T-Mobile Franchise Owner Ran Worldwide Cellphone Black Market Even After T-Mobile Terminated Contract For Unlocking Cellphones
Fraudulently unlocking hundreds of thousands of cellphones & Using overseas call centers

Former Owner of T-Mobile Store in CA Found Guilty of Committing $25M Scheme to Illegally Unlock Cellphones
LOS ANGELES - A former owner of a T-Mobile retail store in Eagle Rock has been found guilty by a jury of 14 federal criminal charges for his $25-million scheme to enrich himself by stealing T-Mobile employee credentials and illegally accessing the company's internal computer systems to illicitly "unlock" and "unblock" cellphones, the Justice Department announced today.

Argishti Khudaverdyan, 44, of Burbank, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, two counts of accessing a computer to defraud and obtain value, one count of intentionally accessing a computer without authorization to obtain information, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Khudaverdyan ran a multi-year scheme that illegally unlocked and unblocked cellphones, which generated approximately $25 million in criminal proceeds. During this time, most cellphone companies - including T-Mobile - "locked" their customers' phones so they could be used only on the company's network until the customers' phone and service contracts had been fulfilled. If customers wanted to switch to a different carrier, their phones had to be "unlocked." Carriers also "blocked" cellphones to protect consumers in the case of lost or stolen cellphones.

From August 2014 to June 2019, Khudaverdyan fraudulently unlocked and unblocked cellphones on T-Mobile's network, as well as the networks of Sprint, AT&T and other carriers. Removing the unlock allowed the phones to be sold on the black market and enabled T-Mobile customers to stop using T-Mobile's services and thereby deprive T-Mobile of revenue generated from customers' service contracts and equipment installment plans.

From January 2017 through June 2017, Khudaverdyan and a former business partner were also co-owners of Top Tier Solutions Inc., a T-Mobile store in Eagle Rock Plaza. However, after T-Mobile terminated Khudaverdyan's contract in June 2017 based on his suspicious computer behavior and association with unauthorized unlocking of cellphones, Khudaverdyan continued his fraud.

Rare case and worth the extra read: Continue Reading

Risk Mitigation:

"Preparedness Mind-Set Becoming More Important As Climate Change Intensifies."
They're Sounding the Alarms on Intensified Storms & Wildfires

Wildfire Season Is Now All Year, Forcing Businesses to Think Ahead

Every U.S. state but Delaware had wildfires last year, meaning companies nationwide should take steps to mitigate risk, experts say

As the U.S. gets hotter, wildfires are becoming a year-round challenge for businesses nationwide, though experts say proactive measures can help.

"It's about not being reactive-it's about being proactive," said Richard Standring, a senior risk consultant at insurer Allianz SE. "No states are immune from wildfire. The map is really being redrawn."

Though wildfires are a national concern, California, the usual U.S. wildfire epicenter, remains the most imperiled. The state has more than two million properties at high to extreme risk from wildfire, far more than second-place Texas with about 718,000 properties at risk, according to an analysis by Verisk Analytics Inc.

Insurance premium payments have risen 300% to 400% from the previous year in California.

Insurers, have led much of the work trying to mitigate the damage from weather events, including wildfires. Pushing businesses to spend far more time thinking about wildfire response.

Steve Hernandez, a risk control expert at CNA, said that businesses have broadly become more aware of the risks, and C-suite executives and board members have started to take an interest in modeling scenarios of how things might go wrong and running table-top exercises.

That preparedness mind-set has become more important as climate change intensifies.

"Events have transitioned from a wildfire season to a wildfire year." wsj.com

500 Inspections - 300 Violations - + 2 Employee Complaints Drive $1.2M Fine
Family Dollar hit with $1.2 million in OSHA fines for violations at 2 Ohio stores

"Discounting safety: Dollar Tree's history of ignoring workplace safety,
hazards continues with $1.2M in penalties at two Family Dollar stores in Ohio"

COLUMBUS, OH - One of the nation's largest discount retailers continues to expose employees to the risk of injuries by flagrantly ignoring workplace safety regulations, this time with hazardous conditions found at two Ohio locations, in Maple Heights and Columbus.

