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Loss Prevention Leadership in a Digital Age
Becoming a subject matter expert in your field is
an important first step at each position you reach in your career. After that,
it all boils down to developing your leadership skills, which is critical in
reaching the senior level and staying there.
Shannon Hunter, VP, Loss Prevention & Sustainability, Office Depot has
been recognized and promoted over the years by focusing not only on his
technical skills but on his leadership skills as well. Here, he shares the
leadership traits that have helped him the most throughout his career.
Note: At the time of this filming, Shannon was Sr. Director of
LP & Safety for Office Depot, prior to his promotion to VP of LP &
Sustainability.
Episode
Sponsored By:
Jim Geyer - STANLEY Security - Quick Take 12
Jim Geyer, Vice President of Sales for
STANLEY Security, talks about some of the innovative new solutions
STANLEY is bringing to the retail community to help keep stores safe - from
their
active shooter detection system and
Stanley Guard employee safety app to the
IntelAssure "cyber hygiene" tool and profit-enhancing
Stanley Retail Insights.
Quick Take
Sponsored By:
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Got a picture of your team on your cell phone?
Send it to us!
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CLEAR
Announces Award Winners at 2018 Conference
 The 2018 Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail Conference wrapped up
on Thursday October 11, with 180 attendees enjoying the 14 sessions,
vendor interactions, and networking opportunities over a span of three
days in Myrtle Beach. Even after dodging Hurricane Florence and
Hurricane Michael, the 180 conference attendees were the recipients of a
wide variety of training opportunities, from the impact of opioids on
retail crime, to an eye opening presentation on the tragic active
shooter incident at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.
A highlight of the conference was presenting awards for the law
enforcement and loss prevention investigations of the year. Those awards
went to the following recipients:
  LP
ORC Investigation of the Year
Ruben Banuelos, Sr. ORC Investigator, & Ben Schwartz, CIT Sr.
External Investigator, Home Depot
This award is presented for your diligence and tenacity in
identifying, tracking, and partnering with local law enforcement to
locate and arrest two suspects in a major nationwide ticket
switch/refund fraud case, with a known loss of $300,000. This case
exemplifies the value of loss prevention and law enforcement
partnerships.
Law Enforcement ORC Investigation of the Year #1
Detective Charlene Tombaugh, Huntersville NC Police
This award is for an investigation involving at least 10 different
departments over a period of 10 years, investigating larcenies and armed
robberies of jewelry stores within a 200 mile radius with a final total
loss of $4,436,794.59.
Law Enforcement ORC Investigation of the Year #2
Dept of Homeland Security, Trade Enforcement Group - Houston, TX
Special Agent Robert Skidmore, Special Agent Eric Lehman and Research
Specialist Robert Garcia
For dismantling of a major Organized Retail Crime Criminal Enterprise,
which caused over 30 million dollars in losses to retailers in nearly
every state. Far beyond the financial losses caused to our businesses,
the case expanded into critical areas of public and consumer safety, by
identifying suspects involved in counterfeiting prescription drugs,
human trafficking and large scale fraud.
Plans are already underway for our 2019 Conference, to be held in San
Diego, Oct. 28-31, 2019!
Violence is Up - Here's the Proof - DOJ Press
Release Oct 17th, 2018
Justice Department Smashes Records for Violent Crime, Gun Crime,
Illegal Immigration Prosecutions, Increases Drug & White Collar Prosecutions
Under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of
Justice charged the largest number of violent crime and firearm defendants in
its history in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018.
President Donald Trump is a law-and-order President-and this is a law-and-order
administration," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "The Department of Justice
is breaking law enforcement records and doing so by significant margins. When I
took office as Attorney General, I ordered federal prosecutors and agents to
take illegal guns off of our streets, to prosecute crimes aggressively, to
protect our nation's borders, and to target white collar fraud.
And we are seeing results. Violent crime and homicides, which jumped in 2015 and
2016, both dropped in 2017 and will drop again in 2018. There can be no doubt
that good law enforcement policies can make our communities safer."
According to data from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA),
the number of defendants charged with criminal felony offenses increased by
nearly 15 percent from more than 71,200 defendants in FY 2017 to more than
81,800 in FY 2018.
