RLPSA 2023 Conference Wrap-up: Day 2

By Amber Bradley, Executive Director, RLPSA

Tuesday marked Day 2 of the Restaurant Loss Prevention and Security Association's (RLPSA) annual conference, and attendees witnessed an incredible lineup of industry experts and rousing discussions that delved deep into the heart of restaurant loss prevention, risk management, safety and security. The day was packed with insights and valuable solutions for all attendees.

One of the major highlights of the day was Dr. Marc McElhaney, the CEO of Critical Response Associates. He guided attendees through a detailed presentation on workplace violence prevention strategies. The invaluable knowledge revealed in this session resonated with the audience, especially given its relevance to contemporary issues in the industry.

An expert panel discussion featuring Josh Phillips (Chipotle), Lise Lang (Starbucks), and David Donna (Donna Law Firm), moderated by Dan Moren (Starbucks), shed light on internal and external threat assessment, ranging from its creation to successful implementation. This engaging and informative session left the audience with a wealth of knowledge to empower and guide their organizations' security measures and loss prevention techniques.

Considering the evolving nature of industry threats, RLPSA attendees were also privy to a thorough briefing on emerging threats and their potential impact on restaurant loss prevention and security. The response to this was overwhelmingly positive, as attendees gained a firsthand understanding of how to effectively counter these challenges in a rapidly changing landscape - CHALLENGE: ACCEPTED!

The day concluded with an emotionally charged closing keynote speech from the one and only Rudy Ruettiger. His powerful words on perseverance in the face of adversity left a lasting impact on the attendees and underscored the core values of resilience and determination that the conference sought to promote.

To round off an exciting day, participants gathered at one of Denver's most popular venues, The ViewHouse, allowing attendees and solutions providers to build meaningful connections and forge lasting relationships within the industry. Day 2 of the RLPSA conference will undoubtedly be remembered for its enriching content and unforgettable experiences!

Stay tuned for Day 3!
 

Calif. Bill to Increase Serial Theft Penalties Fails
Bill sought to right the wrongs of Prop 47

SB 316: CA committee kills proposal to increase serial shoplifting penalty
The California Senate's Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday voted 3-1 against SB 316, a bill supported by the Citrus Heights City Council and others that sought to increase penalties for serial theft.

‌The Citrus Heights City Council earlier this month voted to approve a letter of support for the bill, in response to a request from the office of Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), the bill's author.

SB 316 would have put a proposition on the November 2024 ballot, which, if passed by California voters, would have increased the penalty for petty theft to a felony if the offender had previously been convicted of three theft-related crimes. The bill sought to address a controversial component of Proposition 47, which was passed by voters in 2014 and reclassified certain felony crimes as misdemeanors, including shoplifting of property that does not exceed $950 in value.

During the March 28 hearing, Niello, the bill's author, said the "current lack of sufficient penalties to deter serial theft has led to an onslaught of repeat offenders committing multiple petty theft violations recently." He also cited a National Federation of Small Business poll where 89% of respondents supported repeal of Prop 47.

"We need actual consequences to [deter] repeat offenders and save our brick-and-mortar stores from collapse," said Niello.

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said he agreed retail theft is a "huge problem," but voiced opposition to the bill, stating that misdemeanors like petty theft are already punishable under current laws by up to a year in county jail, which he said "is not a meaningless punishment." Wiener instead said low police staff levels and consistency of enforcement of existing laws should be addressed, "so that these thieves understand that there will be a consequence."

For comparison, Wiener said the threshold for felony shoplifting in Texas is $2,500, which he said is "dramatically higher than the higher amount that we raised it to with Prop 47." citrusheightssentinel.com


DOJ Report: 'Criminal Victimization in the 22 Largest U.S. States, 2017-2019'
Colorado, Arizona and Washington have highest violent victimization rate

Violent Victimization Rates Exceeded the National Rate in 3 of the 22 Most Populous U.S. States During 2017-19; 7 States had Lower Rates
WASHINGTON ― The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is announcing the release of Criminal Victimization in the 22 Largest U.S. States, 2017-2019, the first release of subnational violent and property victimization estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).