Since 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and state OSHA programs have conducted more than 500 inspections at Family Dollar and Dollar Tree - operated by their parent company, Dollar Tree Inc. - and found more than 300 violations. During these inspections, OSHA routinely find exit routes, fire extinguishers and electrical panels dangerously obstructed or blocked; unsafe walking-working surfaces; and unstable stacks of merchandise.

Following the Ohio inspections, OSHA proposed penalties of $1,233,364 for multiple violations.

"Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores have a long and disturbing history of putting profits above employee safety," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. "Time and time again, we find the same violations - blocked or obstructed emergency exits and aisles, boxes of merchandise stacked high or in front of electrical panels and fire extinguishers. Each hazard can lead to a tragedy."

On Jan. 31, 2022, OSHA initiated an inspection following an employee report of unsafe conditions at the Family Dollar store on Dunham Road in Maple Heights. The agency issued citations for one repeat violation and four willful violations, with proposed penalties of $685,777.

Two weeks later, OSHA opened an inspection on Feb. 10, 2022 in response to an employee complaint of water leaking through the ceiling causing wet floors and ceiling tiles on the floor at the Lockbourne Road store in Columbus. As a result, the agency proposed $547,587 in penalties for one serious and one repeat violation, and four willful violations.

In both inspections, OSHA found hazards related to, obstructed egress, unstable stacks, inaccessible electrical equipment and fire extinguishers, as well as trip and fall hazards caused by water, carts, boxes, trash and merchandise spread throughout walking-working surfaces in the retail areas and storerooms. osha.gov cnbc.com

The Ongoing Union Push
Starbucks union asks to extend pay hikes, benefits to unionized stores

The company said it is unable to make changes at organized stores without bargaining.

With pay increases set to kick in at Starbucks cafes around the U.S. on Monday, labor organizers are asking the coffee giant to extend the benefits to unionized stores as well without going through the bargaining process.

The request comes after Starbucks announced in May that it would hike wages for workers and add other benefits such as credit card tipping by late this year. But the Seattle-based coffee chain said it wouldn't offer the enhanced benefits to workers at unionized stores because it needs to go through bargaining to make such changes.

In a letter to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz obtained by CNBC, Workers United said the company can legally offer benefits to employees at unionized stores without bargaining, as long as the union agrees. The letter notes other companywide benefits announced in recent months, including faster sick time accrual and medical travel reimbursement for employees seeking abortions or gender-reaffirming care. cnbc.com

15 Minneapolis Starbucks Workers Stage Two-Day Strike Over Wages
And so it begins.

UK-US deal, legal changes could jeopardize EU data-sharing agreements

Some of America's biggest companies are flashing warning signs on the US economy

The rise, fall, and comeback of Victoria's Secret

Heavy Rain Hits Kentucky as Death Toll From Floods Rises to 37


Quarterly Results

Publix Q2 comp's up 7.8%, sales up 9.3%

Travel Centers of America Q2 store & retail sales up 3.1%, non fuel sales up 10.3%, fuel sales down 1.6%
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Job Reposted
Director LP & Analytics job posted for Dollar Tree in Chesapeake, VA
The Director of Analytics and Support for Protection measures the effectiveness of asset prevention programs for the enterprise and delivers valuable insights to support the successful operations of the company as it relates to loss reduction. The Director possesses a high degree of knowledge and experience in Asset Protection that is vital to the business operation. The Director must foster good working relationships with corporate work groups to develop and support programs based on data, observations and recommendations to improve inventory shrinkage and operations.  sjobs.brassring.com
 

Microsoft #1 Phishing Target
The most impersonated brand in phishing attacks? Microsoft
Vade announced its H1 2022 Phishers' Favorites report, a ranking of the top 25 most impersonated brands in phishing attacks. Microsoft came in at #1 on the list, followed by Facebook. Rounding out the top five are Crédit Agricole, WhatsApp, and Orange.

