2018 GLPS - Group LP Selfies
Your Team - Your Pride - Our Industry
Building Industry Pride - One Team Selfie at a Time

7-Eleven AP Team Members "Getting It Done" At the Annual 7-Eleven Experience Gathering at MGM Las Vegas "It Can Be Done"

Front Row, left to right - Earl Winterling, Mark Stinde, Chris Spaccaforno, Brent Smerczynski, Davina Stevens, Ashley Winkelmann and Art Lazo

Back Row, left to right - Tim Hall, Terry Drivas, Bill Coates, Frank Pindulic, Braden Diaz, Steve Sturgill, Karl Suhanyi, Steve Kellison, Alan Lott and Darrel Timan

Violence Trend in U.S.
Is Law Enforcement Under Attack?
15 Police Officers Killed by Guns So Far in 2018
Up Almost 300% Over 2017
With only 5 killed by guns in 2017 at this point in time.

In five of the shooting incidents this year multiple officers were shot as well according to a news briefing on Fox News on 3-8-18.

March 8, 2018, 2:58 foxnews.com odmp.org


Stoplift Making An Impact Worldwide
Australia's TV News Program "A Current Affair":
StopLift stopping shoplifters at self-checkout
StopLift Checkout Vision Systems was featured on "A Current Affair", a major TV news program in Australia.

StopLift CEO Malay Kundu says that his scan avoidance technology is being used at manned and self-checkouts at retail stores, supermarkets and specialty stores throughout Australia. Up to one out of five items at the self-checkout are not scanned. Shoppers often leave expensive items in a reusable bag while scanning cheaper items. vimeo.com

Judge Rules EEOC Background Check Guidance Is Unenforceable
Blanket bans on hiring felons remain unlawful
A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cannot enforce its 2012 guidance limiting the use of criminal background checks against employers in the state.

U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings in Lubbock decided in February that the EEOC's guidance is invalid because it was issued without notice or opportunity for public comment.

The federal government cannot enforce the EEOC's interpretation of the guidance within the state of Texas until the agency complies with the notice and comment requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act, he ruled.

Even though Cummings ruled to prevent the EEOC from enforcing the guidance, he seemed to agree with its overall intent, refusing to affirm Texas' right to categorically exclude felons from jobs and allowing the EEOC to issue right-to-sue letters to claimants who allege illegal discrimination by employers in Texas. shrm.org

New California Sanctuary State Statute Bars Store Managers From Cooperating with ICE
Prevents Private Businesses From Cooperating with ICE
If You Answer - If You Speak - You Committed a Crime - Fox News - Judge Neopolitano Declares it's Unconstitutional
According the Fox News legal analyst Judge Neopolitano store managers can not answer questions when ICE is trying to locate illegal immigrants. Such as holding up a picture of a suspect and asking if they know or have seen an individual.

March 8, 2018, 4:31 - Appears at 1:50 in Video foxnews.com

Cartel Drug Money Deliveries In America's Retail Parking Lots
Nationwide Takedown Targets Brazen International Money Laundering Scheme
Forty Defendants Charged in San Diego with Conspiring To Launder Millions of Dollars in Drug Money for Mexican Cartels
These cash deliveries took place in locations such as parking lots of retail stores, hotels, and restaurants across the United States, including ones in San Diego, California; Los Angeles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; New York, New York; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Chicago, Illinois. By targeting these money movers, law enforcement was able to discover multiple drug trafficking cells across the United States responsible for importing and distributing substantial quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine.

A total of 75 defendants nationwide have been charged across the United States with crimes ranging from drug distribution to money laundering, all stemming from this investigation.

Jose Roberto Lopez-Albarran, a significant money broker for a Mexican-based international money laundering organization, along with other members of the organization, allegedly laundered tens of millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds from the United States to Mexico between 2015 and 2018.