Among the 22 most populous states, Colorado, Arizona and Washington had violent victimization rates that were higher than the national rate (21.6 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older) during the aggregate period of 2017 to 2019. Violent victimization in the NCVS includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault.

Seven states (Texas, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and New Jersey) had rates of violent victimization that were lower than the national rate. The remaining 12 states (Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Illinois) had rates that were not statistically different from the U.S. rate. During 2017-19, these 22 states accounted for 79% of the U.S. population and 75% of violent victimizations.

Across the 22 states, between 34% and 58% of violent crimes were reported to police, compared to 43% nationwide. For property crimes (which include burglary, trespassing, motor vehicle theft and other household theft), the percentage reported to police was between 28% and 44% across the 22 states and was 34% for the nation.

Property crime rates were higher than the national rate in 6 states and were lower in 12: Washington, Colorado, Arizona, California, Indiana and Texas had higher rates; Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida, New York, North Carolina and New Jersey had lower rates.

"Not only do these data highlight differences in the rate and type of victimization across states, but they also detect a significant amount of non-reporting to police in individual states," added Director Piquero.  bjs.ojp.gov cbsnews.com


Retail Theft, Customer Violence & Aggression is Surging Globally
Retail Crime in Australia & NZ Up 28% in Four Years
 
New retail crime stats reveal employee theft, customer aggression and fraud in NZ and Australia
Commissioned by the Profit Protection Future Forum, the 2022 Australia & New Zealand Retail Crime Study provides crucial insight into retail crime and aims to help retailers mitigate retail crime through evidence-based strategies and prevent losses.

"We estimate crime costs Australian and New Zealand retail economies about $4.3 billion per year, and that's a 28% increase over four years from when the last similar study was conducted," Professor Townsley said.

"Customer theft was the largest category of retail crime making up 53% of losses followed by employee theft which made up 24% of losses.

"Retailers reported an increase in customer aggression and violent incidents during the height of COVID-19 and since verbal abuse and violence without injury are likely to go unreported, the increase is likely higher than official statistics suggest," Professor Townsley said.

"However, the most frequently cited methods of theft were not very sophisticated, such as distracting staff while the item is taken, concealing an item on their person, or simply walking straight out of the store."

COVID lock-downs and working from home shifted customer traffic online and retailers responded by rapidly scaling up their online channels and this attracted the attention of new types of criminals.

"We know from other studies that online scams tripled during COVID-19, and bad actors exploited the uncertainty and insecurities of individuals for monetary gain," Professor Townsley said. phys.org


Walmart Plans to Reopen After Mass Shooting Killed 6 Employees
The shooter was a team lead at the store opened fire

Walmart set to reopen Virginia store where 6 employees were shot and killed

The store will feature a memorial to honor the six workers who lost their lives

Roughly five months after a gunman, identified as a Walmart employee, opened fire, killing six co-workers at a store in Chesapeake, Virginia, the retail giant is set to reopen the store with a redesign - including a memorial to honor the six victims and comfort survivors.

That store has been closed since November 23, 2022, when police say Andre Bing, a team lead, carried out the mass shooting before taking his own life. It will reopen on April 19, Walmart announced this week. Per the company, the store "underwent significant design changes."

One of those changes is the memorial space, which will include foliage and six seating structures in honor of the six victims, "providing a peaceful place for people to pause and remember the permanent impact these associates made on our lives," according to Walmart.

The store has also been remodeled to be a "store of the future," which includes displays, interactive elements, and a cleaner look. Walmart first unveiled this type of store in Springdale, Arkansas, in January 2022 and has since expanded the prototype to a small number of stores nationwide.

The store reopening comes as Walmart continues to wrestle with the shooting's aftermath. Several shooting survivors and at least one of the victim's families have sued the company for millions of dollars, accusing the company of ignoring reports from co-workers of "disturbing and threatening behavior" of the shooter. businessinsider.com

   RELATED: Walmart Rolling Out Revamped 'Store of the Future' in Virginia


Trump Benefits from NY's Bail Reform Laws
Why Trump Probably Didn't Have to Post Bail

"Bail reform" laws that took effect three years ago eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.

