Interface Integrates i3 Cloud Video Platform with Its Monitoring Centers

The integration enables multi-location retail and restaurant chains to combine advanced monitoring capabilities with a powerful cloud-based video surveillance and analytics solution

St. Louis, MO (October 12, 2023) - Interface Systems, a leading managed service provider of business security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location retail and restaurant chains today announced that it has expanded its customer offering by integrating the i3 International cloud-based video management and analytics platform into its interactive Security Operations Centers (iSOCs).

Interface iSOCs can now leverage real-time security camera feeds or access recorded footage captured by the i3 platform. The iSOC staff can easily search for video footage, gather video evidence associated with security events, verify alarm events to eliminate false alarms, and provide security escorts when customer store locations open and close. In addition, the integrated solution allows iSOC staff to access microphones and speakers deployed at customer sites to hear and speak to associates via the i3 video feeds.

Read more in the Vendor Spotlight column below
 

NRF's Fight Retail Crime Day Webinar
NRF LP: Combating Organized Retail Crime
NRF is leading the charge to unite the retail industry in keeping our communities safe and combating the alarming rise in organized retail crime. Ahead of Fight Retail Crime Day, join NRF and other LP retail professionals on Wednesday, Oct. 18, for the "Combating Organized Retail Crime" webinar.

During the webinar, you and other retailers will gain valuable insights from experts who will share the findings of the latest National Retail Security Survey and learn how you can play a pivotal role in driving change on Fight Retail Crime Day taking place on October 26, 2023

This members-only webinar is closed to the press and off the record. Webinar Registration


ORC Gangs Must Be Toppled to Stop the Surge in Crime Closures
Opinion: Retail chains are closing stores over crime & theft. There are better ways to deal with shoplifting
Two things can be true at the same time. Businesses say an epidemic of shoplifting is roiling the retail industry, leading them to make tough decisions about the need to close stores in some communities to stem losses.

But what's also true, is that the communities where businesses are closing down stores are often left feeling bereft and abandoned once the establishments are gone. The loss of a major store can be a massive inconvenience - even a hardship - for communities where there are precious few shopping options.

Its announcement a few weeks back that it would close a number of outlets in urban areas on October 21 has drawn a lot of attention to Target, a company that has a net worth of nearly $50 billion. The company says it stands to lose a half a billion dollars this year because of theft.

But as CNN reported recently, the retail industry's own numbers on losses caused by theft cast doubt on their claim that the problem of "shrink" as it's called in the industry, is worsening. It seems that retailers may be blaming theft for losses when they don't actually know the cause.

Meanwhile, the ones who are hurt most by closures are customers in many urban communities who suddenly find they have nowhere to shop. A former council member in Oakland, California told a local television station that their area's Target - one of the stores that the corporation has decided to close - had been the first major retailer to arrive in the neighborhood in decades.

Whatever the cause and whatever the scope of the problem, something has to be done to address retail losses caused by crime. But there must be a better solution than pulling up stakes and fleeing communities in need. One thing they could do is focus their efforts on organized crime gangs that fence stolen merchandise online.

Another federal bill that might make a difference if it becomes law is the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which would, among other measures, establish a multi-agency bureau to investigate retail crime. The agency would compile data at the federal and state level on organized crime rings that prey on retailers. And, it would stiffen penalties on those found guilty of committing multiple acts of theft by aggregating the dollar amounts of the items stolen. After a specific dollar amount is reached, the offender could be charged with a felony.

Some of the initiatives being introduced give me hope that the members of crime syndicates responsible for the thefts will be brought to justice. If they are, the stores in these communities will feel like safer places to operate, and that will encourage business to remain the vital resource they are for people who shop there. cnn.com


Could This Be a Solution to Flash Mob Thefts?
Op-Ed: To Stop Flash Mob Robberies, Stores Could Adopt Membership Model
If our elected representatives are unwilling to repeal Proposition 47, a failed experiment in criminal justice reform, then California businesses should consider turning their stores into membership-based establishments. This approach offers an effective means to deter shoplifting by mandating that shoppers provide identification before entering, enabling stores to better address theft without relying solely on law enforcement.

