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 2/7/20

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Kenny Teixeira promoted to Senior Manager of Asset Protection for Save A Lot

Kenny has been with Save A Lot for more than four years. Before he was promoted to Senior Manager of Asset Protection, he spent four years as Regional Loss Prevention Manager with the company. Prior to that, he spent over 11 years with Shaw's Supermarkets, first as Senior Loss Prevention Specialist and then as Internal Auditor. Earlier in his career, he served as a Loss Prevention Specialist for Gap Inc./Old Navy for two years and a Loss Prevention Investigator for Ames Dept. Stores for three years. Congratulations, Kenny!


 




Detex Joins the National Shoplifting Prevention Coalition as a Founding Supporter
The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) and its Retail Advisory Committee welcome Detex as one of the first founding supporters of the National Shoplifting Prevention Coalition (NSPC). The addition of new members and supporters like Detex brings new expertise and diverse points of view in to the Coalition's collaborative effort to reduce shoplifter recidivism using education.

"By joining and supporting the Coalition, Detex is helping retailers and communities address the issues at the root of retail crime and theft. Their support will have a long-term impact on retail loss and will improve both store and community safety" noted NASP Executive Director Caroline Kochman. "Industry leading companies like Detex will bring significant value and offer new insight to the Coalition; adding to the strength already rooted in its veteran asset protection leaders."

"Joining and supporting the NSPC gives us an opportunity to truly partner long term with retailers on a project where we will be exponentially more effective as group than as individual companies," said Tim Shafer, Marketing Manager at Detex. "Through this initiative, we hope that our collective resources will result in significant social impact - for stores, for communities, for the human beings who are given a second-chance through education."
Read more

Intellicheck and DealerSafeGuardSolutionS Collaborate to Protect Auto Dealers from Fraud
Intellicheck and DealerSafeGuardSolutionS are collaborating to put the brakes on the growing problem of fraudulent automobile purchases and leasing. Under the new cooperative agreement, DealerSafeGuardSolutionS will offer Intellicheck's Retail ID desktop and mobile app solution as part of its digital compliance enforcement platform to provide fraud protection to their more than 550 automobile dealerships' locations nationwide. businesswire.com


Register now for ECR's Self Checkout Workshop
Feb 11th & 12th in London

Heads of Front End & Checkouts, Heads of Store Operations & Loss Prevention, Retail Experience & Proposition leaders and Product Managers from 30+ retailers from across Europe and USA have already registered for this interactive retailer only workshop, with design, innovation and real world case study learning as the central themes.

As with all ECR meetings, there is no cost for retailers to participate. If your retail company would like to participate then please click here to see the agenda and to register.
 



Coronavirus Update


Coronavirus Live Updates:
Trump Praises China's Response to Outbreak as Death Toll Passes 600


Deaths in China surpass 636, and infections rise above 31,161

Many doctors believe that deaths and infections in China are undercounted because hospitals and laboratories are under severe strain to test for the virus.

W.H.O. says global supplies of masks and other equipment is running short. nytimes.com

Lifeblood of Amazon merchants threatened as coronavirus infects Chinese workers
Idled factories & product shortages could 'wipe out' online sellers


1 million-plus Amazon sellers depend on factory workers in China

Amazon.com sellers are bracing for product shortages as Chinese workers - worried about the fast-spreading coronavirus - may be unable or unwilling to return to idled factories.

Brandon Young, who pulls in more than $10 million in annual revenue from the online marketplace, has a 30-45 day supply of portable Apple Inc watch chargers that could be difficult to replenish because they are built from genuine Apple components that are exclusively made in China.

Plugable Technologies founder Bernie Thompson says he could run out of his top-selling triple display laptop docking station by the end of this month, even if factories open as planned next week.

The entrepreneurs are among the 1 million-plus Amazon sellers whose livelihoods depend on factory workers in China, where the coronavirus has sickened more than 30,000 and killed more than 600 people. Their predicament foreshadows the risk Amazon sellers face if China's fast-moving epidemic results in worker shortages or prolonged factory closures.

Running out of product on Amazon can wipe out a small business. Amazon's algorithm gives top billing to sellers with the briskest and most recent sales. That prominent placement helps drive even more sales.