In FY 2018, the Justice Department charged the largest number of violent
crime defendants since EOUSA started to track this category more than 25
years ago (more than 16,800)-surpassing by nearly 15 percent the
previous record set just last year.
In FY 2018, the Justice Department charged more than 15,300 defendants with
federal firearms offenses, which is 17 percent more than the previous
record.
justice.gov
Gift Card Fraud Up 270% Since 2015
Scammers Increasingly Demand Payment by Gift Card
FTC examines gift card use as a payment vehicle for scams
We found that from January through September of this year, gift cards and
reload cards (like MoneyPak) were reported as a payment method in 26% of
the fraud reports in which people told us how they paid, up from just
7% in 2015 - a 270% increase. Con artists favor these cards because they
can get quick cash, the transaction is largely irreversible, and they can
remain anonymous.
People report that con artists direct them to buy gift or reload cards at
well-known stores like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and CVS. According to
these reports, they demand some specific card brands. While these change
over time, iTunes cards have been the top card brand by a wide margin since
2016. By contrast, Google Play cards were not reported in significant
numbers until this year.
Stepping back to look at all fraud reports available to the FTC from all
sources, we found that losses where people reported using gift or reload
cards reached $40 million in 2017, up from $20 million in 2015 and $27
million in 2016 (Source: FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book,
2016 and 2017). Through September of this year, that number is
already $53 million. And while individual fraud losses using these cards
have held steady at a $500 median loss per incident, people report losing a
lot more to some types of scams.
Tech support scams are a notable example. When people report paying for
fraudulent tech support services with a gift or reload card, the median
dollar loss is now $959, up nearly 60% from $600 in 2017.
ftc.gov
Retailers looking to clamp down on 'serial
returners'
61% Plan to Ban Serial Returners
In a survey published today, Brightpearl, the world's largest purpose-built
retail ERP platform, revealed that Almost two-thirds (61%) of US retailers
are planning to ban shoppers who deliberately and regularly buy multiple items
with the intent to return some (so-called "serial returners"), according to
a survey by Brightpearl, a cloud-based ERP for retailers and wholesalers. The
report, conducted in association with OnePoll, revealed that 42% of U.S.
retailers have seen an uplift in serial returners over the last 12 months.
 Following
a move pioneered by retail giant Amazon - which in May started closing
accounts of customers who "request too many refunds" - many brands are now
considering banning customers that return too many items, the report said.
One-quarter of retailers admit that introducing lifetime bans for problem
shoppers is a necessary move to protect their slim margins.
In addition, nearly half of U.S. retailers would impose bans to save time and
administration resources - an indication that chronic returns are eroding
retailers' margins.
Of the brands Brightpearl spoke with, almost two-thirds (64%) of all clothing
and fashion retailers are set to implement similar measures to Amazon, while 67%
of consumer electronic firms plan to do the same. Perhaps more surprisingly,
baby and toddler retailers are the most ruthless market segment, with 80%
expected to ban serial returners in the near future.
● The worst offenders are shoppers aged 18-34, where 22% of respondents confess
to having intentionally bought more items than they intended to keep.
● Most shoppers support bans for serial returners, with 58% agreeing it's a fair
policy. However, there are clear differences in attitudes depending on age
group, with 18-24s the least likely to agree with the policy.
chanstoreage.com
Get the Report: Banned? A Returning Problem
What the CFOs Are Reading
Financial Executives Have to "Rethink Every Aspect of Their Functions" As Well
So LP/AP Isn't Alone In This Age of Convergence
"The CFO Balancing Act"
"Facing the Future while Navigating the Now"
For finance executives, the digital transformation isn't at hand. It's already
arrived.
Or so they need to act, anyway. At a time when business is embarking on an
immersive digital future, powered by a convergence of new technologies-the
cloud, mobile, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI), among others-that
will require finance executives to rethink every aspect of their functions.
CFOs need to make sure that the organization's future shape can accommodate-and
maximize-emerging technologies such as Blockchain and the Internet of Things. In
their evolving role as strategists, they must visualize a reconfigured finance
function, one that brings into line advances in technology with the acquisition
of new and critical skills. Companies that cannot successfully integrate
technology, embedding it throughout their business, risk extinction. In its
relatively short history, the disruption phenomenon, as CFOs have well-observed,
has repeatedly rumbled through established industries and architectures, handily
hollowing out legacy business models.