A retailer can install surveillance equipment and place detection gates at the exits to help reduce shoplifting. Stores can also hire security to detain shoplifters who are caught stealing. But if weak laws such as Prop. 47 are not repealed, law enforcement will only be able to cite and release shoplifters who will simply return to steal again.

Prop. 47 emboldens criminals who routinely steal from stores. If a shoplifter is arrested and the amount they took is under $950, they are simply issued a notice to appear in court. They are free roam the streets with impunity to steal again, oftentimes the very same day.

Costco has a membership-only business model, which means consumers pay a fee to access lower-cost products. Costco's model is working as their inventory losses due to theft have remained largely unchanged while retail giant Target said its losses from theft will balloon to more than $1 billion in 2023, up $500 million over last year.

Charging a membership to shop may not seem fair to people on fixed incomes or who simply do not have the means to pay for it. The solution is to provide these individuals with a free membership. However, they would need to abide by the membership rules that include showing their card upon entering the store and providing security with their receipt before leaving the store.

Shoppers who do not follow the store membership policy or break the rules will simply have their memberships revoked and will need to seek out non-membership stores to shop at.

The membership-only business model is a practical solution. Those who invest in a membership will ultimately save money as they will not be paying for price hikes associated with shoplifting. timesofsandiego.com


Shopping Center Landlords' Ongoing Feud With Target Over Crime Closures
Landlords Claim Target Is Using Crime To Deflect From Its Other Problems
Landlords of shuttered Target stores are striking back against the retailer after it cited rampant crime as the reason for closing nine stores.

In a statement last week, Target said its decision followed a wave of shoplifting that compromised safety while simultaneously hindering profits. But owners of affected shopping centers told Bloomberg that hits to Target's bottom line are driven by more factors than the company is willing to admit.

Target's decision to shut down its Harlem, New York, store came as a surprise to landlord David Blumenfeld, principal at Blumenfeld Development Group, as the company had never raised concerns about theft, he told Bloomberg.

Target has already signed a new lease for a smaller location nearby, undercutting its claims that crime is the issue, he added. Instead, Blumenfeld said, the company is coming to terms with its inability to successfully operate large-format stores in big cities.

Shoplifting and vandalism were also cited as reasons behind Target's decision to shutter its store in Pittsburg, California, despite having 18 years remaining on its lease.

The company had never complained about crime and was in talks to extend its lease, Sierra Pacific Properties President Doug Messner told Bloomberg. Target abruptly pulled out of negotiations in an attempt to strong-arm the state into doing more about organized retail crime, he claimed.

U.S. retailers such as Walmart, Dollar Tree and Nordstrom have been vocal about the impact of organized retail crime on profits, but Target is the first to use theft as a reason to close stores.

Target stores saw a 120% increase in theft incidents involving violence or violent threats during the first five months of this year, Cornell said during the earnings call. bisnow.com


Data Paints 'Complicated' Picture of Areas Where Target is Closing Stores
Target says it's closing 9 locations over crime, but New York City crime stats surrounding its East Harlem store tell another story

City crime stats show that shoplifting rates are higher near stores that are staying open.

When Target announced nine store closures, it gave a rationale that few retailers ever say out loud - theft. While theft is frequently speculated as the cause for a store closure, companies rarely specifically note it.

Publicly available crime stats do not appear to support the company's claim that incidents of nonviolent shoplifting or violent robberies are trending up. The data does not indicate that closing stores are in areas hit harder by shoplifting than nearby stores the company plans to keep open.

While city-level crime stats do not necessarily represent a comprehensive or conclusive picture of the challenges confronting retailers, similar data from New York, San Francisco, and Seattle complicate the explanation Target provided last week.

