Oregon Passes ORC Senate Bill 900
Lawmakers passed array of criminal justice bills in tumultuous session
Lawmakers set a new $5 million grant to help police agencies fight organized retail theft rings. Through Senate Bill 900, police agencies will be able to apply for state grants to combat the problem and coordinate efforts to fight the problem.

Establishes Task Force on Organized Retail Theft. Directs task force to review existing issues of organized retail theft to determine changes to laws or policies to address issues or reduce organized retail theft. Sunsets on December 31, 2024.] Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.] Establishes Organized Retail Theft Grant Program. Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to administer program. Appropriates moneys to commission for purposes of program. oregoncapitalchronical.com


Retail Media Outlets Covering INFORM Act Roll-Out
CNBC - Fox Business - Retail Dive - Chain Store Age - Pymnts.com

Inform Act 'a significant dose of help' against organized retail crime
Retailers have increasingly blamed theft - both in brick-and-mortar stores and online - as a threat to safety and profits. The Inform Act seeks to reduce that by compelling online marketplace retailers to collect and verify key information, and by establishing enforcement criteria and penalties for not following the rules.

Retailers that don't comply may face civil penalties of $50,120 per violation. The new rule also empowers state attorneys general and other officials to initiate federal court cases and take action under state law to seek restitution.

The Inform Act requires marketplaces to disclose more information about who is selling what on their platform. Sellers that meet the sales threshold must supply that information or be suspended from the platform, and consumers have a way to report suspicious online sales activity.

The new rules will affect some of the retail industry's largest and best-known companies like Amazon and eBay. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is also subject to the new rules by operating Facebook Marketplace. Other retailers likely subject to the new rules include Etsy, Wayfair and Flipkart. retaildive.com


Cartels Targeting Golf Retail to Turn a Profit
How a surge of smash-and-grab robberies is upending golf retail

The industry's leading golf retailers reported 900 crime events in 2022 and $6 million in stolen clubs or five times more than in 2019.

Golf retail's past dealings with crime have been a vexing annoyance but hardly the existential threat that recent events may be inspiring. What used to be known as "shrinkage"-a putter slipped down a pant leg or sleeves of Pro V1s hidden in a box of Pinnacles-is becoming an epidemic.

"It has trickled into golf for one simple reason: The game has become so popular. The market is so much bigger than it used to be, the equipment is so desirable and the stuff is just so easy to move," says Mike Mata, vice president of cybersecurity and loss prevention for Worldwide Golf Shops. "The individuals who move this merchandise are typically involved in a lot of different criminal activity. These organizations are linked to the drug cartels and the various mafias.

"They're just diversifying," he adds. "If there's a crackdown on the U.S.-Mexican border, and some of these cartels are having a tough time moving drugs into the country, well, they've got to figure out a way to make money somehow, and the big one right now is organized retail crime."

In 2022, leading golf retailers (Golf Galaxy/Dick's Sporting Goods, PGA Tour Superstore and Worldwide Golf Shops) reported 900 crime events. The value of club thefts industry-wide was roughly $6 million in 2022 or five times more than what it was in 2019.

Several elements are fueling this surge. (1) Selling prices of clubs have risen sharply, making the appeal of getting a deal on a luxury item especially intriguing for the criminal element. (2) It's relatively easy money for products that hold their value. (3) During the pandemic many golf stores weren't as robustly staffed, allowing for more undetected crime to occur. Theft has continued because even if caught, criminals likely have to steal multiple thousands of dollars to see real jail time. (4) Criminals know that retailers are instructing their employees not to intervene physically. Not only is a driver not worth dying for, but the retailer could be liable for any injuries in a confrontation. golfdigest.com


Industry Leaders Share Violence Prevention Strategies
How to get ahead of violence - and prevent the thinking that precedes it

NRF PROTECT: Insights and strategies to confront the issue of violence

With more than 300 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, the urgency to address issues of violence and learn how to prevent it is clear. At NRF PROTECT, McDonald's Director of Global Security Rob Holm and Bryan Niederhelm, senior vice president for threat assessment and management with Gavin de Becker & Associates, shared strategies for intervention and prevention.