Since a raft of changes to New York's bail laws took effect three years ago, "bail reform" has been a rallying cry for conservative politicians who have blamed the revisions for increased crime rates.

But this week, the changes will benefit a figure many conservatives have supported: Donald J. Trump.

The former president will almost certainly not have to post bail after his arrest on Tuesday, thanks to policies that took effect in 2020. The laws eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.

Here's how bail works: When a defendant is held before trial, a court may release him or her in exchange for a payment intended to ensure a return to court. The money is typically returned at the end of the case if the defendant has followed court orders. nytimes.com


Denver businesses battle crime as voters cast ballots in mayoral race

San Francisco mayor criticized for seeking federal assistance to curb crime crisis

OSHA's National Dollar Store Crackdown Continues
Maine dollar-store outlets hit with thousands of dollars in fines for federal safety violations

Three cases this year raise the total to seven statewide since 2017, part of a national crackdown on the retail brand.

Seven dollar-store retailers in Maine have been fined tens of thousands of dollars for federal safety violations in the past six years, part of a national crackdown against the franchises, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Maine stores operating under the names Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have been fined since 2017. Three of the cases are from this year. Many of the penalties were for fire- and safety-related hazards including blocked exits, dangerous shelving and outdated fire extinguishers.

In addition, the businesses were often cited for unsafe conditions involving chemicals, including exposure and improper employee training.

Kristin Tetreault, a spokeswoman for Dollar Tree Inc, which owns Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, told The Maine Monitor in an email that "a safe workplace for our associates is our highest priority."

"Since 2017, OSHA has issued more than $15 million in fines, and cited Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp in more than 180 inspections nationwide for numerous willful, repeat and serious workplace safety violations related to unsafe conditions," OSHA said.

The New York Times reported last week that since 2017, Dollar Tree has been cited for 90 violations and fined $14 million, and Family Dollar has been cited 54 times and fined $5 million. Dollar General has been placed in OSHA's "severe violator" program, which allows OSHA to inspect a store even if it has not received a complaint, the Times said. themainemonitor.org


Retailers Crack Down on Returns as the Costs Pile Up
Manage Returns for Fraud Control, Sustainability, and the Bottom Line

Returns are expensive, vulnerable to a variety of fraud schemes, and often bad for the environment.

Retailers have some options for navigating the returns obstacle course in a way that satisfies customers, thwarts fraudsters, and reduces costs and environmental impact. These options focus on shrinking the number of items returned, adding technology to return fraud prevention strategies, and finding more efficient ways to handle the remaining returns.

Reduce Return Volume

Avatars that show what items will look like on the shopper and size recommendations based on past purchases can reduce the need to buy multiple items to try on at home. Another way to prevent or slow down bracketing returns is to stop making returns free. This is a risky strategy, because 60% of U.S. consumers "will reconsider purchasing from a store or company that charges for mailed returns." However, retailers including Zara, Kohl's, and H&M have started charging return fees to offset costs.

Prevent Return Fraud

AI analysis of products, orders, and customer histories can also help to sort legitimate returns from fraud attempts. This approach can help to identify serial returners who are committing friendly fraud, products that are likely to be targeted by organized return fraud rings, and transactions whose original data doesn't sort legitimate returns from fraud attempts or match the return documentation presented online or in the store. Spotting those mismatches can help reduce BORIS (buy online, return in store) fraud.

Adopt New Strategies for Managing Returns

Returnless refunds are one way to reduce the carbon footprint of returned items. For items that are too expensive for the returnless approach, a return bar can minimize the cost and impact. These physical stores, which "pack and ship returns for partnering retailers," can ship returned goods in bulk to cut down on carbon emissions and reduce processing costs by more than 20%. risnews.com


3,000 Grocery Stores Workers Threaten to Strike
The workers claim a lack of protections since start of pandemic

Grocery Strike Looming in Minnesota
Claiming a lack of protections since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as they "kept Minnesotans fed," more than 3,000 Cub grocery store workers declared their intent to hold a vote to strike on Tuesday, April 4.