Positioned in a large shopping plaza with multiple other retailers, Target's 117th Street address is a locus of shoplifting reports for the New York City Police Department's 25th Precinct, with more than 200 incidents of "larceny from a store" during the first six months of this year.

But when compared with other areas of Manhattan where stores are set to remain open, East Harlem hardly registers on a heat map of retail-crime reports. The company plans to open a location on 125th Street - less than 2 miles from the East Harlem store. businessinsider.com

   RELATED: Full list of Target's ORC-related closures


Express is Ditching San Francisco Amid Crime & Safety Crisis
Another retailer ditches San Francisco - as new manager of troubled mall hires off-duty cops and K9s to improve safety in half-vacant shopping center

The closure comes a day after a San Francisco judge appointed Gregg Williams to 'take possession, custody and control' of the troubled San Francisco Centre

Fashion store Express announced its plans to vacate its 301 Geary Street location Tuesday, a day after a San Francisco Superior Court judge appointed Gregg Williams to 'take possession, custody and control' of a troubled San Francisco Centre.

Signs stationed outside the Express's storefront in the morning laid bare the latest casualty to the city's Union Square, which for more than a year has been overrun with crime, encampments, and increasingly open drug markets.

A few blocks away, at the home of what was once the world's largest Nordstrom store, Williams aired plans to retain a third-party security consultant and guards to regain control of the center, now half-vacant after the departure of Westfield Mall.

The latest casualties of the so-called 'retail apocalypse,' both come as stores continue to flee the once iconic neighborhood en masse, many after decades in their respective digs. Express, having opened ten years ago in the historic building a stone's throw from the iconic Hotel St. Francis - is no different. dailymail.co.uk


NYPD & Police Nationwide Go On Alert
NYPD orders all cops to report in uniform after ex-Hamas chief calls for global protests
The NYPD has ordered all cops to report in uniform starting Friday in anticipation of potential unrest stemming from a call by the former leader of Hamas to stage global demonstrations in support of Palestinians.

"All uniformed members of the service in every rank, will perform duty in the uniform of the day and be prepared for deployment," read a Wednesday night memo sent to all NYPD members. The NYPD is also beefing up security at all of its 77 police precincts, assigning additional cops to monitor entryways and parking areas at the stationhouses, according to the internal memo.

Additionally, the department activated its Joint Operations Center (JOC) at its Manhattan headquarters in anticipation of possible mayhem. nypost.com

As pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S., police worry about clashes
"There was an astonishing amount of police," said a Palestinian activist who organized the Times Square rally.

Fearing outbreaks of violence as supporters of Israel and the Palestinian cause square off in the wake of Hamas' terror attack on Israel, police in cities across the country have been sending extra officers to protests and are ratcheting up security at potential targets like mosques, synagogues and consulates.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore sent extra patrols to neighborhoods with large Jewish and Muslim populations as a precaution Saturday, just hours after Hamas militants launched a series of deadly raids inside Israel, NBC News has confirmed.

In Kirkland, Washington, police had to intervene Sunday after scuffles broke out between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

In San Francisco, police were called in after thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were confronted Sunday by a much smaller group of Jewish protesters and eggs and water bottles were thrown.

In New Jersey, police vehicles were parked outside many synagogues and mosques Monday. nbcnews.com


57% Decrease in Law Enforcement Deaths - 92 Year-to-Date
11 Deaths in September: 7 Auto/Vehicle-Related, 2 Gunfire, 2 Health, 1 Fall
In September, 11 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. The cause breakdown (September 2023 only) is: 4 automobile crashes, 1 fall, 1 duty related illness, 2 gunfire, 1 heart attack, 1 struck by vehicle, and 2 vehicular assault. This means that the year-to-date total for line of duty deaths is at 92, a 57% decrease from the same time last year.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one to a line of duty death this past month. We encourage our supporters to read the memorials of each of the officers who died in the line of duty. odmp.org

 
Mob-led Theft is Costing the Retail Industry Billions. We Need More Than Just Store Security to Stop It

How Bad is Organized Retail Theft Affecting Missouri?

