Ryan Russo, Denver Criminal Forensic Scientist, Discusses Employee Theft

When people think about employees stealing from their employers, they may think of missing staplers, paperclips and pencils. While it's true that some employees stock up their home offices using supplies they stuff in their coat pockets before they go home at night, true employee theft can be much more costly. According to Ryan Russo, Denver scientist, some employees steal items that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and these employees might be hard to spot, as their coats don't bulge with the things they're taking out of the office each night.

Ryan Russo, Denver Criminal Forensic Scientist, works in the field of electronic forensics. In his work, he uses computer records, cell phone records and more to determine what someone has been doing, and what that person might be hiding. For his corporate clients, Ryan Russo is often asked to investigate the deeds of current or former employees.

Employees of major companies have access to a staggering amount of information. With a quick user name and password, these employees can look for the names and addresses of current clients, and they can use that information to steal away future profits. Employees who want to start their own businesses, without spending money on finding their own clients, often resort to this trick, Ryan Russo, Denver scientist says.

Those who wish to make fast money can also steal proprietary information from the companies they work for, Ryan Russo, Denver scientist says. Building plans, project specifications and more could all be sold to competing companies, making the employee a quick profit for just a few moments of risk and work. The losses for the company could be catastrophic. Thankfully, forensic experts can often identify the person who has committed the theft, which may help the company to prosecute and obtain some of the losses through judicial means.