GSX 2023

GSX 2023 Wraps Up Today in Dallas

'Largest-Ever' Investment to Fight ORC in California History
Calif. Gov. Newsom Announces $267M Investment to Fight Organized Retail Crime

'When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they'll walk straight into jail cells,' Newsom said

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced the largest ever single-investment to target retail-related crime in the state, putting more than $267 million into the cause.

"Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs. With an unprecedented $267 million investment, Californians will soon see more takedowns, more police, more arrests, and more felony prosecutions," Newsom said in a statement from the governor's office. "When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they'll walk straight into jail cells."

The funding is a part of Newsom's Real Public Safety Plan to combat crime across the state of California.

The announcement says that the initiative will include more police, arrests takedowns, prosecutors, felony changes, and accountability.

Individual sheriffs offices and police department will be awarded over $23 million each in funding to be used for creating "fully staffed retail theft investigative units, increase arrests, install advanced surveillance technology, train loss prevention officers, create new task forces, increase cooperation with businesses and the community, target criminals in blitz operations, as well as crack down on vehicle and catalytic converter theft."

The Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program will partner with law enforcement agencies in seven counties and 34 cities across the Golden State.

The Board of State and Community Corrections is poised to vote on the proposed funding on Sept. 14 and if it is approved, law enforcements will be dispersed their payments on Oct. 1. themessenger.com

   RELATED: SF could be getting $15M from California to combat retail theft


An All-of-the-Above Approach to Stop Theft Mobs
Task forces, facial recognition & other tech, as well as tougher legislation are all on the table

Flash mob summer: How can retail theft stampedes be stopped?
With flash mobs of thieves committing dozens of heists in high-end and other stores around Southern California since early July, the problem became so dire that officials announced a task force focusing on cell tower dumps, surveillance video and other high-tech tools. Arrests are starting to happen. But halting the trend may take more time.

Los Angeles police, working with other local, state and federal agencies, are investigating 21 flash mob thefts in Los Angeles County, Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher said. Other flash mobs, or "flash robs," as police call them, have occurred in neighboring counties.

Shoppers on edge: 'It's nerve-wracking'

The recent flash mob thefts have left some shoppers on edge. "I am aware of everything around me when I'm shopping," said Rose Smith, 66, a Topanga Mall shopper. "It's nerve-wracking. It's very scary."

But the possibility that a flash mob might suddenly appear won't necessarily change shopping habits. "It's really rare," said Joseph Saad, 42, who shops at the Topanga Mall. "You have to keep your head on a swivel these days, anyway."

Who's reselling the goods?

Organized retail crime rings target items that are difficult to track and are easily resold. Stolen items that once were hawked at flea markets or street corners are now fenced online by gangs to raise money for their activities, said Rachel Michelin president and CEO of the California Retailers Association.

"What we are seeing is more sophistication," Michelin said. "We see a lot more recruiting; they recruit street gangs, the homeless. They will pay them 100 bucks to go in and steal."

High and low-tech tactics

Retailers are increasingly employing high-tech, low-tech and no tech methods to combat the thieves, including next-generation video surveillance systems, facial-recognition cameras, license-plate readers, radio-frequency identification tags, case locks, more training and increased security.

They have also advocated for legislation that would increase penalties for theft and would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to share information. dailynews.com


States from Coast to Coast Wage War on Retail Theft
Ohio Chamber of Commerce working to prevent future thefts in retail stores

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has seen an uptick in retail crimes

When former Congressman Steve Stivers left Washington D.C. to head the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, he didn't realize crime would be at the top of his agenda. That's what the majority of the 8,000 members that make up the chamber are telling him.

"We're hearing about inflation and supply chain, but the other thing that I didn't expect to hear from and about is crime," said Stivers. "We're hearing about both retail theft and violent crime as issues of concern. We did a poll [late] last year, 62% of businesses said they may not expand in Ohio as a result of crime in Ohio. That's a staggering figure and it's impacting our economic climate. And that's when we decided to create a Crime Task Force."

The Crime Task Force is set to meet by the end of this month. Stivers tells 10TV they are trying to get ahead of retail theft and violent crime to prevent corporations from moving out of the state. The committee's recommendations will be forwarded to the Ohio Legislature.