Microsoft continues to be a top target for brand impersonation

With 11,041 unique phishing URLs, Microsoft is the top target for brand impersonation. The popularity of Microsoft 365 among SMBs and enterprises has made Microsoft a lucrative target for phishers hoping to steal valuable data from Microsoft 365 applications. Additionally, compromising a Microsoft 365 account allows hackers to conduct internal attacks, such as distributing malware, launching ransomware attacks, and manipulating users into participating in business email compromise.

Phishing attacks increased in Q1, then declined in Q2

According to the report, which you can read in full here, Q1 saw the most phishing attacks, with 81,447 unique phishing URLs detected, compared to 53,198 in Q2. For most brands, the phishing increase in Q1 was drastic. Among the most notable increases, Google phishing increased 873 percent, Apple phishing increased 737 percent, and Instagram phishing increased 683 percent.

Financial services was the most impersonated industry

Financial services brands saw the most impersonation of any industry represented in the report. The financial services industry had a total of eight brands in the top 25. Cloud followed with six brands on the list. The eCommerce/logistics and telco industries each had four brands in the top 25, followed by social media with three.

Highlights from the report

● Phishers are most likely to attack on weekdays.
● 34 percent of phishing URLs impersonated financial services brands in H1.
● Facebook and WhatsApp were the most impersonated social media brands.
● Microsoft was the most impersonated cloud brand. helpnetsecurity.com

CISO In The Boardroom
How To Capitalize On The Growing Corporate Interest In Cybersecurity
As cybersecurity plays a growing role in business strategy, corporate board members' interest in and knowledge of the subject is increasing. They are increasingly interested in what the CISO has to say.

This means that the moment has come for CISOs to truly understand how to make goals, decisions and messaging accessible to their companies' boards. This will not only improve cybersecurity, but it will also build trust and understanding between the tech and business elements in an organization. To engage well, the CISO needs to be ready for the increasing number of questions the board has-and they are not all about budget-and know how to answer them in language board members and business people can understand.

Are we 100% protected?

The honest answer to this often-asked question is no; given the constant emergence of new threats and new technology, such a security situation would be impossible. But CISOs should not stop there. They need to explain that a company doesn't actually need to be 100% protected.

Rather, a company just needs to make sure its important assets and data are protected as much as possible. CISOs need to be able to tell business leaders that the most important assets are protected against the most likely threats. Businesses should not waste money to close vulnerabilities that have no real consequences.

Are we spending enough?

This question about spending enough is relatively new-and it's a sign that boards now understand more fully how important it is to invest in cybersecurity. For CISOs, this is an opportunity to explain that it's not about spending, or not spending enough; it's basing all spending on mathematical calculations. In fact, in some places, it may even make sense to reduce spending. CISOs need to put cyber expenditure into perspective and compare it to the cost of mitigation if vulnerabilities are not addressed.

Is our spending paying off?

CISOs should be able to demonstrate with clear numbers and charts the results of cybersecurity spending. Expenditure should be put into perspective by showing how every dollar spent reduces the dollar amount of risk exposure to cyberattacks. Framing spending in this way paints cybersecurity costs for what they are-an investment in the business and its continued growth and success. forbes.com

Congressional Committees Requesting Emails & Texts About Ransom Payments
"Companies are considering how incidents are escalated."

Post-Incident Communications: Recent Trends and Best Practices

Recent Trend: Hackers Also Communicate

Victims of cyberattacks must contend with the possibility that they will not be the ones to break the news of an intrusion to employees, customers, investors and the public. A recent trend of attackers publicizing a breach to increase pressure on the affected organization, particularly in ransomware cases, means crisis communications plans must include contingencies.

Erik Moser, managing director of cyber consulting at Kroll Inc., said communication from attackers can take the form of outreach to a board member with specific demands or emails to employees and customers to issue threats about their data being exposed. Simply posting the company name to a leak website, a website often found on the darkweb where criminals host stolen data, signals there has been a successful compromise of systems.