Editor's Note: Obviously this may be a contributor to some of the deaths in the nations parking lots. But most importantly is the increased risk to the consumer and associates working in retail America. Is there an answer to this one? justice.gov

PwC's 2018 Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey
Pulling fraud out of the shadows
Staying vigilant - or turning a blind eye?
PwC's 2018 Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey finds that 49% of global organizations say they've experienced economic crime in the past two years. But what about the other 51%? Have they avoided falling victim - or simply don't know about it? Since fraud hides in the shadows, one of the most powerful weapons in a fraudster's armory is a lack of awareness within organizations. It's time for all businesses to recognize the true nature of the threat: not as just a nuisance or cost of doing business, but a shadow industry with tentacles in every country, sector and function.

The reality is, too few companies are fully aware of the fraud risks they face. That's why this year's Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey, gathering valuable data from more than 7,200 respondents across 123 different territories, aims to pull fraud out from the shadows - and shed much-needed light on some of the most important strategic challenges confronting every organization.

The fraud you don't see is as important as the fraud you do.

PwC's 2018 Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey shows that, while there is growing awareness of the perils of economic crime, too few companies are fully aware of the individual risks they face. This report sets out to plug that awareness gap. In it, we explore not only the visible fraud that companies say they are facing, but also the blind spots that stop them seeing the big picture - and what they can and should do about them. pwc.com

Job Cuts Continued to Fall in February
But Retail Job Cuts Still Roaring - Up 60%
Defying the Whole Economy
Employers announced plans to cut 35,369 jobs in February, according to a report issued by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. February's announced cuts were 20.0% less than January's and 4.3% lower than last February's.

The retail sector led the way, cutting 6,106 jobs in February. This is 60.3% higher than the same period last year.

"The economy is almost at full employment, and companies are holding on to their workforces. Announced job cuts have been below 50,000 a month for the last 22 months. That's the longest streak in our tracking," said John Challenger, Chief Executive Officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. aba.com

Editor's Note: Just stay calm and paddle as fast as you can to stay out in front!

NeighborhoodScout releases 2018 list of the Top 100 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities
They compiled the list by examining violent crime reports of cities with a minimum population of 25,000. They then took the number of crimes reported in the city, along with the population total, and divided by 1,000 to determine the crime rate. The list shows Monroe, Louisiana, as the most dangerous city in 2018. NeighborhoodScout data also shows states with the highest number of dangerous cities. According to the data, Michigan has the largest number of Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S. with nine coming from that state. Other states with high counts of dangerous cities include Illinois (5), California (7), and Florida (8). neighborhoodscout.com

Toys 'R' Us Is Prepping to Liquidate Its U.S. Operations

Dick's gets traffic surge after taking stand on gun sales

Home Depot Settles $28M Suit Over Hazardous Waste Disposal in CA

Claire's close to filing for bankruptcy, report says


Quarterly Results

Costco Q1 & Q2 comp's up 9.4%, Q2 net sales up 10.8%
Diversified Restaurants (65 Buffalo Wild Wings) Q4 comp's up 6.8%, sales up 2.8%, full yr comp's down 3.7%,
Neiman Marcus Q2 comp's up 6.7%, sales up 6.2%
Burlington Stores Q4 comp's up 5.9%, sales up 14.9%, full yr comp's up 3.4%, sales up 9.3%
Christopher & Banks Q4 comp's up 5.7%, sales up 8.6%, full yr comp's down 2.5%, sales down 4.1%
Nordstrom Q4 comp's up 2.6%, net sales up 8.4%, full yr comp's up 0.8%, net sales up 4.4%
Stage Stores Q4 comp's up 1.1%, sales up 20.9%, full yr comp's down 3.6%, sales up 10.3%
Big Lots Q4 comp's up 0.1%, net sales up 3.9%, full yr comp's up 0.4%, sales up 1.3%

ALL-TAG: An American Manufacturer
of EAS Labels & Tags

Source Tagging Benefits

Source Tagging is a very efficient, cost-saving process where product manufacturers and packagers strategically position Radio-Frequency (RF) or Acousto-Magnetic (AM) security labels on products before shipping them to retail stores. Both retailers and product manufacturers benefit from source tagging in many ways.