According to UFCW 663 President Rena Wong, members are seeking a raise of $4 per hour throughout the next two years for full-time employees, and raises every six months for part-time employees. Cub Foods workers have said they've been paid on a 2018 wage scale.

The contract negotiation covers 33 Cub stores, primarily in Minneapolis and the western Twin Cities suburbs. There are a total of 79 Cub stores across Minnesota.

According to a Cub media statement: "Cub cares greatly about its team members and has negotiated diligently and in good faith with UFCW local union #663 to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement. As part of its current offer, Cub has proposed historic wage increases and agreed to ongoing union health and pension plans on terms specifically requested by the union.

We're deeply disappointed that the union elected to spend today taking a strike authorization vote instead of using that time to meet with us to reach agreement on terms for a new contract. It is our strong hope that the union will choose to continue negotiations rather than pursue a strike. progressivegrocer.com
 

Union Organizers Turning Up the Heat on Companies
Starbucks union is using billboards, a brass band, and a butter sculpture to pressure board members from Nike, Land O'Lakes and Lego

Leaders at Nike, Lego, and Land O' Lakes were targeted using billboards, a movie trailer, a brass band, and even a butter sculpture.

Organizers with Starbucks Workers United are taking the fight directly to individual board members, with stunts tailored to the brand identities of the companies those executives lead.

In New York, local organizers hit the streets with a brass band and a skit in front of Nike's flagship location there; another contingent hired a mobile billboard truck asking Nike Chief Operating Officer Andrew Campion to "Just Do It" at Nike's headquarters near Portland, Oregon.

Over in Minnesota, Twin Cities organizers unveiled a butter sculpture modeled off a hybrid of Land O' Lakes CEO Beth Ford and the Starbucks mermaid logo, which was to be delivered to the dairy company's offices, CNBC reported. Meanwhile, in San Diego and online, a Lego Movie-styled trailer premiered with the aim of enlisting Lego President Jorgen Vig Knudstorp to join the side of Starbucks workers.

Tensions have been growing between Starbucks and its union over the past few months. And now, those tensions are spilling over to other companies as the union targets Starbucks' board of directors. The union's action could represent a new front in pushing independent companies - who are generally loathed to meddle in one another's affairs - to choose a side in the fight. businessinsider.com


Apple has reportedly started a small number of corporate layoffs

Asda appoints CBRE to help open 300 convenience stores by end of 2026

FBI Leads Takedown of Notorious Cybercrime Marketplace
Notorious Genesis Market cybercrime forum seized in international law enforcement operation

The FBI led "Operation Cookie Monster" to shutter the site linked to millions of instances of fraud and cybercrime globally.

More than a dozen international law enforcement agencies took down a notorious cybercrime marketplace on Tuesday, shuttering an illicit website called the Genesis Market known for selling compromised credentials and biometric data for digital fraudsters to carry out attacks or commit identity theft.

The FBI-led effort known as "Operation Cookie Monster" also included "a large number of arrests," according to The Record, which first reported the news. Genesis Market had been linked to "millions of financially motivated cyber incidents globally," according to The Record.

The seizure is just the latest in a wave of aggressive U.S. government cybercrime operations targeting the infrastructure supporting the criminal digital underworld. Last month, the FBI arrested the owner and administrator of BreachForums, and the remaining administrator decided to shutter the site down after documents revealed the FBI had access to internal site data. In January, the FBI and the Department of Justice announced it had hacked into and spent months inside the Hive ransomware networks before seizing the site.

A takedown notice appeared on the Genesis front page on Tuesday showing a hooded FBI agent working at a computer. "This website has been seized," the notice read, noting that a seizure warrant was issued by a federal court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The notice included a note to the site's users: "Been active on Genesis Market? In contact with Genesis Market administrators? Email us, we're interested," the note read, followed by an FBI-related email address.