Nashville, TN: Retail crime rising as thieves target Green Hills mall 3 times in 3 weeks
 

Corporate White Collar Crime

Kenneth Cole's Brother - Neil Cole Founder & Former CEO of Iconix Brands
Gets 18 Months
Powerful family in the retail world & A Global Scheme

DOJ: Former CEO Of Iconix Brand Group Gets 18 Months In Prison For Accounting Fraud
Southern District of New York, announced earlier today that NEIL COLE, the former Chief Executive Officer of Iconix Brand Group, Inc. ("Iconix"), was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 18 months in prison for participating in a scheme to fraudulently inflate Iconix's revenue and earnings per share, making false filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and misleading the conduct of audits. In November 2022, a unanimous jury found COLE guilty following a four-week retrial before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who imposed today's sentence.

Through the scheme, COLE caused Iconix to report fraudulently inflated revenue and EPS figures to the investing public. COLE did so, in part, to ensure that the reported figures met analyst consensus and to fraudulently convey the impression to the investing public that Iconix was growing quarter after quarter, as COLE had touted to the investing public.

In addition to his prison term, COLE, 66, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $790,200. justice.gov

About: Iconix owner of the some of the world's most recognizable brand IP and the premier provider of brand management solutions to brand owners globally.

With 28 brands in 100+ countries and over $5B in sales. "Partner to the world's leading retailers."


Cannabis Manufacturer & Retailer Defrauded Investors of $14M
DOJ: Two New Jersey Men Plead Guilty To Defrauding Investors In Hemp Company

Vitaly Fargesen and Igor Palatnik Misappropriated Approximately $4 Million of Investor Funds

Southern District of New York, announced today that VITALY FARGESEN and IGOR PALATNIK each pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit securities fraud and one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with their fraudulent scheme to defraud investors in CanaFarma Corp. and later CanaFarma Hemp Products Corp. (together "CanaFarma") by soliciting funds based upon false and misleading representations, failing to invest investors' funds as promised, and secretly misappropriating millions of dollars of CanaFarma funds. FARGESEN and PALATNIK pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska.

CanaFarma was a privately held Delaware corporation with offices in New York, New York. Listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange, and beginning on or about March 23, 2020, CanaFarma was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. CanaFarma marketed itself to the investors as a "fully integrated cannabis company addressing the entire cannabis spectrum from seed to delivery of consumer products."

FARGESEN, 54 of New Jersey and PALATNIK, 49, of New Jersey, devised and carried out a scheme to defraud CanaFarma's investors by soliciting approximately $14 million in funds, including investments in private shares of CanaFarma, with false and misleading representations concerning the company's management, products, and financials; failing to invest investors' funds as promised; and secretly misappropriating at least $4 million of CanaFarma funds for their own benefit. Lying to investors regarding CanaFarma's actual and anticipated operations, attempting to artificially inflate CanaFarma's reported revenue, making false statements to CanaFarma's auditors, and misappropriating millions of dollars of investor funds. justice.gov

Are Your Stores Ready for More OSHA Inspections?
Boost in OSHA Inspections Expected for High-Risk Retailers
Warehouse, processing and distribution facilities serve a crucial role in many retailers' supply chains, especially those relying primarily on e-commerce, as such facilities provide space for inventory storage and assist with order fulfillments. Retailers' use of these facilities has increased steadily in the last 10 years, with more than 1.9 million people employed in warehouse, processing and distribution facilities. The growing use of these facilities, however, comes with the risk of employee injuries and, in turn, potential legal risks associated with such injuries. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows injury and illness rates for these establishments are higher than in private industry overall and, in some sectors, more than twice the rate of private industry.

The National Emphasis Program (NEP) will focus on identifying and eliminating health and safety hazards in the industry by conducting inspections. The NEP will not only target classic warehouse, processing and distribution settings, but also high-injury-rate retail establishments, as many retail establishments have the same or similar hazards as warehousing and distribution facilities, particularly in loading and storage areas.