  ● Retailers eliminate high labor costs associated with in-store tagging
  ● Retail employees have more time to spend on the sales floor
  ● Uniform tag placement
  ● Products can be moved to the sales floor immediately
  ● Products can be more openly displayed

Source Tagging with ALL-TAG

ALL-TAG has been manufacturing RF labels since 1992, and is the currently the second largest global manufacturer of anti-theft labels. We offer many different label roll sizes, glue types, and top papers based on the requirements for the high-speed automated application process performed by the retail merchandise manufacturers and packagers.

As source tagging experts, ALL-TAG works closely with manufacturers and packagers to determine the RF or AM label position that ensures excellent detection by an EAS system, invisibility and tamper resistance, and deactivation convenience at the checkout counter. As a complimentary service, ALL-TAG will provide a certification in writing that guarantees that the label position meets these requirements.

The small yet powerful ALL-TAG SuperLabels® allow more products to be tagged. For example, the detection performance of our ALL-TAG 31x32 mm (1.2x1.3 inch) SuperLabel is comparable to standard Checkpoint 40x40 mm (1.5x1.5 inch) RF labels. ALL-TAG's patented Black Static Line (BSL) technology ensures that any static from the auto-mated label application process will not affect the quality or reliability of our labels in any way. Other RF Label suppliers may offer some type of anti-static solution, but ALL-TAG's BSL technology is the most effective solution for eliminating static, and the only one that is guaranteed to protect your labels.

ALL-TAG offers labels and special source tagging services for both RF and AM label applications.

How to Manage Cyber-Whistleblower Risk
Companies should pay specific attention to risks arising from the increasingly common whistleblower complaints regarding data breaches and cybersecurity.

Public companies increasingly are confronted with whistleblower complaints regarding data breaches, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and related internal control deficiencies.

If those complaints go unheeded - or, worse, prompt retaliation - companies could be exposed to civil liability in addition to reputational damage. The Securities and Exchange Commission has made no secret of the fact that cybersecurity is a top enforcement priority and that its whistleblower program is here to stay.

This article discusses the application of existing whistleblower protections for those making allegations regarding data breaches and cybersecurity deficiencies. We also recommend practical steps that public companies can take to tailor their compliance and internal investigations procedures to prepare for the intersection of these issues and assure a consistent approach when addressing cybersecurity whistleblower issues. cfo.com

Here's Direct Evidence - How Breach Notifications Can Impact a Company's Sale
Yahoo Agrees to $80 Million Settlement with Investors
Investors alleged that Yahoo intentionally misled them about its cybersecurity practices
Yahoo has agreed to pay $80 million to settle a class action securities litigation brought against it by shareholders who alleged that the company intentionally misled them about its cybersecurity practices in the wake of massive data breaches in 2013 and 2014 that compromised the personal information of all 3 billion of Yahoo customers.

The 2013 breach was not reported until 2016, and the full extent of the damage was not known until October 2017, months after the investors' lawsuit was filed. The listed defendants are the company, and its CEO and CFO at the time of the events, Marissa Meyer and Kenneth Goldman, respectively. The settlement class includes all those who purchased or acquired Yahoo securities on the open market between April 30, 2013, and Dec. 14, 2016. 

The settlement must now be accepted by the court.

A separate class action suit against Yahoo is also being brought by the victims of the breach whose personal data was exposed in the 2013 breach. The incidents forced Yahoo to trim $350 million off the original $4.83 billion asking price when it sold its main assets to Verizon in 2017. 

Editor's Note: So we have $80M plus the $350M sale price reduction plus the victims law suit plus breach cost and expenses. This might top even Equifax's $600m cost. And wouldn't be surprised if there's a move to clawback stock from the former CEO and CFO. darkreading.com

Privilege Abuse Attacks: 4 Common Scenarios
It doesn't matter if the threat comes from a disgruntled ex-employee or an insider anticipating financial gain, privilege abuse patterns are pretty much the same, and they're easy to avoid.