Victims should expect the unexpected and plan accordingly given the cybercriminal is a third party with his or her own intent and plans. subscription required wsj.com

Trust Your Gut Instincts on Deep Fakes
Deepfake detection loses accuracy somewhere between your brain and your mouth
A team of neuroscientists researching deepfakes at the University of Sydney have found that people seem to be able to identify them at a subconscious level more frequently than at a conscious one.

A new paper titled 'Are you for real? Decoding realistic AI-generated faces from neural activity' describes how brain activity reflects whether a presented image is real or fake more accurately than simply asking the person.

Brain activity indicated the presented image was a deepfake with 54 percent accuracy, but when asked to say whether the image was fake allowed, accuracy fell to 37 percent. biometricsupdate.com

Chromium Browsers Allow Data Exfiltration via Bookmark Syncing
"Bruggling" emerges as a novel technique for pilfering data out from a compromised environment - or for sneaking in malicious code and attack tools.

SEC Charges 11 in Crypto Platform Forsage With $300 Million Pyramid Schemes
Ran By Four Russian Founders

Two Orange County Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conning Investors Out of $1.9 Million Through Cryptocurrency Offering

The Cryptocurrency Bloodbath and the Future of Crypto (Podcast)

'What Inflation?' Says Amazon
Amazon says consumer spending remains strong, bucking broader retail gloom

Amazon executives said consumer spending remains strong despite decades high inflation.

Earlier this week, Walmart and Best Buy both lowered their profit outlook for the second quarter and full year, setting off alarm bells across the retail sector that soaring inflation was impacting consumer spending.

Shares of other retailers including Amazon, Target and Macy's all fell following Walmart's announcement on fears they'd see similar headwinds.

But Amazon executives suggested Thursday that the e-commerce giant hasn't seen the kinds of inflationary impacts that are hurting other retailers. On a press call discussing Amazon's second-quarter results, CFO Brian Olsavsky was asked whether inflation had changed how consumers are spending their money.

"We have not seen anything yet," Olsavsky said. "We saw demand increase during the quarter and we had a very strong June."

Amazon made progress on bringing products back in stock and delivery speeds are largely back to normal, Olsavsky said, after a period where its fulfillment and logistics operations were stressed by a pandemic-driven flurry of online orders. He suggested that consumers noticed the improvement, and in turn, bought more stuff during the quarter.

Inflation-weary consumers showed no signs of curtailing spending, but that still wasn't enough to restore growth in Amazon's e-commerce business. Online sales declined 4% year over year, as many shoppers have returned to physical stores, leading to a broader slowdown in e-commerce activity from pandemic highs. cnbc.com

Expanding Online Grocery Shopping
SNAP benefits expanded to help with online grocery shopping

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service expands retailers that offer SNAP online.

New grants, technology enhancements and partnerships are helping grocers and shoppers who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to get more access to more places for online grocery shopping.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened applications earlier this month for grants to an organization that will provide technology and systems support for new retailers to offer SNAP online shopping.

The recipient of the $5 million SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center grant funded by the American Rescue Plan, will be announced this fall and go toward creating a more diverse set of grocery stores beyond the larger chains with established online shopping programs. abcnews.go.com

'We are drowning in plastic': California bill targets waste from online shopping

Beaumont, TX: Trio indicted after thousands in merchandise stolen from Victoria's Secret
A trio accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Victoria's Secret in Parkdale Mall were indicted on multiple felony theft charges last week. Mersades Dion Wells, 30, of Beaumont, was indicted on nine counts of felony theft, some of which were done with another individual, authorities said.

According to the arrest warrant, Wells entered Victoria's Secret and took a brown paper bag given to her by an employee due to COVID procedures in place and began placing items in the bag. She then exited the store without paying. This was the same basic scenario for most of the allegations. The only variation is when she had another person with her also taking merchandise. Also included in multiple indictments is Tevin James Edmonson, 31, of Beaumont.

