Figures show that individuals steal an average of 920 worth of items throughout their working life, costing the economy nearly 432 million each year.
Of the 22% of respondents to the Salgado Investigations survey who said they have not stolen anything, 57% said they would if they thought they would get away with it. The biggest deterrent is video monitoring, with 38% saying this would stop them.
Among the stolen items detailed were large sums of cash, furniture and computer equipment. Stationery was not included in the study.
These stats make for pretty scary reading, says Jorge Salgado-Reyes, founder of Salgado Investigations. Companies are doing little to stop thefts of this kind, with very few having deterrents such as monitored CCTV or robust asset management systems in place.
