The employer is not liable for the fraud / theft of your credit card information because those are intentional acts.  The employer is liable for the negligence of an employee which occurs during the course and scope of employment. The employer is liable for negligence for hiring this particular employee who had an extensive criminal record.Negligence is the failure to exercise due care (that degree of care that a reasonable employer would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances to prevent foreseeable harm).