Stivers says they are targeting organized crime rings by aggregating misdemeanors, and pooling together criminal history if the suspect may have hit several stores within the same day or week and prosecuting it as a felony case. The Crime Task Force is also looking into charges for juveniles involved in organized crime to be charged as adults.

Local law enforcement believes prosecution is a part of the puzzle, but more needs to happen to prevent retail theft. 10tv.com


20% Rise in Workplace Killings Spurs Bill
California Legislative Update: SB-553 Passed Assembly 55/17 & Ordered to the Senate

SB-553 'Occupational safety: workplace violence: restraining orders and workplace violence prevention plan'

It requires employers to create a log of violent incidents, implement active shooter training, provide shoplifter training for retail workers, stop untrained employees from confronting shoplifters and help with the filing of restraining orders against attackers.

Bill opponents, including Republican state senators and the California Retailers Assn., claim the legislation risks the livelihood of small-business owners who will have to hire security personnel and is too sweeping to work for all industries.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in December that homicides in the workplace increased more than 20% in 2021 to 481 deaths. This is the latest year for which there are data. That number is the highest over a five-year span, topping 458 in 2017. Of the 2021 deaths, 387 were carried out by a shooting. Cal/OSHA placed the number of workplace homicides in California in 2021at 57, with 42 killed by guns.

Figures on nonfatal workplace violence vary. The U.S. Department of Justice released a report last year stating that on average between 2015 and 2019, "1.3 million nonfatal violent crimes in the workplace occurred annually." The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted there were 37,060 nonfatal workplace injuries in 2020 "resulting from an intentional injury by another person."

Cortese aims to combat violence with a plan that would have employers large and small crafting workplace violence prevention strategies. He envisions the plans including security personnel - be they guards or workers whose job it is to scout for, and stop, thieves. This portion of the bill in particular has sparked controversy. latimes.com


Is D.C. Becoming America's 'Murder Capital' Again?
A shaken Washington copes with surging violence: 'This is not normal'
Violent crime has long been a part of Washington life, the worst of it during the early 1990s when drug trafficking propelled the annual homicide toll to nearly 500 and D.C. earned an inglorious reputation as America's "Murder Capital."

The volume of carnage these days is not nearly as high, and most D.C. residents are unlikely to ever be a victim of violence. Yet a sharp rise in crime over the past year - punctuated by reports of homicides, brazen shootings, and carjackings by armed teenagers - is rattling a city already struggling to recover from a pandemic that upended its rhythms and ravaged its once-thriving downtown.

As the nation's capital, D.C.'s stature as the focus of global attention and tourism remains secure. Yet, months of persistent gun violence is causing many Washingtonians to question their safety and commitment to the city with an intensity perhaps unseen since the drug wars.

The randomness is reflected in statistics showing sharp increases in crime in areas where it is less expected, as well as the jarring details of individual incidents.

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and police have pushed a variety of initiatives to respond to the violence, including a curfew for teenagers in select neighborhoods, prosecuting juveniles as adults, and permitting judges to detain more defendants before trials. Yet, the bloodshed persists: In the first six days of September alone, eight people were shot and killed, including four teenagers. washingtonpost.com


California Legislature approves concealed-carry limits, teeing up possible Supreme Court fight
A year after Democratic infighting tanked a high-profile gun-control bill in Sacramento, California lawmakers successfully approved legislation on Tuesday to limit who can carry firearms in public, setting up a likely legal challenge that could reach the Supreme Court.

Two high-profile mass shootings in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park this year have only increased pressure on Democrats to crack down on gun violence in California. That's despite the state having some of the most prohibitive gun laws in the country, so restrictive that some have been struck down by the federal courts. latimes.com


Another Retailer Reports Theft Hit on Profit Margin
Primark owner sees stronger profits ahead despite store thefts
Theft from Primark stores over the summer was worse than bosses had budgeted for, but the retailer's owner still expects profits this year to be slightly better than it had expected due to growing demand in the US for its classic British grocery brands.

Primark's profit margins over the past six months have not been as strong as analysts had estimated, however, largely because of "higher-than-expected stock loss from stores" as well as a "modest amount of restructuring costs" in Germany.  thetimes.co.uk


ORC Senate Bill S.140 - Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 - Update
Three new co-sponsors signed up yesterday. It's picking up activity. 5 Republicans - 4 Democrats.