In a post published here on its Chinese website on Saturday, Amazon advised Chinese sellers to avoid low inventory and shipping delays due to the coronavirus. Tips included delisting products and putting stores into inactive mode. reuters.com

Coronavirus: How to Plan and Protect

Pandemic Expert Regina Phelps Offers 10 Tips for Business Continuity

If 2% Mortality Rate Increases We'll See Widespread Impact


The coronavirus statistics are dizzying - as of Thursday, there were 28,000 reported infections in 25 countries, with about 560 deaths. But the key stat to watch is 2 percent, says pandemic expert Regina Phelps. That's the current mortality rate. And how that number grows or shrinks will dictate how business continuity leaders must respond.

"If we continue on a 2 percent fatality rate, or it drops even lower, I think we will not see a major impact on business," says Phelps, founder of Emergency Management & Safety Solutions. "If, however, that fatality rate increases, then I think you will see a lot of widespread impact," including to the global business supply chain."

Myths and realities about the outbreak;

What business continuity/disaster recovery leaders should be doing now in preparation;

Ten tips for how to address issues such as business continuity, supply chain concerns and fraud scams already emerging from the crisis.

Phelps, RN, BSN, MPA, CEM, is an internationally recognized expert in the field of emergency management and continuity planning. govinfosecurity.com

Coronavirus fears drive shortages of respiratory masks, sanitizers

"The news coverage is clearly affecting consumer behavior"

Americans are much more worried about the coronavirus than their local pharmacists, according to a national survey, conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association. The survey was based on 124 responses sent to 8,000 pharmacy owners/managers Feb. 3-5.

Sixty-three percent of local pharmacists say their customers are buying surgical masks as a precaution, while a staggering 96% say they're selling them faster than they can restock. Nearly 40% say they can't get enough respirator masks. Many are reporting shortages of hand sanitizers, surface sanitizers, and gloves as well. drugstorenews.com

Philly Area Businesses Feeling the Sting of Coronavirus Outbreak
 



Organized Cybercrime: Not Your Grandfather's Mafia

New Michigan State University Study

Does the common stereotype for "organized crime" hold up for organizations of hackers? Research from Michigan State University is one of the first to identify common attributes of cybercrime networks, revealing how these groups function and work together to cause an estimated $445-600 billion of harm globally per year.

"It's not the 'Tony Soprano mob boss type' who's ordering cybercrime against financial institutions," said Thomas Holt, MSU professor of criminal justice and co-author of the study. "Certainly, there are different nation states and groups engaging in cybercrime, but the ones causing the most damage are loose groups of individuals who come together to do one thing, do it really well - and even for a period of time - then disappear."

In cases like New York City's "Five Families," organized crime networks have historic validity, and are documented and traceable. In the online space, however, it's a very difficult trail to follow, Holt said.

"We found that these cybercriminals work in organizations, but those organizations differ depending on the offense," Holt said. "They may have relationships with each other, but they're not multi-year, multi-generation, sophisticated groups that you associate with other organized crime networks."

"Many of these criminals connected online, at least initially, in order to communicate to find one another," Holt said. "In some of the bigger cases that we had, there's a core group of actors who know one another really well, who then develop an ancillary network of people who they can use for money muling or for converting the information that they obtained into actual cash."

The research, published in International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, also debunks common misconceptions that sophisticated organized criminal networks - such as the Russian mafia - are the ones creating cybercrime.

"As things move to the dark web and use cryptocurrencies and other avenues for payment, hacker behaviors change and become harder to fully identify, it's going to become harder to understand some of these relational networks," Holt said. "We hope to see better relationships between law enforcement and academia, better information sharing, and sourcing so we can better understand actor behaviors." homelandsecuritynewswire.com

Valley Murder Victim's Family Suing Walmart For Lacks Store Security

Allowing Killer Unfettered Access to Ammunition He Stole

Trump Included Rocky's Story in SOTU Address

In December 2018 36-year-old Gustavo Garcia allegedly stole unsecured ammo from a Tulare Walmart's shelves and used it in a deadly crime spree.

Rocky Jones, 51, was killed by Garcia outside a Visalia AM-PM. Garcia was on a rampage which included carjacking, armed robbery, two murders and a shootout with law enforcement.

The Jones family alleges the bullets used in the killing were the same ones Garcia stole from the Tulare Walmart.

"Walmart violated state law by having their ammunition unsecured unlocked and not behind a counter where there was a salesperson to assist you," Wagner said.

The family is pushing for legislation to hold them accountable for weakening criminal laws.

Wagner said he's not scared to take on Walmart in fact, two years ago he won a $74-million lawsuit against the company.