High-injury-rate retail establishments include employers with the following North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes:

• Home centers.
• Hardware stores.
• Other building material dealers.
• Supermarkets and other grocery stores (except convenience stores).
• Warehouse clubs and supercenters.

High-injury-rate retail establishment inspections will focus on loading and storage areas, but OSHA may expand an inspection's scope when evidence shows violations may exist in other areas of the establishment. Inspections of distribution, warehousing and storage facilities will focus on hazards common to those industries, including powered industrial vehicle operations, material handling and storage operations, walking-working surfaces, means of egress, and fire protection. Heat and ergonomic hazards may also be considered.

Retail employers using warehouses and processing facilities and those deemed high-injury-rate retail establishments should be prepared for an uptick in inspections and enforcement activities by OSHA throughout the duration of the NEP, which is set to expire in three years. The NEP's specific categorization of retailers, as well as OSHA's recent citations against online order shipment facilities, suggests retail employers may face particular scrutiny.  shrm.org


100K Drug Overdose Deaths in 2022
Understanding the Flow of Fentanyl
Terrorism poses a strong threat to civilians in the United States, but drugs kill and harm more people annually in America than terrorists do, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Homeland Threat Assessment 2024.

The drugs that DHS is tracking are increasingly lethal because traffickers in Mexico and the United States use various additives-like xylazine and fentanyl-when they counterfeit prescription pills. Preliminary data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention indicates that more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022; synthetic opioids-which include fentanyl and tramadol-accounted for roughly 75 percent of overdoses during the past year.

"Domestic drug traffickers have gained more influence over the composition of fentanyl pills available in the United States and have distributed potentially more deadly mixtures of the drug to both witting and unwitting users," according to the DHS assessment. "U.S. law enforcement seizures of pill presses purchased online have increased, suggesting these U.S.‑based traffickers are pressing a highly toxic combination of drugs into different types of pills."

How does fentanyl flow around the world? Read here: asisonline.org


Judge to Starbucks: Turn Over Your Documents

Federal court enforces US Department of Labor subpoena seeking documents to investigate Starbucks Corp.'s response to worker organizing campaigns

SEATTLE - A federal court in Seattle has ruled that Starbucks Corp. must comply with a U.S. Department of Labor administrative subpoena that seeks documents needed in an investigation by the department's Office of Labor-Management Standards into money spent by the company related to worker organizing campaigns. The court has given the company 14 days to provide the documents. To determine compliance with the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.

The court's action follows the department's May 2023 filing of its petition against Starbucks Corp. after the company refused to provide documents sought in the subpoena. The department had requested Starbucks provide documents related to an investigation by the department's Office of Labor-Management Standards of expenditures by the company during a worker organizing campaign in Buffalo, New York. dol.gov


Will Grocery Outlet Find Room for 4,000 Stores?

Chipotle is raising prices for the 4th time in 2 years

FBI's 'Cyber's Most Wanted List': BEC Gang Gets Federal Prison
DOJ: Nigerian National Extradited to Nebraska to Face Fraud Scheme Charge
DOJ announced the extradition of Alex Ogunshakin, 40, of Nigeria, to the District of Nebraska on a Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud Indictment, filed in August 2019 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Ogunshakin, who was on the FBI Cyber's Most Wanted List, is alleged to have participated in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme from January 2015 to September 2016. The BEC scheme defrauded businesses in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere of more than $6 million. According to the indictment, Ogunshakin's co-conspirators posed as the chief executive officer, president, owner, or other executive of the targeted company. Using e-mail accounts spoofed to make it appear as though they were from the company's true business executive, Ogunshakin's co-conspirators directed business employees or recipients of the e-mail to complete wire transfers. The business employees, believing the requests were legitimate, complied with the wire transfer requests and wired the money as instructed by Ogunshakin's co-conspirators.