The third individual reportedly associated with the crimes that was indicted is Kasey Monique Bean, 26, of Beaumont. Bean is charged with an April 25 crime with amount stolen totaling $7,055.45. Wells has 22 total charges against her, according to information from the jail; state jail felony theft warrant with $250,000 bond, engaging in organized criminal activity with no bond, trespassing class B warrant with $500 bond, nine theft warrants with bond at $10,000 each, five trespassing class B warrants at $500 each, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle warrant with $10,000 bond, two no drivers license warrants, two no insurance warrants and one fail to signal warrant, city fines. Edmonson has a warrant for possession of a firearm by a felon with $100,000 bond and five state jail felony theft warrants with $10,000 bond each. Bean has a state jail felony warrant with $10,000 bond, class B trespass bond of $500 and $3,453 in Beaumont Police Department traffic citations. She was arrested July 6 and bonded out July 9. panews.com

Fountain Valley, CA: 3 arrested in Organized Retail Thefts at Guitar Centers
Three suspects accused of organized retail theft at the Guitar Center in Fountain Valley and other crimes in Orange County have been arrested, police said. Officials with Fountain Valley PD said within the past two weeks, two separate grand theft incidents have occurred at the music retailer located near the intersection of Euclid and Newhope streets. In both incidents, detectives obtained the suspects' vehicle license plate number, noting it was linked to a previous case from June 2021 and that the suspects matched the same descriptions. In the investigation, detectives located the suspects' vehicle at a motel in Anaheim on July 28. While under surveillance, the suspects were seen entering the Bloomingdale's at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa at different times. A short time later, two of the suspects left the store with stolen merchandise, and eventually, all three suspects were detained at the vehicle's location. The stolen Bloomingdale's merchandise, valued at an estimated $2,500, was recovered from the vehicle. All three suspects were arrested and taken to the Fountain Valley Police Department. The investigation also revealed the suspects were linked to another theft at the Guitar Center in Brea. The suspects were booked into the Orange County Jail for burglary, conspiring to commit burglary, and organized retail theft. foxla.com

Chelsea, Manhattan, NY: Manhattan 7-Eleven thieves steal more than $20K in tobacco, vapes
Two burglars swiped more than $20,000 in tobacco and vape products from a 7-Eleven in Chelsea, police said Tuesday in a public appeal for tips. The pair shattered the glass front door of the convenience store on 7th Avenue near West 21st Street just before 4:35 a.m. July 21 and slipped inside, officials said. The thieves then went behind the counter and grabbed vapes, cartons of cigarettes, and other tobacco products worth a cumulative $20,320, authorities said. The duo fled on foot into the nearby West 23rd Street subway station on the No. 1 line, according to police, who released surveillance images of the suspects inside the station. pix11.com

Charlotte County, FL: Cigarettes more appealing target in c-store thefts
The sheriff of Charlotte County says he is seeing a rise in the number of convenience store thefts where the item of choice is cigarettes. Bill Prummell said in a Facebook post on Monday that cigarettes are being stolen by the carton, and in growing numbers - a trend he says is happening locally and across the state. Miami Police investigated a string of robberies in May in which suspects jumped behind counters at multiple stores, sweeping arms across shelves of smokes, taking away as many packs and cartons as they could. At least one person was arrested in connection with those thefts. Last summer in Polk County, two suspects were responsible for a reported $2,000 in stolen cigarettes at a single store. fox4now.com

Orangeburg, SC: Ollie's Bargain Outlet Cashier accused of stealing; others charged with shoplifting
A former Ollie's Bargain Outlet cashier is accused of letting customers leave the business without paying the full price for items, and stealing money from the store. The Orangeburg woman is charged with one misdemeanor count of breach of trust with fraudulent intent valued less than $2,000. She was taken into custody Wednesday. Within the past week, five of the six customers, who are facing shoplifting charges, have been taken into custody. According to an incident report, a total of $2,059 in money and $1,638 in merchandise was stolen from the store at 1462 Chestnut Street. The stolen items allegedly include: A comforter, Floor rugs, A cooking kit, A ceiling fan, Pillows, Hula-hoops, Toys. Warrants claim the thefts and fraudulent transactions were recorded on the store's surveillance videos. thetandd.com

Labadieville, LA: Trio, including 2 juveniles, arrested for stealing from retail outlet

Central City, KY: Walmart shoplifter nabbed with $1700 of stolen electronic items