Jody Jones, Rocky's brother, drew national attention as President Donald Trump's State of the Union guest. Trump shared Rocky's story - one the family said will not be in vain. yourcentralvalley.com

Civil unrest on the rise globally: Report
Civil unrest is rising globally, according to the most recent Civil Unrest Index from Verisk Maplecroft, part of Verisk Analytics Inc.

The risk consultant's Political Outlook 2020 identifies 47 jurisdictions that over the past year have witnessed a significant uptick in protests, a trend that intensified during the last quarter of 2019, the report said. Troubled spots included locations as diverse as Hong Kong, Chile, Nigeria, Sudan, Haiti and Lebanon.

Verisk Maplecroft projects that 75 out of the 125 countries in its forecasting database will on average see an increase in civil unrest during the next six months, the report said.

China-U.S tensions also remain a focus and are expected to worsen this year. businessinsurance.com

Men Plead Guilty to Employment Fraud Scheme, Defrauding Goodwill
Two Alexandria men pleaded guilty today and agreed to forfeit approximately $3.9 million for unlawfully employing unauthorized immigrants over several years and defrauding Goodwill of Greater Washington.

According to court documents, Alaa Nimr Garada, 57, and Rafik Moheyeldin, 65, operated a business known as WTC2, Inc. This business specialized in purchasing and reselling used goods, including clothing and shoes. WTC2 contracted with charities, including Goodwill of Greater Washington, which operated clothing donation centers. In particular, WTC2 contracted with several charities to set up donation bins with the charities' logos, and WTC2 was then permitted to keep the goods collected in those bins. WTC2 primarily collected used clothing and then resold the clothing in bulk lots to customers along the United States-Mexico border and also exported items to customers in Africa, Asia, and South America.

From 2012 until 2016, the WTC2 workforce was composed primarily of unauthorized immigrants for whom no payroll taxes were remitted, and no employment benefits, such as unemployment and/or worker's compensation insurance, were available or paid to any eligible beneficiary. justice.gov

7-Eleven Going Amazon-Go
Over the next few years the industry with be Go-ing

During the pilot, the 700-square-foot non-traditional store is available to 7-Eleven employees. Just like Amazon did.

"Retail technology is evolving at a rapid pace and customer expectations are driving the evolution," said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto. "Our team is dedicated to continuing 7-Eleven's legacy of innovation with industry-leading digital solutions. Most recently that has included our award winning 7Rewards loyalty platform, 7NOW on-demand delivery, mobile checkout, and now our new cashierless store."

A proprietary mixture of algorithms and predictive technology enables the store system to separate individual customers and their purchases from others in the store. The concept store offers an assortment of the most popular products sold in 7-Eleven® stores, including beverages, snacks, food, groceries, over-the-counter drugs and non-food items. The product mix will continue to be refined.

Shopping in the new cashierless 7-Eleven store is simple. To test the store, employees download an app, sign up, check in at the store, enter the store, shop and exit. A detailed receipt appears in the app automatically after the customer exits.

The cashierless prototype is not the first for the 7-Eleven brand. The Japanese-owned chain began testing a similar concept in Tokyo in 2018 as a result of a severe labor shortage in the country. retailwire.com prnewswire.com

Editor's Note: Over the next decade, we're going to see this in the majority of developed retailers that can afford the technology. The key is figuring out the model for big boxes and developing an LP program that minimizes the huge shrink numbers we're now seeing.

Retailers say 'radical' labor bill would put rights of unions ahead of workers and employers
The National Retail Federation asked the House to reject legislation set for a vote today that would bring together a wide range of long-debated measures intended to expand the power of labor unions.

"The PRO Act seeks to fundamentally redefine labor relations by codifying radical proposals that have been rejected by the courts, the agencies charged with administering them, and/or Congress," NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. "Extreme provisions included in this bill overturn well-established law and put the interests of labor unions before the rights of employees and employers." nrf.com
 

Quarterly Results
Sketchers Q4 comps up 9.9%, domestic up 10.3%, international up 8.8%, sales up 23.1%
Sketchers full yr domestic sales up 3.3%, international sales up 20.2%, total sales up 12.5%
Ingles Markets Q1 comp's up 2.4 excluding gas, total sales up 1.6%
Canada's Indigo Books & Music Q3 comp's down 10.5%, sales down 9.9%

 


 


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ALL-TAG Develops Customizable 31x32 mm SuperLabel Combines Security with Omni-Channel Marketing


BOCA RATON, Fla.
- ALL-TAG, an American manufacturer of RF Labels, and a leading supplier of AM Anti-theft Security Tags, Security Labels, and other loss prevention products, announces the development of a customizable 31x32 mm SuperLabel®, a multi-purpose security label that will increase source tagging compliance by allowing Consumer Goods Manufactures (CGM) to promote their brand and enhance merchandising.