Chicago - Car Thefts Up 94%, Burglaries Up 29%, Robberies Up 24% YTD & Theft is Up 98% Over 3 Years

Is retail theft really rising?

Security's Most Influential People in Security 2023

The Most Influential People in Security 2023 have driven progress in the security & risk management field throughout their varied careers.

For the past 14 years, Security magazine has been recognizing the Most Influential People in Security. Our goal with this editorial awards project is to recognize some of the security executives, industry experts and professionals effecting change, influencing their organizations, and making a difference each and every day in the complex, ever-changing world of security and risk management.

These professionals, executives and leaders have been nominated by their colleagues or peers and were chosen based upon the unique stamp that each individual has had within the security landscape.

Our editorial staff is humbled by the number of nominations we received and the number of people in the security industry doing great things. We are pleased to offer you a glimpse into 12 of those influencers' backgrounds, careers and accomplishments with the Most Influential People in Security 2023. Read on to learn more about each of these impactful security leaders.  securitymagazine.com

Click here to learn more about each security leader

Retailer Sues Mall Operators For Neglecting "Significant Security Incidents"
American Eagle sues Westfield for letting iconic San Francisco Centre mall 'deteriorate into disarray,' allowing crime to run rampant
One of the largest remaining tenants at San Francisco Centre on Market Street has sued the former owners, charging that they let the massive mall "deteriorate into disarray" and allow crime to flourish.

It alleges that after the pandemic began in 2020, co-owner and operator Westfield neglected security efforts and basic mall management required by American Eagle's lease, leaving employees "to suffer and respond to gun violence, physical assaults, burglaries, and robberies."

The lawsuit claims the American Eagle shop, between May 2020 and May 2023, was the scene of more than 100 "significant security incidents. ... On multiple occasions, patrons have brandished firearms while verbally assaulting the store's employees."

Westfield and co-owner Brookfield Properties said in June they would default on their $558 million loan for the large property, blaming San Francisco city government for allowing "rampant criminal activity" that drove down sales and foot traffic in the mall. But this suit alleges that the mall operators were equally to blame.

"Westfield cannot walk away from the harm that it has caused without consequence," said the lawsuit filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court. "It must be held accountable for the damages caused by its failures and broken promises." Westfield also closed its management office in the mall during all this, the lawsuit claimed.

In the suit, American Eagle is seeking "all actual and compensatory monetary damages" due to the alleged breach of contract in terms of mall security and maintenance promised in the lease with the chain, which runs through 2028. sfchronicle.com


COO of Optical Chain & Dir of Operations of Appliance Chain Embezzled $1.8M
Eastern Shore Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Steal More Than $1.8 Million from a Salisbury Business
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge sentenced Stephen Franklin, age 54, of Salisbury, Maryland, yesterday to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with the theft of more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance Connection and pay restitution which the parties stipulate is $1,850,488.94.

Franklin was the chief operating officer of Accurate Optical, a chain of optometric shops on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and with the owners of Accurate Optical he also purchased East Coast Optometric, a chain of South Carolina optical shops. Franklin and co-defendant Duane G. Larmore met through the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and became friendly.

Larmore was the Director of Operations at Shore Appliance Connection ("Shore Appliance"), located in Salisbury, Maryland, whose duties included maintaining the books and records for the company. The company was owned and operated by Owner #1 and Owner #2. From mid-September 2016 through about March 2020, Franklin conspired with others, including Larmore, to steal more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance.

Duane G. Larmore, age 48, of Salisbury, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.  justice.gov


Mass. Governor to issue emergency declaration after rains batter homes, businesses
The governor will declare a statewide emergency in order to free up cash for communities slammed by relentless rain that has left the likes of Leominster devastated.

Dollar General automates South Carolina distribution center

Casey's General Stores to Add at Least 150 Stores in 2024

Here's Why Many Decongestants May Soon Disappear From Store Shelves
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director of Security job posted for Trulieve in Tallahassee, FL
The National Security Operations Center (NSOC) Director will provide best-in-class security service and support to each of the national region hubs. The NSOC Director provides leadership, administrative direction, strategic support, and security solutions to the National Security Operations Center staff. Must be Tallahassee based or open to relocation. careers.trulieve.com
 

100K Facebook Business Accounts Targeted Weekly
Millions of Facebook Business Accounts Bitten by Python Malware

The "MrTonyScam" has a surprisingly high success rate, spreading a Python-based stealer to some 100,000 business accounts per week.