Niederhelm used an example of his 16-year-old daughter, who was about to get a driver's license and to whom he had provided some conventional "defensive driving" training. He then referenced a strategy Holm used with his now-adult sons, for which Holm had established a "safe driving" contract they had to sign and commit to.

That made a point regarding the way creative and early strategies symbolize how we must begin thinking about the prevention of violence.

"That's where true prevention happens," he said. "We need to think about it in advance, and we need to think differently. It's our responsibility to identify internal predictors of violence before it happens. If violence is a river, how can we get further upstream?"

Language is one thing that can influence behavior, he said. There is a dark side to the language people use to tell us about themselves. Suffering precedes violence, Niederhelm said.

Niederhelm offered three takeaways from the session. One, get further upstream. Two, control the ingredients in the workplace recipe. And three, bring it back to basics: care, compassion and hope. Above all, be aware of all these issues and focus on doing it better and earlier. "If we keep doing what we've done," he said, "we'll keep seeing what we see on the news."  nrf.com


'The Situation is Out of Control' in Big Cities
'Fed-up' cities are passing laws to combat brazen organized retail theft
Some cities are passing their own laws in order to combat an epidemic of brazen organized retail thefts across the country that have led to some stores shutting down. These kinds of incidents are pushing local lawmakers into passing laws to strengthen the law enforcement response to such robberies, according to a report from CBS News.

"The situation is out of control," said Mayor Mike Coffman of Aurora. The city has passed an ordinance that would put people in jail for three days if they are found guilty of stealing more than $300 in merchandise.

"There's a rising anger about that," Coffman continued, "and the feeling is they're not just stealing from the store, they're stealing from everybody."

He went on to say that the new law was a response to the state legislature lessening penalties for theft.

"The message of this ordinance is, 'Aurora is fed up,'" he added. "Aurora is gonna be tough on crime."

Property crime in the city has dropped 13.9% over the same period from last year. theblaze.com


Another NY Bill Could Let Criminals Run Free
Albany latest 'wrongful' bill will mean MORE crime
Its latest bill, inaccurately named the "Wrongful Conviction Act," could be the worst of all. The WCA is a hastily drafted, last-minute piece of legislation that was just passed - at a time when lawmakers hope no one was paying attention.

The act will eviscerate any hope of having finality in our criminal-justice system and will result in infinite appeals in the same cases and more criminals released onto our streets. It is guaranteed to create more crime victims.

The act is packaged as a mechanism to prevent wrongful conviction - a perfectly fine goal of allowing "innocent" people to challenge past convictions. Under this bill, defendants would be allowed infinite meritless challenges to criminal convictions.

If their motion gets denied, they can file it again and again, as often as they like. They can wait decades and then file the identical motion again. Perhaps most alarming, if a defendant succeeds on a challenge to their conviction, under current law they get a new trial.

Yet under this misguided legislation, they walk free and can never be tried again for that crime. This is true even where the error is due to an ineffective defense attorney, something that the trial judge and prosecutor cannot prevent. nypost.com


Solution to Stopping Armed Assailants?
'Lightguard' system & 'smart guns' aim to combat mass shootings & gun violence
With a graduate student, Luis Carlos Diaz, he has invented a device called the Lightguard system, which, when triggered, flashes a bright light that can disorient an assailant. In the absence of stricter gun control legislation, Lightguard is just one of several new products intended to combat gun violence.

The Lightguard Security System can temporarily impair an attacker's vision, rendering someone in its path functionally blind for about 10 to 20 seconds. The partial visual impairment may last up to a few minutes. Arwari has tested the device on himself.

"All you can think about is, 'I need to get this out of my face.' So, instinctually, you turn away, and you want to go in the other direction," he said.

He compares the device to a flash-bang, also known as a stun grenade, often used by police, but said the Lightguard is safer, since flash-bangs can cause permanent hearing loss or severe burns. Lightguard also serves as an emergency trigger to alert police. news.yahoo.com


Community members push for change as crime trends rise in Central Ohio

DeSantis vetoes Florida bill offering second chances for criminal record expungement

The Hayes Report on Loss Prevention
Quarterly - Summer 2023 - Vol. 38 No. 3

Topics: 35th Retail Theft Survey - Theft Survey Statistics - Theft Survey Highlights - Company Shrink Stats - Booster Bags - The Bulletin Board

Mark Doyle Talks --- The Survey Says...