ALL-TAG's customizable security label offers many printing options, such as brand logos, slogans, and QR Codes. CGM's and other retail merchandise vendors that are required to source tag their merchandise for various retailers can now use the security label as an additional tool that will keep shoppers informed and ultimately increase sales of their products.

Our 31x32 mm SuperLabel is also equipped with patented technology that boosts the detection performance of the label. Therefore, users of this smaller label will not be sacrificing performance. The smaller footprint allows it to fit on more retail product packaging, does not conceal important printed content on the outside of the packaging.

"We're thrilled to have added new machines in our South Florida factory that enable us to produce this product in the US," commented ALL-TAG's Vice President of Sales, Andy Gilbert.

"Source taggers can now satisfy their source tagging requirements, but also make the security label work for them as well." Gilbert continued, "This is a win for everyone because it will increase source tagging compliance, decrease shrink, and increase sales all at the same time."

To find out more about the product listed in this release, please visit all-tag.com.


About ALL-TAG
ALL-TAG is an American manufacturer of 8.2 MHz Radio-Frequency (RF) Labels, and supplier of Accousto Magnetic (AM) labels that are used to source tag retail merchandise. ALL-TAG also supplies RF and AM Hard Tags, Ink Tags, and other Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) solutions that are fully compatible with Checkpoint® and Sensormatic® brand products. ALL-TAG has been manufacturing its RF Labels for source-taggers and retailers throughout the world since 1992. Our manufacturing facility is located in Boca Raton, Florida. The company also has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Mexico City, and Hong Kong, to service our customers throughout the world.


 

 



 


 

The Top 20 Cybersecurity Conferences to Attend in 2020
A 2019 Fortinet survey asked chief information security officers (CISOs) to comment on how the expanding complexity of cybersecurity impacts their ability to fulfill their responsibilities. CISOs said there is an increased need for learning and development for security team members. Other concerns included risk management and cybersecurity and strategy awareness.

Enter cybersecurity conferences. Taking place across the U.S. and the world, cybersecurity conferences can offer unique opportunities for cybersecurity professionals, such as hands-on workshops, networking and certifications.

1. The Human Hacking Conference
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - February 20-22

2. 2020 Global Insider Threat Summit
San Francisco, Calif. - February 24

3. RSA Conference
San Francisco, Calif. - February 24-28

4. Atlanta Cybersecurity Conference
Atlanta, Ga. - March 5

5. Women in Cybersecurity
Aurora, Colo. - March 12-14

6. InfoSec World
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - March 30-April 1

7. SANS 2020
Orlando, Fla. - April 3-10

8. CSO50 Conference+Awards
Scottsdale, Ariz. - April 27-29

9. THINK 2020
San Francisco, Calif. - May 4-7

10. THOTCON
Chicago, Ill. - May 8-9

11. IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy
San Francisco, Calif. - May 18-20

12. National Cyber Summit
Huntsville, Ala. - June 2-4

13. Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit
National Harbor, Md. - June 1-4

14. Blue Team Con
Chicago, Ill. - June 20-21

15. Black Hat
Las Vegas, Nev. - August 1-6

16. Bsides Vegas
Las Vegas, Nev. - August 4-5

17. Global CISO Executive Summit
Marana, Ariz. - September 21-23

18. GrrCON Cyber Security Summit & Hacker Conference
Grand Rapids, Mich. - October

19. Cybersecurity & Fraud Summit
Washington, D.C. - November 17

20. FutureCon - 25 events per year
securitymagazine.com


Special Mention: 2020 RH-ISAC Cyber Intelligence Summit
Leesburg, Virginia - September 15-16, 2020

The Goldilocks principle for zero trust fraud prevention
According to Wikipedia, "zero trust is an information security framework which states that organizations should not trust any entity inside or outside of their perimeter at any time."

In the Identity and Access Management (IAM) world, zero trust is all the buzz. If you are in enterprise security, you are being bombarded with the phrase at conferences and from marketing materials. It's inescapable. Having recently received just such a bombardment at one of the larger IAM conferences, I was curious at how well zero trust applies to fraud prevention.