Attackers are targeting millions of Facebook business accounts with malicious messages, sent via Facebook Messenger from a botnet of fake and hijacked personal Facebook accounts. The goal is to spread an info-stealing malware that can intercept browsing sessions and account cookies, and it's hitting 100,000 Facebook business accounts per week, according to researchers.

The Python-based stealer successfully infects about 1.4% of targets - or about one out of 70 of those reached, Guardio Labs revealed in a blog post on Sept. 11. Guardio has dubbed the effort the "MrTonyScam," based on the name of the administrator of a Telegram channel with which the stealer interacts.

"Facebook's Messenger platform has been heavily abused in the past month to spread endless messages with malicious attachments from a swarm of fake and hijacked personal accounts," Oleg Zaytsev, a Guardio Labs security researcher, wrote in the post.

From a technical standpoint, the attack's messages contain a compressed stealer payload that targets the victims' installed browsers to lift session cookies; these are then sent to threat actors' IM channels in a "swift and effective operation," Zaytsev wrote.

The messages also contain a link that appears to be relevant to the content sent in the message, such as a link to product to check its availability. If clicked, the link downloads a "classic stealer" payload archived with RAR or zip formats, which then uses a multistep process and five layers of obfuscation to hide its content, Zaytsev wrote. The payload also is generated on the fly to avoid static detection. darkreading.com


Taking on the Growing Deepfake Threat
NSA, FBI, and CISA Release Cybersecurity Information Sheet on Deepfake Threats
Today, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI), Contextualizing Deepfake Threats to Organizations, which provides an overview of synthetic media threats, techniques, and trends. Threats from synthetic media, such as deepfakes, have exponentially increased-presenting a growing challenge for users of modern technology and communications, including the National Security Systems (NSS), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), and national critical infrastructure owners and operators. Between 2021 and 2022, U.S. Government agencies collaborated to establish a set of employable best practices to take in preparation and response to the growing threat. Public concern around synthetic media includes disinformation operations, designed to influence the public and spread false information about political, social, military, or economic issues to cause confusion, unrest, and uncertainty.

The authoring agencies urge organizations review the CSI for recommended steps and best practices to prepare, identify, defend against, and respond to deepfake threats.

To report suspicious activity or possible incidents involving deepfakes, contact one of the following agencies:

• Cybersecurity Report Feedback: CybersecurityReports@nsa.gov
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov or contact a local FBI field office
• CISA's Incident Reporting System or through the agency's 24/7 Operations Center at report@cisa.gov or (888) 282-0870  cis.gov


'Open Source Software Security Roadmap'
CISA Releases its Open Source Software Security Roadmap

Today, CISA released an Open Source Software Security Roadmap to lay out-in alignment with the National Cybersecurity Strategy and the CISA Cybersecurity Strategic Plan-how we will partner with federal agencies, open source software (OSS) consumers, and the OSS community, to secure OSS infrastructure. To that end, the roadmap details four key goals:

1. Establish CISA's role in supporting the security of OSS,
2. Understand the prevalence of key open source dependencies,
3. Reduce risks to the federal government, and
4. Harden the broader OSS ecosystem.

See CISA's Open Source Software Security Roadmap to learn more. cisa.gov


ChatGPT Jailbreaking Forums Proliferate in Dark Web Communities

Chrome zero-day exploited in the wild, patch now!