This Summer newsletter mostly details the results of our 35th Annual Retail Theft Survey. I would like to express a sincere THANK YOU to the 26 large retail companies who participated and made this survey possible. We do this annual theft survey at our own expense for the retail community, and we hope it helps justify budgets, minimize staff reductions, and prompts retail executives to keep in mind the most important role their AP/LP personnel play in helping to improve overall company profits.

I hope you enjoy this issue of The Hayes Report newsletter and have a safe and enjoyable summer!

Click here to read the full newsletter


Biometrics are moving the restaurant industry beyond cards and phones
In an era of rapid technological advancements, biometric payment methods are emerging as a game-changer for the restaurant industry. Integrating palm scanning and facial recognition technologies into payment and loyalty systems offers a faster, more secure, and more reliable means of identifying customers. By eliminating the need for physical cards, PINs, phone numbers and manually entered data as identification methods, these biometric systems provide convenience, streamline operations, reduce the risk of identity theft, and enhance the overall guest experience. Companies like Panera and Steak 'n Shake are among the popular restaurant chains adopting these cutting-edge solutions. biometricupdate.com


Convenience Store Industry - Reaching New Highs
Total U.S. convenience store sales reached a record high of $814 billion last year, an increase of nearly 23 percent year over year, according to the 2023 Convenience Store News Industry Report.

In-store sales at U.S. convenience stores hit a new high of $275.3 billion last year, up 6.6 percent over the prior year.

Motor fuel sales hit $538.7 billion, up 32.9% from LY, While fuel volume was only up 1.6%. (Editor's Note: Pain at the pump)

Industry gross profits overall jumped 3.3 percent last year.

In all, the top 10 chains account for a combined 28,064 stores of the industry's overall 150,445 locations, or 18.65 percent. Broken down even further, the top three chains account for a combined 20,968 stores, or roughly 14 percent of the industry.

1. 7-Eleven - 12,763
2. Alimentation Couche-Tard - 5,716
3. Casey's General Stores - 2,489  csnews.com


Top 10 Specialty Retailers of 2023
For the sixth consecutive year, RIS has collaborated with wRatings to rank the industry's top performing retailers. We've highlighted the top 100 companies that are continuing to prosper despite the ongoing volatility, analyzing their percentage of market share and how it translates to overall sales and where these companies are investing to maintain their competitive edge. The Top 10 alone totals $2.4 trillion in sales - besting last year's $2.3 trillion.

Below RIS breaks out the Top 10 Specialty Retailers from the full Top 100 list. Each has demonstrated innovative strategies or unique operational approaches to stay ahead of the competition - whether through enhanced customer experiences, creating memorable moments, these retailers have set themselves apart in the market.

1. Nike
2. TJX Companies
3. Best Buy
4. Sherwin Williams
5. Estee Lauder
6. The Gap
7. Dick's Sporting Goods
8. Mohawk
9. VF Corp.
10. Ulta Beauty  risnews.com


Expiration of COVID-Era Policy Could Hurt Retailers
Changes to student loan policies set to hit retail around the holidays

Apparel retailers have the most to lose from the end of the pandemic-era payment pause, especially if the Supreme Court strikes down debt forgiveness.

Federal student loan payments must resume no later than the end of August, thanks to a compromise struck in order to get Congress to approve the debt ceiling. Plus, the Supreme Court will also soon rule on the Biden Administration's debt relief plan, a decision that is expected this week.

If the court leaves Biden's program intact, as much as $20,000 in educational loans for lower-income graduates would be forgiven. Otherwise, cracking down on student loans would drain hundreds of thousands of dollars from many consumers' budgets, just as the holidays start to loom.

"We already see shoppers pulling back on shopping and spending due to inflation, reduction of SNAP benefits, and a host of other issues," Julie Craig, Kantar vice president of shopper insights, said by email. "And for younger shoppers and families with children, having payments resume just as the holiday shopping season kicks off could create real challenges for retail." retaildive.com


Pride Month Backlash Impact
Starbucks to issue 'clearer' decor rules after pride month clash with union
Starbucks plans to issue "clearer" centralized guidelines for in-store visual displays following a union's allegations that managers banned Pride-themed decor, the coffee chain said in an internal memo to employees.