Although the zero trust framework is gaining momentum in the enterprise, its basic concepts have been the mainstay of fraud prevention in industries like insurance, finance and retail for a very long time. At its core, zero trust identifies the level of risk based on a combination of the origin device, the destination system and the action being performed.

What fraud prevention seems to miss is the holistic view taken by the zero trust framework in which every interaction is evaluated for risk. For example, many e-commerce sites require a customer to log in to complete a transaction rather than the zero trust approach of determining the amount of risk displayed by that transaction and then deciding if there needs to be stepped up authentication (logging in).

The zero trust framework says that every action is evaluated in the same fashion with the same systems: collect data points about the requester and the request, run the data points against a rules engine, and require authentication that provides the correct amount of friction to protect the system without placing undue stress on the user experience. This probably sounds quite the opposite to the common assumption that with zero trust walls are put up at the risk of the user experience, impacting both revenue and productivity. When done right, zero trust security can minimize both risk and friction. helpnetsecurity.com

Leader of Fraud Ring Sentenced

$120M BEC Fraud - Facebook - Google Case

DOJ Press Release

A leader of an international criminal network that stole millions of dollars from two American businesses while pretending to be a legitimate vendor is now in prison.

Evaldas Rimasauskas was one of the orchestrators of the Lithuania-based business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Beginning in 2013, his employees regularly called the victim companies' customer service numbers to glean as much information as they could about the companies. They asked for details like names of key employees and their contact information.

They also sent phishing emails that gave them access to the companies' email systems-giving the fraudsters an even bigger trove of information about the victim companies.

"It was a big, sophisticated research effort," said Special Agent Jonathan Polonitza, who investigated this case out of the FBI's New York Field Office.

Armed with these details and two years of research, one of the fraudsters simply called the companies pretending to be a vendor. The caller told each company to change their bank account information for an upcoming payment.

The two companies wired several payments to the fraudulent accounts, adding up to more than $120 million.

Luckily, the companies notified the FBI of the email intrusions. Investigators froze some of the funds before Rimasauskas and his associates could move the money. Rimasaukas had created a vast paper trail, including contracts, invoices, and other documents to try to make the transactions look legitimate.

BEC is a growing crime-with a staggering price tag. Between 2013 and 2019, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received complaints of more than $10 billion in losses from the crime. fbi.gov

90% of CISOs Would Cut Pay for Better Work-Life Balance
CISOs are willing to sacrifice an average of $9,642, or 7.76% of their salaries, for better work-life balance - an elusive goal among those whose employers demand more of their time and effort.

In a study conducted by Vanson Bourne and commissioned by Nominet, researchers interviewed 400 CISOs and 400 C-suite executives to learn more about the toll of continued stress on the mental health and personal lives of security leaders, who have increasingly reported poor work-life balance and little board-level support. They discovered most (88%) CISOs they surveyed are moderately or tremendously stressed, slightly down from 91% in 2019.

Nearly half (48%) of CISOs say work stress has had a detrimental effect on their mental health, nearly double the 27% who said the same last year. Thirty-one percent report the stress has affected their physical health, 40% say it has affected relationships with partners and children, and almost one-third say it has affected their ability to do their jobs. Ninety percent of CISOs would take a pay cut if it meant they could have a more even work-life balance. darkreading.com

Senior Job
Director, Enterprise Security for U.S. Cellular in Chicago, IL
The Director of Enterprise Security is responsible for ensuring the overall security of Enterprise Information Systems, Assets, and Resources. This is accomplished by translating business needs into policies, procedures, and controls into a cohesive security program that appropriately accounts for the rapidly changing threat landscape. This position will be looked at as U.S. Cellular's Enterprise Security technology expert.

​​​​​​With more than 5.1 million customers, U.S. Cellular® is one of the nation's largest wireless service carriers. uscellular.jobs

How IoT devices open a portal for chaos across the network
 



 




WHITEPAPER: Learn how Under Armour introduced
a game-changing loss prevention strategy


After establishing a new standard for electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology for its North American stores, Under Armour does have one lingering regret. "I could kick myself for not discovering this solution sooner," said Sean Donnelly, Sr. Director of Global Retail Asset Protection and Investigations for the premier activewear giant.

"My advice to other AP leaders is to not write things off by thinking that something looks too good to be true. Be open to challenging the status quo and willing to put new solutions to the test. We learned that openness pays big dividends, and it's an important part of servicing any rapidly growing business that prides itself on innovation."

Download the whitepaper here.
 