Yet the urgency with which finance executives need to rethink the function,
while confronting fast-moving waves of high-impact technological changes,
shouldn't compel them to abandon their methodological ways. They can't start the
reconstruction process without first laying the supporting groundwork.
This Digital Transformation is The Black Whole For Spending
cfo.com
Security Industry Association Forecasts 2019
Security Megatrends
These trends -the top factors influencing both short-and long-term change in the
global security industry- are expected to have sweeping impact on almost all
businesses within the industry.
Cybersecurity was identified in the 2019 report as the standout trend shaping
the security industry. By nearly 30 percentage points, industry leaders said
cybersecurity's impact on physical security solutions was the most impactful
trend they were expecting to face in 2019.
A resounding number of respondents also called for artificial intelligence
(AI) to be recognized as a megatrend, noting that AI is becoming vital to
supporting the heightened volume of data produced by modern security solutions.
Other new Security Megatrends emerging for 2019 include workforce development,
the emphasis on data privacy, advancements in digital identity and the
integration of security into smart environments like smart buildings and smart
cities.
The 2019 Security Megatrends are:
1. Cybersecurity Impact on Physical Security
2. Internet of Things (IoT) and the Big Data Effect
3. Cloud Computing
4. Workforce Development
5. AI
6. Emphasis on Data Privacy
7. Move to Service Models
8. Security Integrated in Smart Environments
9. Advanced Digital Identities
10. Impact of Consumer Electronics Companies
"Today, modern physical security solutions are comprised of IoT devices and
sensors that generate high volumes of security data. Applying analytics and
artificial intelligence systems makes this data more actionable and increases
responsiveness for security systems users," said SIA Chairman of the Board Scott
Schafer.
"Cybersecurity continues to be at the top of the list of the most important
trends identified by security industry manufacturers, systems integrators,
security practitioners, architects and engineers."
security.world
Amazon Revisits Some Cities as HQ2 Decision Looms
Company appears to be favoring an urban site; New York City, Newark, N.J.,
and Chicago received visits
The visits over the past couple of months include New York City, Newark, N.J.,
and Chicago, according to people familiar with the matter. In addition, Amazon
has been following up with other locations, including Miami and the Washington,
D.C.-area, according to some of the people. Some cities, like Raleigh, N.C.,
haven't heard from the retail giant in months, according to people familiar with
the matter.
wsj.com
NCR To Integrate Facial Recognition App Yoti For
Age Verification at Self Checkouts at UK Supermarkets
Retail self checkout -NCR announced integration of facial recognition technology
from Yoti with its "FastLane" tills, to be piloted for age verification of
people buying alcohol and cigarettes at UK supermarkets by the end of the year.
Shoppers do not need to register their identity in advance, and the system does
not retain user images after the purchase is made. The process can also be
performed more quickly for registered customers through the Yoti app. "NCR
delivers a frictionless and innovative way for customers to prove their age in
seconds. It's a simple process that helps retailers meet the requirements of
regulators worldwide."
NCR provides point-of-sale systems to Asda, Tesco, and other supermarkets in the
UK, two of the big four supermarkets, which also include Sainsbury's and
Morrisons, are planning to pilot the technology.
biometricupdate.com
Mastercard Declares Signatures Optional
Mastercard becomes the first credit card network to make signatures optional
on the card and in the store.
As advancements in technology and security change how people pay and verify
their identity, Mastercard announced it is making cardholder signatures
optional, both on the card and on receipts.
For cardholders, not needing to sign creates a faster and more streamlined point
of sale experience. Today, consumers experience this when they tap to
pay-contactless card payments are quick, secure and don't often require a
signature.
In a consumer survey, more than half of respondents believed they were just as
secure without signing the back of their cards, and two-thirds wanted
biometrics to replace signatures, passwords and PIN codes when paying with
their card.
Starting in April 2019, Mastercard issuers globally will no longer be required
to include a signature panel on the back of Mastercard products. This change
follows the move to allow merchants the option to collect cardholder signatures
for in-store purchases. Mastercard led the industry with this announcement in
the U.S. and Canada last fall, and now extends this option to merchants around
the globe.
cstoredecisions.com
Conventions are getting smaller
But there's a lot more of them then ever before
The same can be said for LP/AP
A new report, based on historic data from the International Congress and
Convention Association, finds that meetings are generally getting smaller, but
there are a lot more of them.