Alexander Leslie, an associate threat intelligence analyst with Recorded Future, wrote in a Twitter thread Tuesday that Genesis was "one of the world's largest 'log' shops," and explained that the type of data and tools sold on the site could be used to assume the identity of an actual person's browser, making "multi-factor authentication (MFA) bypass incredibly effective." cyberscoop.com


Millions of Devices are Vulnerable
15M+ Services & Apps Remain Sitting Ducks for Known Exploits

Scans of the Internet find that millions of computers, virtual machines, and containers are vulnerable to one or more of the hundreds of cyberattacks currently used in the wild, despite being patchable.

More than 15 million instances of Internet-connected applications, services, and devices are vulnerable to software flaws that the US government has confirmed are being exploited by attackers in the wild.

More than 190,000 systems, for example, appear to still be vulnerable to the 8-year-old Heartbleed vulnerability (CVE-2014-0160), while nearly 6.5 million devices are vulnerable to a medium-severity flaw (CVE-2021-40438) that could be used to redirect traffic to another server. In all, millions of applications, services, and operating systems are exposed to more than 200 remotely detectable vulnerabilities from the Known Exploitable Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, researchers from cybersecurity firm Rezilion stated in a report published on March 30.

The takeaway? There is a concerning lack of patching of systems known to be vulnerable to in-the-wild attacks, says Yotam Perkal, director of vulnerability research at Rezilion.

"While only a fraction of the vulnerabilities discovered end up being exploited, the vulnerabilities on the KEV Catalog are being exploited, continuously, by sophisticated threat actors as well as advanced persistent threat (APT) groups," he says. "Not taking action is an invitation to get hit."

He adds, "Companies should do whatever they can to prioritize patching these vulnerabilities."

To boot, those estimates of just how many things are vulnerable out there are conservative, Perkal says, as the services affected by more than one vulnerability were counted only once. darkreading.com


DOJ's Crypto Crackdown
DOJ cracks down on cryptocurrency fraud, seizes $112 million in linked funds
The Department of Justice (DoJ) declared the confiscation of digital currency valued at approximately $112 million connected to fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. According to court documents, the virtual currency accounts were allegedly used to launder proceeds of various cryptocurrency confidence scams.

In these schemes, fraudsters cultivate long-term relationships with victims met online, eventually enticing them to make investments in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms. In reality, however, the funds sent by victims for these purported investments were funneled to cryptocurrency addresses and accounts controlled by scammers and their co-conspirators.

"Transnational criminal organizations are combining confidence scams with technological savvy to swindle Americans out of their hard-earned funds," said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

"These particularly vicious frauds - where scammers carefully cultivate relationships with their victims over time - have devastated families and cost individuals their life savings. Now that we have seized this virtual currency, we will seek to return it to victims swiftly. In addition to our tireless efforts to disrupt these schemes, we must also work to raise public awareness and help inform potential victims: be wary of people you meet online; seriously question investment advice, especially about cryptocurrency, from people you have not met in person; and remember, investments that seem too good to be true, usually are," Polite concluded. helpnetsecurity.com


Data Breach Strikes Western Digital

The company behind digital storage brand SanDisk says its systems were compromised on March 26.

Business operations for Western Digital, a data storage hardware provider, have been disrupted due to a recent systems breach that the company said occurred on March 26.

Western Digital Corporation is behind the personal and professional-grade data storage brands SanDisk, WD, and WD_Black, which collectively offer a range of devices, including external drives, internal hard drives, flash drives, and more.

Western Digital has released a statement announcing that an unauthorized third party was able to compromise its systems, that the incident is ongoing, and the internal investigations are being coordinated with law enforcement.