 


 


 



China e-commerce giant Alibaba sets up website for coronavirus medical supplies
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has set up a special website to supply urgent medical equipment from around the world to China in a bid to help fight the coronavirus. The business-to-business website aims to create a direct connection between suppliers of medical equipment and teams of doctors on the ground battling the infectious disease, the firm said on Thursday.

Alibaba also said that on January 25 it set up a dedicated fund of some $140 million to buy essential medical equipment from around the world, including from Israel, to supply teams operating in Chinese cities. The firm said it used its online digital technology and infrastructure to set up the Alibaba Global Direct Sourcing Platform, a dedicated website on which Alibaba will publish what equipment is required.

The platform aims to be an information bridge for large wholesalers, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, the statement said.

Alibaba has approached medical suppliers globally, including in Israel, with letters detailing what equipment is needed - including masks, protective suits, gloves and glasses to safeguard the medical professionals as they work. As of February 3, the firm had supplied goods from 15 countries to 18 hospitals in the Hubei, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces in China, the statement said. timesofisrael.com

FTC Shutters Hundreds of 'Fake' Websites
U.S. Federal Trade Commission shuttered over 200 websites that it says fraudulently claimed to offer government services, such as drivers' license renewals or verification of public benefits, for a fee.

The sites lured U.S. consumers into providing personal information, including credit card and drivers' license numbers, in exchange for quick and easy access to government services, according to the FTC. Instead, users typically received a PDF document containing information that's already publicly available from the government, the agency says.

After giving personal information to the operators of these websites, consumers almost immediately began receiving unsolicited marketing emails and spam text messages, including messages that promised job-search assistance, free gift cards and home buyer grants, the FTC alleges. govinfosecurity.com

Tech-savvy millennials twice as likely to fall victim to online shopping fraud than any other generation, report finds


Amazon to Build Biggest 43-Story Tower Ever with 15,000 Jobs in Bellevue, WA



 



 

Two Chinese Nationals Hit Walmart & Elderly Consumers for $600,000
in Walmart Gift Cards
Two suspects were indicted by the Utah Attorney General's Office for taking part in an alleged gift card scheme that targeted primarily the elderly, a fraud that resulted in a $600,000 loss to both the individuals and Walmart.

Junliang Tang, 35, and Shuyan Wang, 33, both Chinese nationals, face three second-degree felony charges, including one count of money laundering, one count of pattern of unlawful activity and one count of unlawful use of a card.

The charges stem from an extensive multiagency investigation into a fraud ring that resulted in more than $600,000 in losses to a number of victims and to Walmart, Daniel R. Strong with the Utah Attorney General's Office noted in the indictment filed Thursday.

In the scheme, individuals, primarily the elderly, are manipulated into loading large sums of money onto Walmart gift cards by suspects posing as government agents, a computer service person, bail bondsmen, IRS agents or other rouse

The investigation also revealed that once the money was loaded, a network of suspects used the fraudulently obtained gift cards to purchase other "closed loop" gift cards - which are cards that can only be used at a specific retailer or brand - at various Walmart stores. Those cards are then monetized into cash through various online marketplaces.

Once the fraudulent transactions were identified, investigators were able to link them back to Sam's Club membership records, which also required a photograph, and a number of individuals throughout the U.S. suspected of being involved in the scheme were identified. stgeorgeutah.com
 

San Diego, CA: Woman, 66, accused of stealing $300K in decade-long series of jewelry store thefts
Police say Huong Thi Tran used sleight of hand to steal more than $300,000 worth of jewelry from at least 12 stores in 3 states since 2008; she was arrested Thursday in San Diego. Huong Thi Tran was taken into custody at a home in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood. Jail records showed Tran was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of felony burglary and grand theft. latimes.com

Las Vegas, NV: Couple arrested on Organized Theft Charges, everything from a stolen Porsche to pharmacy items
A laser resurfacing station for a skin clinic worth nearly $140,000, an electric bass guitar and over-the-counter medicines worth thousands of dollars were among the items recovered in connection with the arrest of a Las Vegas couple. Ronny Nezhoda, 41, was arrested on seven felony counts of buying, possessing and/or receiving stolen property, including six that involved items in excess of $3,500. Amanda Nezhoda, 41, was arrested on a felony count of being part of an organized retail theft ring, exceeding $10,000, and four felony counts of buying, possessing and/or receiving stolen property, including three that involved items in excess of $3,500.