The U.S., however, remains the most popular nation by sheer number of
meetings, as it was when ICCA first started tracking data. In the U.S., an
estimated 2 million people took part in more than 5,000 meetings between 2013
and 2017. Speaking of things that are smaller-compared to the 1960s, the average
meeting is more than two days shorter than it was back then, with current
meetings averaging 3.65 days.
associationsnow.com
TSA Unveils Plan for Biometrics and Facial
Recognition to Replace Manual Checks
Famous Footwear Parent Buys Vionic Group - On "Oprah's
Favorite Things" List
C-Store Chain Parker's to Roll Out Self-Checkout at its 45
Stores in GA
Qurate to cut 2K jobs, shut QVC Lancaster warehouse, hire 1,200 in
Bethlehem
Quarterly Results
VF Corp Q2 Active segment sales up 19% (Vans up 26%), International up 13%,
direct-to-consumer up 19%, sales up 15%
Sketchers Q3 company-owned global retail comp's up 1.9%, company-owned global
retail sales up 10.6%, international wholesale sales up 11.8%, domestic
wholesale down 3%,sales up 7.5%
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All the News - One
Place - One Source - One Time The D&D Daily respects your time & doesn't
filter retail's reality
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Postal Service employee
accused of $630k theft
of postal stamps, sold on eBay
Ryan S. Cortez, the manager of customer service operations at the North
Kenner Post Office, was arrested Wednesday after a federal investigation and
charged with misappropriation of Postal Service funds or property.
According to a criminal complaint affidavit, Cortez allegedly stole
approximately $630,000 in U.S. stamps and sold them on eBay. The Attorney
General's Office said it was the largest internal theft by an employee in
the history of the U.S. Postal Service.
Read more For further information on PROACT, email inquiries to
PROACT@eBay.com. |
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STANLEY Security Named Winner of Innovative Product Award
for STANLEY IntelAssure, Powered by Viakoo
INDIANAPOLIS -
STANLEY Security, a leading global manufacturer and integrator of comprehensive
security solutions for a wide range of industries, was named a
winner of the
Innovative Product Awards at the 2018 Global Security Exchange (GSX) in Las
Vegas for
STANLEY IntelAssure, the first and only service-assurance for physical
security systems that utilizes automation to continuously detect and
diagnose
problems and recommend solutions. The automation includes real time status
reporting to help security employees stay in control of safety while saving time
and money to solve the problem of missing video.
The Innovative Product Awards, formally known as Accolades,
annually recognizes
the security industry's newest, most innovative products, services and
technology solutions. For an innovation to be named a winner, the technology had
to have been introduced within the last year. Additionally, all winning entries
were based on being a new product or service, not a redesign or modification. A
group of judges comprised of end users and experts in security technology
selected the top ten winners based on level of innovation, unique attributes and
the benefit the product or service brings to the security industry. STANLEY was
presented with the award at GSX located at the Las Vegas Convention Center at the
end of September.
"We're extremely pleased to have received this prestigious innovation award for
our solution that detects issues and vulnerabilities through an IP security
infrastructure in near real-time, allowing organizations to quickly and
cost-effectively ensure maximum service uptime," said Brad McMullen, Vice
President of Marketing and Product Solutions, STANLEY Security. "We know this
service assurance software solution will be at the forefront of benefitting the
security industry at a time when vulnerabilities and system downtown can greatly
deter the safety of a business."
For more information about STANLEY IntelAssure, visit
www.stanleysecurity.com/intelassure.
To learn more about STANLEY Security's broad range of products and solutions,
please visit
www.stanleysecurity.com. |
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Many Consumers Still Don't Trust Retailers with
Their Data
11% Won't Shop At Your Store if You Had a Breach
And - "They Want To Be Told Within An Hour of Discovery"
First Data found that although the majority of respondents realize cybercrime is
a threat in every industry, more trust is placed in records-driven companies,
like financial services (46%) and healthcare (39%), when it comes to protecting
private information.
 Retailers,
on the other hand, aren't trusted to provide the same degree of data security.