Some of Ogunshakin's co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced. Other co-conspirators remain at large.

Adewale Aniyeloye, 96 months, $1,570,938.05 in restitution.
Pelumi Fawehinimi, 72 months, $1,014,159.60 in restitution.
Onome Ijomone, 60 months, $508,934.40 in restitution. justice.gov


Cyber Security Awareness Month Recognized Globally
National Retail's Timely Collaboration with Ignite Systems Amidst Cyber Security Awareness Month 2023
As October marks the annual Cyber Security Awareness Month for 2023 we are excited to announce a timely and ground-breaking collaboration between the National Retail Association and Ignite Systems. This will be a game-changer for small businesses and the retail sector.

What is 'Cyber' and 'Cyber Security'?
 
The term 'cyber' relates to information technology, virtual reality, and computers. Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks.

Cybercrime (tech-enabled crime) impacts all businesses in many ways. Attacks are opportunistic, unsophisticated, and masked to look familiar. The impact of a cyber-attack is immediate and significant. The average cost per cybercrime reported by small businesses is $40,000. There are over 76,000 cybercrime reports annually - 1 every 7 minutes.

Why Cyber Security Matters More Than Ever

Every business, regardless of size, must address the escalating cyber risks. The federal government's proposed changes to the Privacy Act add urgency to this issue, as 95% of actively trading Australian businesses will need to comply with stringent data protection measures or face penalties. nationalretail.org.au


'SEO Poisoning Campaign'
Data Thieves Test-Drive Unique Certificate Abuse Tactic

An SEO poisoning campaign is spreading the RecordBreaker/Raccoon Stealer and LummaC2 infostealers by attempting to confound software certificate checks.

Attackers are employing a new type of certificate abuse in an attempt to spread info-stealing malware, with the aim of collecting credentials and other sensitive data. In some instances, the goal is to steal cryptocurrency from Windows systems.

The campaign uses search engine optimization (SEO) poisoning to deliver search results featuring malicious pages promoting illegal software cracks and downloads. In the background, the pages deliver remote access Trojans (RATs) known as LummaC2, and RecordBreaker (aka Raccoon Stealer V2) researchers from South Korea-based AhnLab revealed in a blog post on Oct. 10.

Notably, the malware uses abnormal certificates featuring Subject Name and Issuer Name fields that have unusually long strings, which means they require specific tools or infrastructure to inspect the certificates and are not visible in Windows systems.

The latest sample currently in circulation consists of a string with a URL-encoded malicious script designed to download and execute PowerShell commands from a specific address, although the sample observed by researchers was unsuccessful in both downloading and execution. darkreading.com


Automatic Spyware Downloads Targeting Computers
Cybersecurity expert reveals 4 words you should never click on - or risk bank fraud
A cybersecurity expert from McAfee - the antivirus brainchild of eccentric businessman John McAfee - is warning of ways that spyware can easily make its way onto your computer or smartphone to drain your bank account.

"Avoid downloading files from untrusted sources," the unidentified employee said, per the Sun, adding that file-sharing programs like torrents are especially perilous. The worker noted that the age-old risk of pop-ups is as dangerous as ever, too.

"Never click 'Agree,' 'OK,' 'No,' or 'Yes' in a pop-up, as these actions can trigger an automatic spyware download," they warned.

"By stealthily recording sensitive personal and financial information, like usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers, [spyware] presents a significant risk to a user's identity," the employee added.

AI, meanwhile, is also posing a substantial risk to individuals through its ability to personalize phishing scams, warns Lisa Palmer, an AI strategist for consulting firm AI Leaders. nypost.com


Endpoint malware attacks decline as campaigns spread wider
In Q2 2023, 95% of malware now arrives over encrypted connections, endpoint malware volumes are decreasing despite campaigns growing more widespread, ransomware detections are declining amid a rise in double-extortion attacks, and older software vulnerabilities persist as popular targets for exploitation among modern threat actors, among other trends, according to WatchGuard.

