Q: Can your polygraph examiner in Waterford find out if my father’s cleaner is stealing from him?
My father has a cleaner who comes in twice a week. He isn’t very mobile and can’t keep on top of things. She’s been working for him for two years and I thought she was trustworthy but now I’m not so sure.
Tammy is considered a family friend, as she’s been working for dad for so long but now things have started going missing. Dad always puts his loose change in an old shoe box. He saves it for a year and normally has enough by Christmas to buy everyone’s gifts. He doesn’t count it until then but I’ve noticed he doesn’t have as much as he should have. He puts all his change in it.
One day I was washing his bed linen for him. The box is usually kept under the bed but it was on his bedside table. Thinking he must have left it out I went to put it under the bed, as usual. The box seemed light so I looked inside and there were no £2 or £1 coins in it which is very strange. Dad said there should be approximately £300 saved by now. I counted it and there was only £75.
My dad hasn’t spent this money, he never does and I believe Tammy has taken it. She is the only one who knows where it is, other than me and dad. The issue is that if she needed extra money, dad would have lent it to her. I’m furious and don’t know what to do. She won’t admit it and I want to schedule a lie detector test in Waterford because it’s the only way dad would believe she’s done it. He’s incredibly fond of her and, when I accused her of stealing the money, he went absolutely mad saying it wasn’t possible. I like Tammy a lot but if she has taken this money she can’t be trusted anymore.
M. E., Waterford
Response from polygraph examiner in Waterford
I’m sorry to hear about this theft. As a polygraph examiner in Waterford, I can’t say this situation is uncommon. Theft within the family is one of the most difficult issues to resolve. This is especially true when an employee becomes a friend and ‘part of the family’.
The only way you can schedule a lie detector test for your father’s cleaner is if she agrees to it. Bear in mind that people don’t always refuse to take a polygraph test because they are guilty of what they are accused of. Many are worried that their stress from perhaps being falsely accused may affect their results. If you do decide to go ahead and book you should tell Tammy that all our polygraph examiners are forensic psychologists. We are aware of the normal stress associated with tests of this nature and make allowances for it.
The difficulty you have is that your father trusts her and will very likely block the test if she mentions it to him. If you’d like to call in on our Free Helpline – 85 176 3360 our customer service staff will be happy to discuss the best way to go forward with this. Please tell them your question has been answered by the polygraph examiner in Waterford.