Just 8% of respondents trust retailers with their data, and about an equal
amount (11%) feel confident in a retailer's preparedness should a data breach
occur.
The retail industry is
particularly susceptible to data breaches, and when they happen, nearly half
of respondents (45%) said they want to be told within an hour of discovery.
Given the lack of trust in retail's ability to safeguard data, this
transparency is important because without it, consumers may think twice
about shopping.
In fact, some 11% would no longer buy from a retailer that experienced a data
breach, but it's more likely they'll rethink payment methods. More than four
in 10 respondents (43%) said they would continue to shop at the compromised
retailer but would instead pay with cash.
According to a study from the
American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) conducted by
The Harris Poll, due to
safety concerns 43% of US consumers reported using cash or checks more often,
and another 5% said they used cryptocurrencies instead of paying by card.
Although consumers take precautions, many believe it's the
retailer's responsibility to protect their financial data. emarketer.com
50% of Consumers Will Forgive a Data Breach - If You're
Transparent About the Event & Response
Inside the Dark Web's 'Help Wanted' Ads
Same Business Rules Apply
Corporate Insiders Selling Secrets Make the Most
How cybercriminals recruit everyone from car drivers to corporate insiders
and pay them according to the risk they assume.
Lurking on the Dark Web are threat actors seeking help for a range of illegal
activities, from malware attacks to insurance fraud to murder. When they need a
new hire, they post virtual ads, vaguely describing the role while offering the
most money for jobs with the greatest risk.
A new study digs into the intricacies of Dark Web recruitment to learn more
about how cybercriminals do business. It's the second in a series of reports
investigating the actors and unwritten rules that keep the underground running.
Researchers found this network is comprised of organizational structures
resembling small to large businesses, all of which compete for talent in their
illicit economy. As in our legal economy, two principles apply.
First is the idea that supply breeds demand. For example, if someone
creates a dangerous piece of malware, another party will buy it and exploit
targets. Both buyer and seller turn a profit.
Second, is a workforce hierarchy: operators who manage activity but do
less actual work, skilled laborers who perform expert work and are paid more,
and menial laborers who do less technical work for lower pay.
"The rules they follow, are a lot more structured and enforced than one may
expect." In reality, they follow very strict rules of engagement, clear rules
on how to determine the reputation of players so others don't scam them."
One of the key correlations is between assumed risk and reward. The more
dangerous the position, the higher compensation becomes.
More Risk, More Money
Among the highest paid are corporate insiders
recruited by cybercriminals who want to learn business secrets. Most
commonly targeted are financial employees, who may be hired to get a loan or
increase the cash withdrawal limit on a bank card. One Russian-language ad
offered $3,150 USD - in an area where the common bank worker makes only $550 per
month. Some actors try to recruit postal workers to intercept and reroute
packages. Others attempts to recruit security experts
and government or law enforcement employees for what they describe as
"long-term collaboration."
Threat actors also seek cyber expertise, and forums are full of ads from people
who sell malware or offer custom versions of malware. "It's all over the place."
Less Skill, Future Potential
The most popular job on the Dark Web is a "dropper," or someone who receives
money or goods and redirects it to another dropper, as a means to widen the
distance between the recipient of illicit merchandise and the original seller.
darkreading.com
How SOC metrics improve security operation
centers' performance
While some enterprises are still struggling with all of the metrics and the
changing landscape of tools and processes used as data sources, one rapidly
maturing area is security operations centers, where defining metrics has been a
challenge.
As SOCs mature,
analytics and decision support are being included to drive more value for
enterprises and to provide insight into how effectively security resources are
being used. As SOCs continue to mature, the need for metrics and their
supporting definitions is becoming more important, as is using the metrics to
make changes and monitor the environment. Even defining what constitutes an
incident is important, as not all security incidents have the same impact or
require the same response.
There are several resources enterprises can use to learn more about security
metrics, starting with the seminal book Security Metrics: Replacing Fear,
Uncertainty, and Doubt by Andrew Jaquith. The Center for Internet Security, a
nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote cybersecurity, also
provides some guidance on security metrics. The
SANS Institute offers several papers related to SOC metrics, and the NIST
hosts the National Vulnerability Database, which provides metrics for tracked
vulnerabilities.