"There is no single strategy that threat actors wield in their attacks and certain threats often present varying levels of risk at different times of the year. Organizations must continually be on alert to monitor these threats and employ a unified security approach, which can be administered effectively by managed service providers, for their best defense," Nachreiner continued. helpnetsecurity.com


How cyber fusion is helping enterprises modernize security operations

Microsoft Patch Tuesday Haunted by Zero-Days, Wormable Bug

San Francisco, CA: $17,000 in apparel seized, arrests made in San Francisco Mission District fencing bust
Police recovered more than $17,000 in apparel from a street vending booth and made arrests during a bust of a suspected fencing operation in San Francisco's Mission District over the weekend. On Saturday, officers conducted an undercover operation on the 1800 block of Mission Street. With the help of retail loss prevention officers, police identified two illegal street vending booths that had suspected stolen merchandise. Police said the branded merchandise had branded retail store tags, security tags and antitheft devices attached to the clothing. Officers said the items on display were stolen from "numerous" retail locations across the Bay Area. According to the SFPD Investigations Bureau, impacted retailers included Victoria's Secret and Lululemon.  cbsnews.com


Millsboro, DE: Wawa employee arrested in connection with the theft of nearly $11,000 in cigarettes
On Tuesday, a trooper was called to a Wawa in Millsboro, for a theft complaint. Witness interviews and a review of video surveillance revealed that a store employee had been stealing cartons of cigarettes valued at approximately $10,800 since June and then reselling them to unknown people. The trooper met Switzer at the store and took him into custody without incident. Switzer was transported to Troop 7 and charged with one count of felony theft.  delawarebusinessnow.com


Charleston, SC: SC Lowe's stores targeted in retail theft ring, prosecutors say
Prosecutors said Lowe's stores in South Carolina were targeted in a fraud scheme that involved the return of stolen merchandise for credit. A federal grand jury in Charleston has charged three participants in what prosecutors described as a large theft ring targeting a major home improvement chain. Donovan Young, Aaron Young and James Hoffman were indicted Oct. 10 on six counts of fraud each. According to a documents filed with U.S. District Court, the trio and other unidentified co-conspirators targeted an unspecified number of Lowe's stores across South Carolina by stealing merchandise and returning the goods in exchange for credit. The alleged crimes were traced back to April 2019. Prosecutors said the three men and other associates would return pilfered merchandise using fake IDs and claiming they hadn't kept the receipts "so he or she would be issued store credit in the form of a merchandise card," as is the policy at Lowe's. They would then sell the cards at a discount off the face value. The buyers included Young, Young and Hoffman, who would use them to purchase goods from the retailer, according to the indictment, which did not say what they did with the merchandise. Prosecutors cited four electronic card transactions from October 2021 totaling about $820 to establish wire fraud charges. A hearing in the case is scheduled for later this month. No attorney was listed for the three defendants.  postandcourier.com


Madera, CA: Man in hardware shoplifting spree sought, Madera PD says
The Madera County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in identifying a man involved in a shoplifting spree. According to a City of Madera Police Department social media post, the man was seen walking out of a local hardware store with a portable generator worth over $1,500.  yourcentralvalley.com


Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Police searching for eight suspects in Conestoga Mall theft
Waterloo regional police are looking for eight males in connection to a significant theft at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo Tuesday evening. Police say the masked suspects went into an electronics store and stole items before taking off. No one was hurt, but additional officers were brought in to monitor the area. On Wednesday morning, police released images of the suspects inside the store, grabbing merchandise including phones.
Police clarified they're not calling this a robbery.  kitchener.ctvnews.ca


Bloomington, IL: Bloomington police searching for shoplifting suspects
Police are asking for the public's help in identifying two women in a retail theft case. Bloomington police Facebook shows that a beauty supply store lost approximately $2,300 in products.
 

NRF has declared Oct. 26 as Fight Retail Crime Day

 A day of action to unite the retail community to advocate
for solutions in combating organized retail crime.