Privileged account abuse is one of the most dangerous threats because it is relatively easy to execute and takes a long time to detect. The 2017 IBM Cost of Data Breach Study disclosed that organizations lost at least $3.62 million on forensic and investigative activities, remediation and legal expenditures associated with security incidents in 2016. But the overall damage for businesses can be irrecoverable.

Scenario 1: Privilege Abuse
The simplest and most common situation is when an insider uses legitimate permissions for malicious activities.

Lesson Learned: Be aware of what your employees and contractors are doing by regularly monitoring the activity of all privileged users. You can deter misbehavior simply by letting people know they are being watched.

Scenario 2: Privilege Escalation
Privilege escalation is when an insider deliberately raises his or her level of permissions to get more access rights. Privilege escalation requires more effort and knowledge than simple privilege abuse. The most obvious example is the case of Edward Snowden.

Lesson Learned: Make sure you have rigorous control over access to systems that store confidential information, and a complete key and certificate inventory. In addition, remind your employees about your security policy and the consequences of violating it, for example, by sharing their passwords.

Scenario 3: Unauthorized Access
The unauthorized use of another user's account is particularly difficult to detect and investigate. It occurs when an employee either purposely steals someone's credentials or obtains them by mistake. These cases rarely go public, but here is one good example.

Lesson Learned: Detecting account hijacking can be tough, but thorough monitoring and analysis of user activity will help you detect anomalies that could indicate a security incident. It's also a good idea to implement a user termination policy that includes steps such as immediately disabling the employee's account, terminating VPN and remote desktop access, and changing all shared account passwords. Be sure that the policy is closely followed whenever an employee quits or is terminated.

Scenario 4: Human Error
Human mistakes are perhaps the most common type of privilege abuse. Actually, there are two types of mistakes to consider: when a user accidentally misuses access rights that were granted properly, or an admin grants a user excessive access rights by mistake or out of negligence. I bet every organization has experienced this issue.

Lesson Learned: Strictly enforce the least-privilege principle to minimize the amount of data each employee can reach, and closely monitor user behavior to detect suspicious activity and new patterns. Also educate users about proper behavior and let them know they are being monitored; these steps can go a long way toward preventing costly mistakes.

The Main Lesson
These four common scenarios for privilege abuse resulting in data compromise all share the same key problem: a poor understanding of what users are doing in critical systems and how they interact with sensitive data, according to the 2017 Netwrix IT Risks Report. To mitigate the threat or privilege abuse, security pros need to ensure that users have only the permissions they need to perform their duties, and monitor user activity across all levels of IT infrastructure. darkreading.com

Security Think Tank: Multi-layered security key to fileless malware defense
Identifying VPN's & Incoming Network Traffic
What should organisations do, at the very least, to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware?

The nature of fileless malware means it often cannot be rebuffed by simple antivirus protection and is incredibly difficult to detect once it is in the system. 

This makes it critical to get in front of the problem and prevent it happening in the first place. This requires installing multiple layers of security as well as ensuring system resilience so that all bases are covered.

Security automation tools such as Cyberarc, DarkTrace or SAP's Enterprise Threat Detection can identify potential attacks based on anomalies or behavior deemed suspicious.

For example, connections from an IP address, whether recognised or unfamiliar, might be coming from an unknown or unusual geographical location where the organisation has no recognised business interests. Because this could indicate that a virtual private network (VPN) server or other masking protocol is being used to make it appear that the connecting party is located somewhere they are not to seem legitimate, automation tools will flag with an alert or block access altogether.

Identifying potentially suspicious activity through the incoming network traffic can allow early insight into an attack that might be underway, even if there is no "traditional trace" of a file. computerweekly.com

Director IT Security - SOC & TVM for Lowe's Posted

Solution Providers: Have a video or commercial you want to publish? Contact us 

Hidden Costs Associated with Retail's Pursuit of Omnichannel Experience
For many retailers, the rush to develop their omnichannel retail strategy has left them exposed to a number of hidden costs and lacking fundamental fraud prevention within a number of their channels.