As your enterprise determines your SOC metrics, you may also want to review the
resources from the SANS Security Operations Summit from July 2018 and the SANS
webcasts about their SOC survey.
When developing SOC metrics, identifying the highest value processes or areas
that need the most resources can help identify where metrics and management
attention may be needed the most. This can be part of continuous improvement and
shouldn't be limited to how your SIEM or any particular tool is licensed or can
be used.
With an outsourced SOC, it may be critical to set these metrics upfront and
include them in a contract to ensure that the SOC can generate the data and
support the required metrics. techtarget.com |
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A quarter of consumers unknowingly buy
counterfeit goods: report
Research by MarkMonitor has revealed that 23% of consumers are unknowingly
purchasing counterfeit goods.
The research found that as well as 45% of consumers being concerned about
unknowingly buying a counterfeit product, nearly all of those
surveyed-91%-said they would not knowingly purchase a product that was
counterfeit.
The 23% of unwitting consumers is where counterfeiters can thrive; although
nearly all consumers do not want to purchase a counterfeit product, that
doesn't mean they will not do so by mistake. Sellers of fake goods are
extremely adept at using technology to push their products to the front of a
consumer's buying choices online.
Counterfeiters can reduce legitimate sales, lessen brand exclusivity and
hurt companies' goodwill.
And remember, there is a lot at stake in the online retail market-according
to Statista, global e-retail sales equated to $2.3 trillion in 2017, with
that figure forecast to reach $4.48 trillion by 2021.
worldipreview.com
Is a CNP Fraud Chargeback Guarantee the Best
Choice for Your Online Store?
Merchants who sell online have access to markets and channels that
traditional brick-and-mortar stores can't match. But those opportunities
come with fraud risks that card-present transactions don't have because of
the EMV liability shift. One
possible solution for online merchants is chargeback insurance, more
commonly referred to as a chargeback guarantee, provided by some
fraud-prevention services. Should merchants use a chargeback protection
service? There's not a standard answer to this question.
First, why do some online fraud prevention companies offer chargeback
guarantees? Those that offer decisions approve or decline orders on behalf of
their clients, while companies that offer scores rate each order for its
likelihood of fraud but allow the merchant to approve or decline. Companies
that offer decisions sometimes guarantee they will cover the cost of any
fraudulent chargeback because the decision to approve the order was their
responsibility. Such a guarantee typically covers all fraud-related
chargeback losses, regardless of payment gateway or processor. Read more at
cardnotpresent.com
Amazon plans to open another UK office, add
1,000 high-skilled 'Silicon Valley' jobs
Kohl's to open 8 Amazon 'smart home' shops in
Milwaukee
Pinterest is turning more of its window
shoppers into buyers with newest features
Why Amazon Is Making It Easier to Buy 'Shark
Tank' Products
Google Shopping Actions Signs On Best Buy,
Nike, Sephora |
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Carolinas Organized Retail Crime Alliance (CORCA) welcomes
150 retail &
law enforcement to 3rd annual conference
 Law
enforcement officers and retail loss prevention professionals from
across North and South Carolina came together at the Sheraton Imperial
in Durham, NC on Thursday, October 4 for the 3nd Annual Conference of
the Carolinas Organized Retail Crime Alliance (CORCA).
Nearly 150 participants were welcomed to the event by Sergeant Scott
Womack of the Raleigh Police Department and the 2018-19 CORCA president.
Retail attendees represented all types of stores from chains to
one-store operations and included grocery, apparel, pharmacy, beauty,
home improvement and general merchandise. Law enforcement officers from
police and sheriff's departments in both states were active participants
as well.
The 2018 "CORCA Champion" award was presented to Representative Sarah
Stevens (R-Surry) for her tireless efforts during the 2018 legislative
session to ensure passage of legislation important to both the law
enforcement and retail loss prevention communities.