According to Las Vegas police arrest reports, police obtained a search warrant on Jan. 25 for the Nezhodas' residence and found a Porsche, which had been reported as stolen, several sealed boxes of pharmacy items from Smith's, Walgreens and CVS, in addition to a set of keys used by the U.S. Post Office to open the back of large mailboxes. Ronny Nezhoda was arrested and questioned by detectives, who asked if he had a storage unit. Detectives determined the location of Nezhoda's storage unit. They recovered the laser resurfacing station, an electric bike worth more than $4,800, surgical equipment and a red electric bass guitar valued at $1,300. Officers also determined that Amanda was selling the items on her eBay account using her maiden name. reviewjournal.com

Update: Laurel, DE: FedEx Supervisor pleads guilty to stealing $3.6M in merchandise
A Laurel man pleaded guilty on felony theft and tax evasion charges for stealing millions of dollars of merchandise from a FedEx distribution center in Seaford. Joseph Kukta, age 43, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and tax evasion, in connection with his theft and resale of merchandise being shipped through a commercial mail service. According to his plea agreement, from 2007 through July 30, 2019, Kukta worked as a Senior Manager at the FedEx facility located in Seaford, Delaware. The facility handled all the FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery packages passing through the Delmarva Peninsula.

As the most senior employee at the facility, Kukta oversaw all operational aspects of the facility and supervised over 100 employees and contractors, earning an annual salary of more than $92,000. Kukta admitted that beginning in 2009 and continuing until June 2019, he stole packages shipped via FedEx and resold the items to a person currently living in Colorado, at approximately 50% of the item's retail price. Kukta then transported the stolen items, using his vehicles and trailers, to a Maryland resident who is the father of the person who lives in Colorado. From 2012 through 2019, the Colorado resident made 275 payments to Kukta totaling more than $1.8 million for merchandise worth approximately $3.6 million that was stolen from FedEx. wgmd.com

New York, NY: A Purse Worth $23,000 Was Stolen From Gwyneth Paltrow's
Goop Store
Police are asking for the public's help after a man took about tens of thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Lab store in New York City - a single bag worth about $23,000. A store employee realized the tiny but pricey bag was missing Jan. 30 and called the NYPD. Surveillance video at the shop revealed that earlier that day a man, who appeared to be in his twenties, opened a display case, took the bag, and walked out. buzzfeednews.com

Update: Miami County, OH: Theft Ring suspect sentenced to 8 years, restitution of $38,000 to Home Depot and Harris Jeweler
A Tipp City man was sentenced to serve eight years in prison for his role in a multi-county theft ring. Jesse Spurlock, 46, was one of four people involved in a multi-county theft ring. Miami County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Wall also ordered Spurlock to pay $11,612.19 to Home Depot and $26,315.55 to Harris Jewelers. Approximately 13 businesses, two businesses in Troy, were involved, including Harris Jewelers and Check Into Cash. Suspects allegedly stole $150,000 worth of jewelry, watches and equipment from Harris Jewelers in a break-in reported in October 2017. The suspects in that incident gained entry through the roof to the jewelry store.  dailycall.com

Troy, MI: 27 charges issued in Troy police, MSP shoplifting crackdown
The Troy Police Department and Michigan State Police teamed up to stop shoplifters. Police held a two-day "blitz" on Jan. 28 and 29 that resulted in 27 different charges related to retail crime. Loss prevention officers from 13 different stores were also part of the effort. One arrest includes a 30-year-old man and 30-year-old woman who were accuse of stealing $736 worth of goods from Victoria's Secret, Dick's Sporting Goods, JC Penney and Bath and Body Works at Oakland Mall. The suspects were reportedly accompanied by the woman's 7-year-old child. The Canton Police Department also worked as part of the cooperative effort. wxyz.com

Toppenish, WA: Arrests in $25,000 Hardware store burglary; additional $5,000 in store damage

Daly City, CA: Police Investigate Theft Of More Than $2,000 In Merchandise From Victoria's Secret
 


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Shootings & Deaths

Boynton Beach, FL: Man arrested in fatal shooting at convenience store
Boynton Beach Police have made an arrest in Thursday morning's fatal shooting. Police say, 27-year-old Antwon Bryant is charged with first degree murder. Bryant was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail. Police said they received a 911 call around 10:20 a.m. about a shooting at the Cherry Hill Mini Market. The name of the victim has not been released, but police said it was a male. cbs12.com