"We intend to issue clearer centralized guidelines... for in-store visual displays and decorations that will continue to represent inclusivity and our brand," Starbucks North America President Sara Trilling said in the memo.

The memo comes after the union representing the coffee chain's baristas alleged that managers at dozens of Starbucks locations had prevented employees from putting up Pride Month flags and decorations, or had removed them. The coffee giant disputes these allegations.

More than 3,000 workers at over 150 Starbucks stores in the United States will walk off the job, the union said on Friday. reuters.com


Walgreens to Close 150 Stores in U.S. & 300 in UK

Back-to-school spending to rise 15.7% this year: JLL
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director, Fraud Strategy job posted for Macy's in Township of Deerfield, OH
Direct oversight of all instore Fraud losses and investigations; drive strategy development based on emerging instore trends; providing expertise in executing business strategy and delivering trustworthy advice to influence business leaders across many lines of business; work closely with MCCS, Stores, and Central Asset Protection teams, to provide key fraud insights and recommendations; influencing business stakeholders through data analysis and interpretation; and more. indeed.com

Director, Retail Risk Management job posted for Cresco Labs in Chicago, IL
The Director of Retail Risk Management reports to the Vice President, Retail Operations and is responsible for implementing programs and trainings and leading a team to support business continuity, emergency response, disaster recovery and loss protection across the retail fleet. The Director will need to establish and maintain impactful relationships with Regional Leadership, Compliance, Human Resources, security vendors, and law enforcement agencies. indeed.com
 

Ransomware "Wreaking Havoc" on Businesses
Cybercriminals target high-profit companies: AEI
Cybercriminals tend to strike highly profitable companies, those holding abundant cash and organizations that spend generously on advertising, according to an American Enterprise Institute study of cyberattacks from January 1999 until January 2022.

"High profitability and growth opportunities help predict future malicious cyber events, which suggests that cyber threat actors target successful firms, possibly for industrial espionage," AIE researchers said in a study released this month. "Large cash holdings increase the likelihood of future cyber events."

Many companies disregard Securities and Exchange Commission rules to report all material corporate events and fail to report cyberattacks, the researchers said. At the same time, "the probability that a cyber event is being reported is increasing with outside investor scrutiny" and the degree of coverage by media and company analysts.

Total potential losses from cyberattacks and cyber fraud surged 48% last year to $10.2 billion from $6.9 billion in 2021, according to the FBI.

"Today's cyber threats hit a wider array of victims and carry the potential for greater damage than ever before," FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said in a speech earlier this month.

"The threats are evolving rapidly, and the stakes have never been higher," Abbate said, noting that the FBI is investigating more than 100 different ransomware variants "wreaking havoc on business operations."

Ransomware, malware and distributed denial of service attacks by far cause the most damage to company valuations, disabling IT systems and cutting access to data, websites and company services, the AEI researchers said, drawing from "the most comprehensive dataset of publicly reported cyber events" during the period studied.

Many cyberattacks may go unreported because of the high cost of publicity. cybersecuritydive.com


Algorithms Cannot Replace Humans When It Comes to Cybersecurity
How to AI-proof the cybersecurity workforce

Generative AI can enhance digital security, but it can't - and shouldn't - replace humans that are essential to fight malicious hackers.

Automation is hardly new. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, jobs have been transformed, created and eliminated because of it. Now, automation in the form of artificial intelligence is coming for the tech sector - and specifically cybersecurity.

The excitement over AI in cybersecurity was on full display at the annual gathering of infosec professionals in San Francisco known as the RSA Conference. At this year's event, multiple keynotes focused on the potential for AI to efficiently hunt for digital risks and automate threat response protocols. AI also promises to alleviate the stresses associated with many cybersecurity jobs, such as first responders. But just as there's potential, there are downsides. As AI tools inevitably begin to scale and tackle more complex cybersecurity problems, the impact on the workforce is troublesome - and dangerous.