Read
full recap here
The End of the "Felony Lane Gang" One of the best
run gangs in US history
14th and Final Member of the "Felony Lane Gang" Pleads Guilty in $1 Million Bank
Fraud Conspiracy
Traveled From Florida to Maryland to Break into Cars and Commit Bank Fraud
and Identity Theft in Columbia, Millersville, and Edgewater
Baltimore, Maryland - The final defendant in the federal indictments
charging 14 Florida residents with a bank fraud conspiracy involving over
$1 million in losses pleaded guilty today. Kevin Williams, age 43, of Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty to federal charges of bank fraud conspiracy
and aggravated identity theft. Williams was a member of the nationwide group of
fraudsters known to law enforcement as the "Felony Lane Gang," whose members
traveled from Florida to Maryland and other states, broke into vehicles parked
at recreation areas, sports fields, gyms, fitness centers, and other locations,
and stole wallets, purses and other items left in the vehicles. Williams and his
co-defendants used the victims' stolen checks, credit cards and identifications
to conduct fraudulent financial transactions.
From September 2012 through July 2015, Williams is part of an organized group
out of Florida who travel around the United States committing check fraud.
Traveling groups generally consisted of two to four managers and one to six
"strikers" (sometimes called "faces") or persons who passed the fraudulent
and stolen checks. Williams and his co-conspirators recruited prostitutes, drug
addicts and other vulnerable individuals as faces to travel with them to conduct
financial transactions using the stolen checks, driver's licenses and other
materials, and paid them with drugs, food, and small amounts of cash amounting
to a fraction of the total value of the checks they cashed. They traveled in
rental cars and stayed in hotels, sometimes paying for the rental cars and hotel
rooms using victims' identities and credit cards.
The managers, including Williams, went to locations where individuals often
leave their belongings in their car-such as gyms, parks, and athletic fields-and
broke into vehicles and stole wallets and purses for the identifications, credit
cards, and check books-collectively called "paper." Other items were usually
discarded. The "paper" was provided to the strikers, along with glasses and wigs
to allow them to resemble the individuals pictured in the stolen forms of
identification. These co-conspirators, generally in teams of a driver and a
passenger posing as the victim, traveled to banks to cash the checks stolen from
victims. The managers were either in another car parked nearby so they could
watch the transaction and look out for police, or they were crouched down behind
the front seat.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Williams managed a crew and often coordinated
crews who were in the same area at the same time. He both obtained the "paper"
that was later distributed to strikers so that fraudulent checks could be
cashed, and traded "paper" between crews as they came and went in a particular
area. Williams assisted co-conspirators in cashing checks using the names and
identifying information of the victims at banks in Maryland, including in
Columbia, Millersville, and Edgewater.
Williams faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud conspiracy
and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed,
for aggravated identity theft.
justice.gov
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 140 Months for
Multi-State Credit Card Fraud Schemes
Daquan Rice, age 23, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 140 months in prison,
to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, in connection with his
prior guilty plea to charges involving a years-long credit card cloning
operation.
justice.gov
Leader of Target Department Store Credit Card
Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison
Frank Her was the leader of an organization numbering up to 50 people who
created fraudulent credit cards, stole others' mail, and compromised
victims' identities. Her specifically conspired with others to traffic in and
use unauthorized Target REDcard account numbers to obtain things of value
in excess of $1,000 in a one-year period. Her's conduct involved at least 500
unauthorized and counterfeit cards, affected hundreds of victims, and led to
an estimated actual loss of over $200,000 to those victims.
Frank Her, 39, of Sacramento operated a credit card and access device "lab" out
of his garage in Sacramento, which included possessing and operating voluminous
device-making equipment used to create fake credit, debit, gift, and other
banking cards, falsifying government identification documents, and washing
checks. In particular, Her would create fraudulent Target REDcards in his
garage, give them to co-conspirators, and direct them to use those REDcards to
buy merchandise and other items at Target stores in the Sacramento area. Her
learned an algorithm revealing how to create working Target REDcard account
numbers and encoded those account numbers onto blank cards without authorization
from Target or the account holders. To avoid detection, Her often sent
co‑conspirators to Target alone or, if he went himself, wore disguising clothing
and accessories. Her also personally stole mail and directed others to do so.
justice.gov
Wayne County, MI: Fencing Operation: Pawn shop
owner caught fencing stolen merchandise heads to prison for 2 to 7 years
 A
Wyandotte man will spend at least two years in prison in a retail fraud scheme
that prosecutors say involved selling merchandise stolen from big box stores.
Antony P. Wojtala was sentenced this month by Wayne County Circuit Judge Deborah
Thomas to between two and seven years in prison on a charge of using a computer
to commit a crime. He was also given two sentences of one to five years each,
for charges of organized retail crime, but those are to run concurrently with
the longer sentence.