The company added that some system data was compromised, but assessments about exactly what was accessed are underway, the Western Digital breach disclosure statement explained. darkreading.com


Britain's data watchdog fines TikTok $15.9M for alleged misuse of children's data

Instant Videos Could Represent the Next Leap in A.I. Technology

Lynnwood, WA: Thieves cut through bathroom wall, rob Apple store of $500,000
Burglars who got away with more than 400 electronics from the Apple retailer at Alderwood Mall made their entry point by cutting through the bathroom wall of the neighboring espresso machine store, the Lynnwood Police Department (LPD) confirmed. The owner of the neighboring business says he's grateful no one was hurt because the $500,000 theft happened while the store was closed. They've never dealt with anything like this in their five years in business at the mall, he said. "Our front door was locked. They pried our front door open," Seattle Coffee Gear Regional Manager Eric Marks explained. "[It was a] 24 by 18 hole cut in the wall into what appears to be the back room of the Apple store. I'm surprised we were the conduit for them to get to the Apple store. I had no clue we were so close or adjacent to them." Lynnwood police said it happened after 7 p.m. Sunday and Apple employees were not aware of the extent of the massive theft until the next morning. "Approximately 436 iPhones in total were taken out of the back," LPD Communications Manager Maren McKay stated. "In total about $500,000 worth of merchandise was stolen and that's iPhones, iPads, Apple watches."  wral.com


Lenexa, KS: Special Operation combatting shoplifting leads to 16 arrests in Lenexa
Lenexa Police say 16 people have been arrested following a special operation they conducted from March 28 to April 1, targeting the area of W. 95th Street and Quivira. They have been charged with theft, felony theft, possession of stolen property and possession of narcotics. During the investigation, they also found four firearms. Three individuals were wanted for felonies in other states, according to police. "Despite what some might think, individuals involved in organized retail theft are not just "shoplifters", but are often responsible for other crimes that affect our community," Lenexa police said in a statement. "Our department will continue to monitor crime patterns in our community and work to combat them through normal patrol and investigative procedures, as well as the use of special operations."  kmbc.com


Canyon County, CA: 30 iPhones Stolen From Verizon In Canyon Country Armed Robbery, Suspects At Large
Around 4:15 p.m. Monday, deputies received reports of a Canyon Country robbery at the Verizon store on the 19700 block of Golden Valley Road, said Deputy Natalie Arriaga, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. "Three male Black adults stole approximately 30 iPhones," Arriaga said."The suspects fled in a black Audi towards the southbound 14 Freeway. It was also reported one of the suspects motioned he had a firearm concealed in his jacket during the incident."  hometownstation.com


San Antonio, TX: Texas Hill Country police seeking suspects who stole $6K in Ulta merchandise
Texas law enforcement is asking the public for help finding a group of suspects at the center of a makeup haul turned criminal. The San Marcos Police Department is asking Central Texas residents to look out for a group of young women who allegedly shoplifted thousands of dollars of beauty merchandise and may have been involved in similar crimes at other stores in the Texas Hill Country. In a Facebook post shared Friday, March 31, San Marcos police alerted the public about a January 30 incident in which a group of young women walked into an Ulta store, located within a shopping center at 750 Barnes Drive, and concealed approximately $6,000 worth in merchandise from the beauty store.  mysanantonio.com


Overland Park, KS: Police looking for suspect after 'theft of high-end Legos'
Law enforcement has released surveillance photos of a suspect and vehicle believed to be involved in a theft at a Target store. The Overland Park Police Department stated that high-end Legos were stolen from a retail store in the 12200 block of Blue Valley Parkway on the evening of March 30. Surveillance photos suggest the store was the Target at that address.  ky3.com


Clarksburg, WV: Man arrested for drugs after Walmart shoplifting attempt
A man was charged after officers found drugs on his person after he allegedly attempted to shoplift from the Clarksburg Walmart. On April 3, officers with the Clarksburg Police Department arrived at the Walmart on Emily Drive in Clarksburg for a shoplifting call, according to a criminal complaint. When officers arrived, they made contact with Desire Wilkie, 31, of Clarksburg, who police say concealed "$1,301.76 worth of various tools in a tote" and switched the price tags on several items.  wboy.com


Denham Springs, LA: Couple caught trying to shoplift $5K worth of merchandise from Bass Pro Shops with child in cart

Devils Lake, ND: Police investigating gun store burglary