Fort Myers, FL: DOJ: Cape Coral Men Sentenced For Their Roles In A Multi-Million Dollar Credit Card Fraud Scheme
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Carlos Tejeda (62, Cape Coral) to 16 years in federal prison, Juan Tejeda (35, Cape Coral) to 15 years in federal prison, and Pedro Pelaez (59, Cape Coral) to 6 years in federal prison for their roles in a large-scale credit card fraud scheme which operated in Cape Coral between late-2015 and mid-2018. On April 27, 2023, a federal jury had found father-and-son ringleaders Carlos and Juan Tejeda guilty of 44 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit money laundering, production of counterfeit access devices, and possession of device-making equipment. For his role in the fraud, the jury found Pelaez guilty of 11 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to evidence presented during the seven-day trial, Carlos Tejeda recruited several friends and associates, including Pedro Pelaez, to create shell companies, obtain credit card processing terminals for their shell companies, and then permit Carlos Tejeda to swipe counterfeit credit cards fraudulently encoded with stolen credit and debit card numbers using the shell company credit card terminals. Evidence showed that Juan Tejeda's primary role was to encode the counterfeit cards for his father Carlos Tejeda, but that he personally swiped counterfeit cards on the shell company terminals as well. Each fraudulent transaction was typically between $1,000 and $3,000, but the same stolen card number was often used several times across multiple shell companies before victim cardholders from across the United States realized that their card numbers had been compromised. justice.gov


Ledgewood, NJ: 9 arrested after police thwart attempted theft totaling nearly $500k at Ledgewood dealership
Police in New Jersey stopped a large-scale burglary at a popular motorsports dealer in its tracks. At around 4:12 a.m. on September 8, Roxbury Township Police Department responded to a call for unwanted persons on the property of Ledgewood Powersports. Little did the intruders know, they were being watched. "We see them even before they breached," said Noelle Schmidt, owner of Ledgewood Powersports, to Eyewitness News. Schmidt was alerted of the break-in thanks to a highly sensitive vast security system at the property that alerted her at home. Before a single move was made, Schmidt was watching, recording and calling police. 10 thieves were shown on the system, driving the high-end ATVs and UTVs, lighting them up, hoisting the smaller ones onto the larger ones to try to get them off the lot. But they didn't realize one thing. "There's no way out," said Schmidt. Once you're on the parameter, you can't leave except in handcuffs." Not only does the dealership have tons of cameras, but they also reinforced the exits and perimeter fence. 10 minutes into the incident, police already surrounded the store.  abc7ny.com


Memphis, TN: Man shoots at Store Manager after fleeing with $3K worth of stolen clothes
An alleged robber fired shots in a getaway car at a shopping mall's store manager. Lashawn Hunger, 23, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, vandalism $1,000 to $2,500, and theft of merchandise. Two men shoplifted clothing merchandise valued at $3,000 from Southland Mall's Icon Store on store July 4th, according to a court report. Hunter, later identified on the store's video surveillance, and another man took clothes out of the store without paying, police said. The manager followed the two out of the business and said he saw Hunter get into the passenger side of a sedan, police said. That's when the manager said shots were fired at him from within the car as it sped away. Bullets smashed the store's window, estimated to cause about $2,000 worth of damage. The store manager identified Hunter in a police photo lineup.  fox13memphis.com


Downey, CA: Suspects allegedly stole $25,000 worth of sunglasses from Sunglass Hut
Two suspects were arrested after allegedly stealing around $25,000 worth of designer sunglasses from a shopping mall in Downey. The theft took place at the Sunglass Hut store in the Stonewood Center on Sept. 8, according to the Downey Police Department. Store officials said the suspects entered the shop and ransacked the display cases and shelves, taking a large quantity of sunglasses before fleeing the store.  ktla.com


Houston, TX: Shoplifters wanted, caught on video pepper-spraying Academy employee
Police are searching for two women caught on camera attacking an employee with pepper spray while shoplifting at an Academy. The Houston Police Department's Robbery Division said the aggravated robbery happened on Aug. 19 in the 9700 block of Katy Freeway. At about 9:25 a.m., two women walked into the sporting goods store and placed several pairs of Nike pants into their shopping cart. The women then attempted to walk out of the store without paying for the merchandise when an employee tried to stop them. Video shows one of the suspects spraying the employee in the face with pepper spray while the second suspect pulled out a pink Taser and flashed it at the employee. The suspects then removed the clothes from the basket and walked into the parking lot, leaving in a light-colored, four-door sedan.  abc13.com


Oconee County, SC: Nearly $3,000 worth of cosmetics stolen from SC Ulta Beauty store

Harrison County, WV: Man leads police on 100 mph chase after Walmart $1200 shoplifting spree

Lexington Park, MD: Shoplifting Suspect Sought At Big Lots