We cannot let the potential of AI overshadow the value of human cybersecurity professionals. While AI excels at pattern recognition tasks such as detecting malware attacks, machines cannot take into account the context for why an attack may be happening. AI can be amazing at automating some aspects of reasoning, but algorithms cannot replace people when it comes to the creativity required to find unique solutions. Chatbots can't replicate all the human competencies that are crucial within cybersecurity. So, without a measured - and cautious - approach to AI, our sector risks moving toward insecurity.

While it's reassuring to see a growing conversation about the potential dangers of AI and efforts to put in place some common sense guardrails to regulate its deployment, such as President Biden's meeting this week with Big Tech critics in San Francisco, there's still not enough focus on the potentially devastating impact that AI tools could have on the American workforce.

There is no doubt that generative AI will have a transformative impact. We have the opportunity to prepare the cyber workforce for a future just as promising, and we need to start now. cyberscoop.com


Cybercrime: The World's 3rd Largest Economy
Cybercrime Cost Businesses an Average of $4.35M in 2022
Cybercrime is a growing problem for companies of all sizes, expected to cost businesses $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. In fact, if cybercrime were measured as a country, it would be the world's third-largest economy.

The UK has a bigger problem with cybercrime than most other countries. Cybercrime density (measured as the number of victims per 1 million people) increased 40% in the UK from 2020 to 2021, and the country far outranks even the much more populous U.S. (ranked No. 2). retailtouchpoints.com

Bolstering the Cybersecurity Workforce
Congress explores ways to boost cybersecurity talent pipeline amid workforce shortage
The growing threat of ransomware attacks has Congress trying to build up the cybersecurity workforce. It comes as the nation faces a shortage of cyber professionals because of burnout and stress.

"Consistently, cybersecurity workers leave more frequently than many other roles, even within information technology, which is already rife with many hiring challenges due to talent shortages," said Will Markow, vice president of applied research advocacy at Lightcast.

The labor market analytics firm, Lightcast, tracked more than 660,000 cybersecurity job openings over the last 12 months alone.

"This means we are stepping on to the digital battlefield missing nearly a third of our army. The consequences of this talent shortage echo across around country," Markow said. actionnewsjax.com


Nexusguard research reveals worldwide DDoS attacks more than doubled in 2022
The data also showed that cyber attackers continued to alter their threat vectors by targeting the application platforms, online databases, and cloud-based storage systems within Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

SAN FRANCISCO -- In 2022, the total number of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks worldwide increased by 115.1% over the amount observed in 2021, according to new research from Nexusguard released in its DDoS Statistical Report for 2022. The data also showed that cyber attackers continued to alter their threat vectors by targeting the application platforms, online databases, and cloud-based storage systems within Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This resulted in a significantly greater impact globally as organizations continue to move more of their workloads to the cloud. securityinfowatch.com


Pilot Applicant Information for American, Southwest Hacked

The magic formula for big data companies to outshine the competition

Nashua, NH: DOJ: Update: Man Accepts $700,000 Bribe To Reroute $2 Million Worth Of Stolen Apple Products, Pleads Guilty
Apple products are expensive, which makes them a lucrative target for thieves and robbers. We have previously covered how burglars cut through bathroom walls to steal over $500,000 worth of Apple products. Seemingly another story has emerged where a man in Nashua, New Hampshire, accepted a bribe of $700,000 to reroute $2 million worth of stolen Apple products. However, the man has pled guilty and will be charged accordingly. According to the United States District Attorney's Office in New Hampshire, Guangwei "William" Wu accepted a hefty bribe to redirect the stolen Apple products worth millions.

The man is pleading guilty to the "interstate transportation of stolen property." The man was the owner and worker at a transshipping company named Hai Xing Qiao. The transshipping company was hired by the victim to ship $2 million worth of Apple products to Hong Kong. However, it was presumed that the stolen Apple products would not reach their devised location. Another Hong Kong-based company called Yongfu Huo bribed Wu to redirect Apple products worth over $2 million to another location.

