Can A Business Prevent Crime?

 Theft by Employees

One of the most significant crimes that affect businesses is employee theft. Employees handle money and valuable merchandise often with limited oversight, making it easier for them to steal from the company.

Employee theft can take on different forms, including undercharging customers, stealing products from the shipping or loading dock, diverting money from a business account, and lapping or skimming money from sales or accounts.

 Cybercrime & Cyberattacks

With the increasing use of the internet to conduct business and store records, businesses have become more vulnerable to cybercrime and cyberattacks. Hackers may steal sensitive information, such as customer lists or credit information, and viruses can infect files, causing expensive havoc. According to Cybercrime Magazine, 50 per cent of cyberattacks target small businesses.

Business owners should take proactive measures to protect their businesses from cyber threats by investing in cybersecurity measures, such as antivirus software, firewalls, and data encryption. It's also important to train employees to identify and report suspicious activities and to implement strict policies and procedures for handling sensitive information.

UK Crime Statistics 

 Prevalence & frequency of crime

The 2021 Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) estimated that 38% of business premises in the Wholesale and retail sector in England and Wales had been victims of crime between April 2020 and March 2021, with theft being the most commonly experienced crime type at 27%.

Theft by customers was the most frequent crime, with 28% of respondents experiencing incidents once a week or more. Fraud against businesses also showed a reduction from 10% in 2018 to 6% in 2021.

Retail premises experienced theft more frequently than wholesale premises, and food and groceries were the most commonly stolen items. 

The CVS has been run for eight years, with the Wholesale and retail sector being included each year due to the high volumes of crimes covered by the survey. Data tables for previous years are available on the ‘Crime against businesses statistics’ page on Gov.UK.

 Extent of crime against wholesale & retail premises

According to the latest Crime Against Businesses report by the Home Office, 38% of wholesale and retail premises, which amounts to around 151,000 premises, experienced crime in the year ending March 2021. 

This prevalence rate is similar to that seen in 2018 when 40% of premises (147,000 premises) experienced crime. However, it is lower than the prevalence rate seen in 2012, when 53% of premises (206,000 premises) experienced crime

The most common type of crime experienced by wholesale and retail premises was theft, with 27% of premises reporting theft by customers, employees, others, or unknown persons. 

Assaults and threats were the second most common crime type, with 11% of premises reporting these types of crimes. Burglary (including attempts) and vandalism were the third and fourth most common crime types, with 10% and 9% of premises reporting these crimes, respectively.

However, there was a large fall of 36% in shoplifting incidents in the year to March 2021, following the closure of non-essential shops during the first year of the pandemic.

Early figures for the year to September 2021 showed signs that levels are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels, with around 250,000 shoplifting offences recorded in the year to September 2021, compared to around 230,000 in the year to March 2021.

 Burglary against businesses

Burglary, including attempts, is a prevalent crime in the wholesale and retail sectors in the UK. In fact, according to the 2021 Crime Survey for England and Wales, one in ten premises, or 10% (equivalent to 40,000 premises) had experienced a burglary. This figure is consistent with the prevalence rates reported in the 2018 CVS, which showed that 11% of premises in the sector had been victims of burglary

Although it is the third most prevalent crime, most premises that experienced burglary reported that the crime did not occur frequently. Only 12% of the businesses that experienced burglary reported that the crime occurred once a month or more often. 

 Violence against businesses

Violence against businesses is a major concern in the UK, and it can have serious consequences for both the employees and the business itself. According to the 2021 CVS report, assaults and threats were the second most prevalent crime against businesses, with 12% or 46,000 premises experiencing this type of crime.

The report also revealed that the majority of these incidents occurred several times a year (34%), with 30% of respondents experiencing assaults or threats roughly once a month to once a week. Only a small percentage (6%) reported experiencing assaults or threats daily. The impact of violence on businesses can be severe, leading to lost productivity, absenteeism, and high employee turnover. It can also damage a business's reputation, resulting in a loss of customers and revenue.

 Businesses Fraud

According to the 2021 Crime Victimisation Survey (CVS), approximately 6% of premises in the wholesale and retail sector in the UK experienced fraud, which is a decline from 10% in 2018. However, this crime type still has a considerable financial impact on businesses, with fraud incidents often causing significant financial loss. Premises in this sector were most likely to experience retail fraud (48%) and debit or credit fraud (45%).

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Crime Report 2022 further highlights that the cost of fraud to convenience stores alone in 2022 was around £11 million. While fraud is a relatively low-volume crime, caution is needed when interpreting findings for this crime type. Respondents might not know if the premise has been a victim of fraud or not, with such crimes often being handled by Head Offices. 

 Anti-social behaviour (ASB)

The prevalence of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the UK business sector was found to be relatively low, with only 14% of premises experiencing ASB. Within this, 15% of retail premises and 9% of wholesale premises reported ASB incidents. The most commonly reported types of ASB included groups loitering on the street (35%), intimidation, verbal abuse, harassment, or threats (24%), and street drinking, underage drinking, or drunken behaviour (23%).

ASB can cause significant problems for businesses, including loss of customers, damage to reputation, and decreased employee morale. Therefore, it is important to address and prevent such behaviour. The UK government has introduced measures to tackle ASB, including the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This Act provides a range of tools to prevent and respond to ASB, including civil injunctions, criminal behaviour orders, and dispersal powers.