What describes the secret cooperation between criminals and employees to commit theft?

Collusion refers to a secret agreement or cooperation between two or more parties, often to commit acts that are fraudulent or illegal. In the context of retail loss prevention, collusion explicitly describes the scenario where employees conspire with criminals to facilitate theft. This can occur in various forms, such as employees allowing unauthorized discounts, providing access to restricted areas, or turning a blind eye to theft in exchange for a share of the profits.

Understanding collusion is crucial for loss prevention professionals, as it highlights the need to implement effective monitoring and training programs for employees. Recognizing the signs of collusion and creating an ethical workplace culture can significantly reduce the potential for such behavior.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of this secret collaboration in the context of theft. Staging refers to creating a false situation to appear as if a theft occurred, while indicator typically refers to signs or data pointing toward a potential threat or loss. Refund fraud involves fraudulent returns of merchandise, which may or may not involve collusion but does not specifically denote the cooperative aspect between employees and criminals.