This lack of preparation combined with the hidden costs of fraud-including friendly and criminal-spell trouble for retailers. Below are a few factors that make omnichannel ripe for fraudsters:

Card Not Present (CNP) Fraud: Whenever you are dealing with a CNP scenario, your organization is exposed to increased risk of fraud. Because CNP fraud is anonymous, fraudsters exploit this channel with ever-changing fraud tactics and vigor. CNP fraud places the onus on the retailer to identify and stop fraud before it occurs.

BOPUS: In this scenario, customers can order in a CNP environment (mobile device, laptop, etc.) and then pick their order up in the store. When a retailer's backend systems (fraud prevention and order fulfillment) are not seamlessly connected, fraudsters can exploit one channel against another.

Transaction Speed: Part of the customer experience is the speed at which transactions need to occur. The standard for approval is now instantaneous. This, too, places the onus on the retailer and its fraud solution to instantaneously certify the identity of the customer and confirm with a high level of probability that the transaction is legitimate.

Mobile Payment Options: To deliver an omnichannel experience to customers, retailers must support multiple payment options. While payment platforms continue to change, the retailer must ensure that each of them is protected by the same level of security that is on a company's e-commerce site. cardnotpresent.com

Why online retailers need be on alert
Cyber Attacks Double Against eTailers
Internet retailers are waging a two-front war. On one front, they face growing competition that's forcing them to shave costs and operate more efficiently. On the other, they're fending off cybercriminals who are using myriad tactics to eat into their profits and hamstring their businesses.

"Small businesses [like Find Me A Gift] are increasingly coming under attack as hackers target smaller companies because they know many don't have the infrastructure or skills needed to fully secure themselves."

Successful and attempted cyberattacks in the online retail industry are growing. The number of cyberattacks that were identified and prevented in the third quarter of 2017 was double that of the same time period in 2015, according to digital identity firm ThreatMetrix's "2017 Q3 Cybercrime Report." And those are only the attacks the industry knows about, which many industry experts suggest may be just the tip of the cybercrime iceberg. As bad actors get better at plying their illegal trade. digitalcommerce360.com

Amazon files lawsuits over counterfeit Vera Bradley purses and Otterbox phone cases

Jewel Paymentech Takes On Marketplace Counterfeits

Lawyers admit no easy fix to chargeback loophole in online retail

Worchester, MA: Man held on ID theft charges worked at store tied to $3.6M food stamp fraud
A man was ordered detained in Federal court Wednesday after authorities said they found evidence of identity theft and dozens of boxes of pricey merchandise in his apartment. Yaw Okyere, 33, a citizen of Ghana living in Worcester, had nearly 200 state driver's licenses in files on his computer and used other people's identities to order goods through the mail. Authorities allege in court documents that Mr. Okyere had intermediaries bring the ill-gotten goods to his day job at J&W Aseda Plaza, the same Worcester store where $3.6 million in food stamp fraud was perpetrated several years ago. Mr. Okyere is described in court documents as a relative of the store owner. Authorities' attention was drawn to Mr. Okyere in August 2016, a month after the owner was sentenced to a year in federal prison. Seized in the raid were six computers, tablets, high-end women's clothing, eight wristwatches, five or six pocketbooks and luggage, authorities said, all of which was in original packaging. telegram.com

Birmingham, AL: US Secret Service Agents arrest Organized Retail Theft gang; over $250,00 from multiple Walmarts
Five Birmingham women are charged in Jefferson and Shelby counties after lawmen say they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from area Walmart stores. The U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force announced the arrests of 5 suspects. The task force is made up of investigators from the U.S. Secret Service, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Homewood and Birmingham police and the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. Authorities said the women worked together to commit fraud known as the "Cash Cash Scam," a well-known scheme that has caused significant losses to Walmart nationwide. The scheme involves the suspects tricking cashiers into fraudulently loading pre-paid gift cards. Task force investigators worked with Walmart Global Investigations to identify the suspects in this one Birmingham group, and then the arrests were made. Store investigators were able to spot a trend and then use surveillance video to identify them. Authorities said the group is responsible for a loss of more than $250,000 in Jefferson and Shelby counties. privateofficernews.org


