Employee theft costs businesses billions of dollars annually and it is on the rise, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports. Strategies for controlling these thefts include pre-employment screening, installing procedures to make theft more difficult, improving employee job satisfaction and maintaining a policy of apprehension and prosecution, according to The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.

“Business owners spend a significant amount of time and resource protecting their business from a variety of risks, whether it’s liability for their products or services or severe weather,” Helen R.

Savaiano, president of management liability at The Hanover said in a statement.

“But, what can sometimes be overlooked are the risks presented by unscrupulous employees and unfortunately those types of losses happen more often than business owners think.

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In support of Crime Prevention Month, the company offers insights into the most common crime schemes and steps business owners can take to help prevent these schemes within their own companies.

What business owners can do:

Organizations should make sure there is clear accountability for every position and that no position has broad enough power to authorize payments without another individual’s consent. Companies also need to establish a system of checks and balances and set up an anonymous tip line to encourage reporting of any suspicious activities or business practices, The Hanover said in a report.