Wu received a hefty $700,000 bribe for the redirection of Apple products. The list of stolen products includes the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watches, and MacBooks models. However, the redirected Apple products never reached the location of Yongfu Huo as they were confiscated by law enforcement. This is where Wu forged the documents through his company and sent a false "Disclaimer of Ownership" document to the true owner of the stolen products. The document was issued by the United States Postal Inspection Service and also penned a fake signature of the relevant agent. wccftech.com


Memphis, TN: Memphis Police Department arrests 15 for 'ruthless' burglaries in 'Operation Broken Bottles'
On Monday, the Memphis Police Department announced Operation Broken Bottles, a seven-month investigation aimed at what authorities described as a "mob-like ring" responsible for smash-and-grab business burglaries. FOX13 has reported on countless smash-and-grabs: business burglaries where criminals use sledgehammers or cars to break into stores and steal all they can carry. Storefronts rebuilt from plywood while waiting for repairs after being hit can be seen all over the city. District Attorney Steve Mulroy and MPD Chief CJ Davis said 15 people have been indicted for their involvement in the crime ring. Many of the 15 were allegedly involved in organizing the burglaries and recruiting more thieves to take part in the smash and grabs. Forrest Edwards, an assistant district attorney, said two of the 15 suspects struck and killed a 72-year-old man while leaving the scene of a burglary in Collierville in January. "To some, business burglaries may appear to be a non-violent property crime," Edwards said. "However, the damage they cause affects much more than just the bottom lines of businesses in our community." Mulroy said smash and grabs might have been the ring's goal, but pulling the burglaries off meant the thieves also had to steal guns, cars and more. Davis said the crime ring targeted liquor stores, clothing stores, cell phone stores and smoke shops. In total, she said, the investigation led to 23 arrests of suspects responsible for $250,000 in thefts and hundreds of thousands of dollars more in property damage. "We want to send the message that this string of organized retail theft must stop and will stop," Mulroy said. Mulroy and Davis said they expect even more indictments to come down as they question the people who have been arrested.  localmemphis.com


Roswell, GA: CVS Burglars raid pharmacy taking $10,000 from safe
On June 4 employees at the CVS on Holcomb Bridge Road told Roswell police that the store safe had been burglarized, and $10,000 had been stolen. The thieves also turned off the store's power, which destroyed over $150,000 in refrigerated medication and merchandise. When the power was shut off, the camera system shut down, so the officer could not recover any footage. Investigation showed that the suspects did not force entry into the store or safe, instead using a key for the front door and a passcode for the safe.  appenmedia.com


Cleveland, OH: Police travel to Toledo to arrest suspect in Ulta Beauty thefts in Mayfield Heights and Mentor
One woman has been arrested in a recent trail of thefts at Ulta Beauty Stores in Ohio and Michigan. June 15, Mayfield Heights police were alerted to an incident at the SOM Center Road location, where a shoplifter fled with an estimated $2,400 worth of fragrances in a shopping basket and left in a vehicle with another woman. Upon investigation, it was determined that the suspect's vehicle hit on license plate cameras in Mentor later that day. An investigations manager for Ulta Beauty was contacted and asked to see if the Mentor store also had a theft day. It was later determined they had, and it involved two women, one of which was the registered owner of the vehicle. The woman, 20, was arrested and charged with complicity to theft when officers traveled to her home in Toledo the following day and took her into custody with the assistance of Toledo police. She was returned to the city, where she admitted to her involvement in the two known thefts and one at an Ulta Beauty location in Michigan. She said she only helps the other woman by driving and is given perfume in return. She identified the other woman, 20, and said she recently moved to Texas but had returned to Toledo briefly to visit her boyfriend in jail. She said the woman sells the stolen merchandise online.  cleveland.com


Travis County, TX: 3 arrested in connection with organized mail theft ring
Three people were arrested in connection with a string of mail theft and identity fraud crimes throughout Travis County, the county sheriff's office said. Officials arrested 45-year-old Adam Timothy Liveoak, 46-year-old Amy Deanne Liveoak, and 25-year-old Andrew Timothy Liveoak on first-degree felony charges of theft of mail ID information and engaging in organized criminal activity. During search warrants obtained by TCSO, detectives discovered burglary tools, illegally manufactured keys, drug paraphernalia, and large folders of personal information belonging to multiple people.  cbsaustin.com