El Paso, TX: The suspect in the El Paso Walmart shooting is now facing Federal Hate Crime charges
The man accused of killing 22 people and injuring nearly two dozen more in a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, has been indicted on 90 federal charges, including hate crimes, court documents show. Patrick Crusius has been charged with hate crimes resulting in death, hate crimes involving an attempt to kill, use of a firearm to commit murder and in relation to a crime of violence, and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to the indictment unsealed Thursday. The charges relate to the 22 people who were killed as well as 23 other victims who survived the August 3 massacre -- one of the nation's deadliest shootings and the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern US history. cnn.com


Arizona Man get 25 years in prison after killing a K9 -Officer
 



Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Lufkin, TX: Police charge 2 in connection with Target burglary
Detectives with the Lufkin Police Department have connected one of the men who was arrested Wednesday after a vehicle pursuit involving a stolen pickup to the Jan. 2 burglary of the town's Target store. According to a press release, LPD detectives filed an engaging in organized criminal activity warrant on Tyler Jamar Lopez, 19, of Lufkin, at the Angelina County Jail, where he was still being held for his role in the pickup theft. According to the press release that was issued Thursday afternoon. The Target burglary has been an ongoing investigation since Jan. 2. "Around 2 a.m. that day, store surveillance footage captured two suspects use a window punch to shatter one of the store's glass doors," the press release stated. "In less than 3 minutes the two suspects ran out of the store carrying more than $4,000 worth of Apple-brand electronics. A third suspect acted as the getaway driver in a light-colored sedan." ktre.com

Brandon, FL: Puppy in crime: Deputies take Florida man, dog into custody in theft
A man was caught shoplifting Wednesday afternoon at Bass Pro Shops in Brandon, and deputies say they also took an adorable accomplice into custody. Deputies say a tiny puppy was with Logan Wilson, who was charged with petit theft and possession of methamphetamine. Deputies took care of the puppy, before handing him over to Hillsborough County Animal Services. Deputies say Wilson, 22, admitted to stealing $259 worth of items from the store. He was arrested during a traffic stop, after he was seen leaving the store, according to the Sheriff's Office.
wtsp.com

Gwinnett County, GA: Man arrested in Gwinnett, tied to April 2019 Armed Robbery at Fayetteville AT&T store

San Antonio, TX: Frequent shoplifter pulled out 'large kitchen knife' during robbery at Target

Little Rock, AR: Bryant Police looking for 2 suspects for felony theft at Walmart

 




Sentencings & Pleas

Altoona Man Pleads Guilty in $1 Million Fraud Scheme - Hit Walmart
PITTSBURGH, PA., Patrick S. LaMarsh, age 40, of Altoona, pleaded guilty to two counts.

Between 2011 and 2013, LaMarsh defrauded TracFone and Walmart by selling fraudulently obtained Straight Talk airtime cards on Amazon.com. According to the information provided to the court, LaMarsh fraudulently re-encoded Straight Talk prepaid wireless cards and sold them for a discount, netting in excess of one million dollars in sales.

Sentencing on June 24. Faces five years' imprisonment for each count of conviction for tax evasions, and 20 years imprisonment for each count of conviction for wire fraud, a fine of $4,750,000, or both. justice.gov


Saint Louis City Man Pleads Guilty to 12 Retail Armed Robberies
 


 

Advance Auto - Elizabeth City, NC - Robbery
C-Store - Delaware, OH - Burglary
C-Store - Toledo, OH - Robbery
CVS - Franklin Square, NY - Armed Robbery
Dollar General - Philadelphia, PA - Armed Robbery
Dollar General - Dayton, OH - Armed Robbery
Family Dollar - Toledo, OH - Burglary
Glass store - Fayetteville, AR - Robbery/ Assault
Hardware - Toppenish, WA - Burglary
Home Depot - Phoenix, AZ - Armed Robbery
Liquor - Campbell, CA - Robbery
Liquor - Placer County, CA - Robbery/ Assault
Restaurant - Pearland, TX - Armed Robbery (Burger King)
Restaurant Pearland, TX - Armed Robbery (Lack I the Box)
Restaurant - Elizabeth City, NC - Armed Robbery (Little Caesars)
Restaurant - Birmingham, AL - Robbery (Burger King)
Restaurant - San Antonio, TX - Robbery
Target - Weston, WI - Burglary
Target - San Antonio, TX - Armed Robbery
7-Eleven - Toledo, OH - Robbery
7-Eleven - Hempstead, NY - Armed Robbery

 

Daily Totals:
• 17 robberies
• 4 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed


 

Weekly Totals:
• 98 robberies
• 33 burglaries
• 3 shootings
• 2 killed


 



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