Abilene, TX: C-Store Employee arrested for theft of $41,000 in lottery tickets
Abilene police said a woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing $41,675 worth of lottery tickets from the convenience store where she worked. Kinsley Whitehead was taken into custody at the Wes-T-Go, where the corporate loss prevention office had been investigating the suspect since Dec. 29. During the arrest, police said they also found less than a gram of methamphetamine in Whitehead's purse, leading to a drug charge in addition to the third-degree felony theft charge. reporternews.com


Thibodaux, LA: Man arrested for trading stolen baby formula for drugs
Trevor Theriot faces charges of organized retail theft, possession of heroin, and possession of Suboxone. Theriot stole a container of Similac baby formula and handed it over in exchange for Norco pills in the parking lot of the business where he worked on February 28. During the investigation, Theriot also admitted to stealing chicken noodle soup and chewing gum in the past. It remains unclear if Theriot will face charges for the soup and gum theft. wgno.com




Cape Coral, FL: Pawn shop Owners warning of scam that's hurting their bottom line
A pawn shop owner say people are pawning off phones and then reporting them stolen, so they're left with a phone they can't sell. rumble.com




Boardman, OH: Police arrest a woman wanted in 5 retail thefts; Home Depot & Dick's Sporting Goods
Police took custody of Rebecca Robinson at Home Depot on Tuesday. The theft warrants stem from several thefts reported at Dick's Sporting Goods in October, all involving North Face merchandise. The charges are in connection with an 4 known thefts totaling over $2,000. Additionally, Robinson is charged with theft in a Feb. 27 theft of $198 worth of items from Home Depot. vindy.com


Thailand: Flight Catering Staff steals 180 Duty-Free items from British Airways Aircraft
Eight employees of a food catering firm have been arrested on suspicion of stealing more than 180 duty-free items from perfume to watches from British Airways aircraft at Suvarnabhumi airport. The arrests by airport police followed an investigation into a complaint made last month by an an airline representative. BA said duty-free goods stored for sale to passengers had been found missing from parked British Airways jets on 12 occasions. bangkokpost.com

Tallahassee, FL: Repeat Offender now facing Felony charged for $46 Walmart theft

Shootings & Deaths

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Great Leaders Know How to Follow, Actively Listen, Speak with Authenticity
 

Want to Be a Great Leader? You Need to Learn How to Follow First
To be a great leader, you need to know how to be a good follower. Being a good follower is a skill in itself, and the success of any group depends on sound leadership and the ability of every member to do their jobs and be empowered to do their best. Here's how to be a great follower. Check your ego

Want to Be a Better Leader? Stop Giving Orders and Do This Instead
When you're asked to visualize and think about a leader, different images and styles appear for different people. Some may think militaristic, commanding style, decision-makers, but there's a more modern definition of leadership that truly makes a difference. Focus on team relationships

Want to Be a Great Leader? The Smartest Ones Start by Doing These 4 Rare Things
A "driving" leadership style can stifle workplace atmospheres, cause stress among employees, and is the opposite of what a true leader does. To be a great and leader, don't drive, instead adopt these behaviors of the best leaders. Actively listen, be present

Want to Hear a Great Leader in Action? They Will Often Say These 3 Things
Truly effective leaders don't bark out demands, instead their positive actions connect them to their team, and we will forever remember the words they spoke. Here are some phrases that great leaders will often say to build trust in their teams. "That was my fault"

It's all about Perception

How you're perceived is largely dependent on how you see yourself. One develops the other for the most part. Barring competition and politics and your ability to counter their impact. The real issue is defining and living your own vision of who you want to be and how much you're willing to do to get there.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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