Wojtala had pleaded no contest to all three charges in September. In return, 19
other charges, including one count of conducting a criminal enterprise and
multiple counts of receiving and conceal stolen property, were dismissed. He was
also ordered to close his Tony's Pawn Shop and pay $6,550 in restitution. County
Prosecutor Kym Worthy, said Wojtala has paid the restitution.
hometownlife.com
North Manheim Township, PA: Woman Accused of
Burglarizing Garden Center Six Times in Four Months; $15,000 of merchandise
stolen
Natick, MA: Woman stole over 80 pairs of leggings
from Victoria's Secret
Clearwater, FL: Shoplifting suspects stole $1,300 worth of
items from Walmart
Franklin, TN: Franklin Police seeking identity of a Stein
Mart Shoplifter; $1,000 reward
Moline, IL: Von Maur reported a $400 theft at Southpark
Mall; two suspects wanted
Columbia County, GA: Two suspects wanted for theft of $420
of merchandise from Walmart
Lexington, KY: Two arrested for Theft at University of
Kentucky bookstore; neither are students at UK
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Florida Communities Grapple with Post-Hurricane Looting
Bay County, FL: 10 looters arrested each night, official says
Hurricane Michael survivors struggle with looting concerns
 Curfews
are helping to ebb the amount of looting in hurricane-ravaged
communities along the Panhandle, but law enforcement and exhausted
families aren't letting down their guard. Bay County Sheriff's Deputy
Maj. Jimmy Stanford said they've been arresting 10 looters a night
since the storm hit and many of them have been armed. The looters
have been targeting homes and businesses, he said.
Bay County has instituted a curfew that runs from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30
p.m., and other counties hit by Michael have similar curfews to prevent
looting.
Gulf County announced the arrest of eight people Wednesday charged with
violating the curfew. Besides welfare checks, the highest number of
calls the Sheriff's Office received were for suspicious persons. They
received 330 suspicious persons calls and 103 burglary calls.
pnj.com
Florida cops struggle to stop armed looters as hurricane death toll
reaches 33
 Leaving
a trail of devastation and a rising death toll across the southern coast
of US, hurricane Michael has created a fertile ground for armed looters
who, despite police efforts, continue to ransack homes and businesses. A
week after the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record slammed
the Gulf of Mexico coast, authorities are still unable to fully restore
power to affected areas or to manage looters who have been pillaging
destroyed buildings. The level of destruction was only matched by the
criminal activity of armed looters. To defend themselves against
unprovoked attacks locals reportedly began
spray-painting signs in some parts of the county, reading "looters will be
shot."
rt.com
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Shootings & Deaths
San Diego, CA: Ex-convict arrested in connection
to murder
of East Village store owner
A man who allegedly murdered the proprietor of an East Village
flooring-materials store at the victim's downtown business while wearing a
Halloween-style old-lady mask is in custody, facing charges of murder and
robbery. San Diego police reported Thursday. Kevin Eugene Cartwright, 51,
allegedly killed 49-year-old Ghedeer "Tony" Radda, a married father of two young
children, last week at Bottom Price Flooring. Homicide detectives arrested
Cartwright in El Cajon on Wednesday, Lt. Matt Dobbs said. It was unclear what
led them to identify Cartwright as the suspected killer.
kusi.com
Robberies, Incidents & Thefts
San Diego, CA: Brazen suspects rob Pacific Beach T-Mobile
at gunpoint
A pair of bandits robbed a Pacific Beach cellphone store Thursday afternoon,
with one of the men holding three employees at gunpoint while his accomplice
ransacked a safe.
sandiegouniontribune.com
Littleton, CO: $10K reward offered after Armed Robbers
took 20 guns from pawnshop
The robbery happened at about 1 p.m. Wednesday at Pawn Bank, 1360 W. Littleton
Blvd., police said. Police said Wednesday that 21 guns had been stolen. The
robbers held two employees at gun point and smashed a glass display case. The
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National Shooting
Sports Foundation (NSSF), an industry trade association, announced the reward
Thursday.
denverpost.com
Arlington, TX: Shoplifter goes on epic beer run; 'Dilly
Dilly'
A man in Texas was caught on surveillance video going on an epic beer run after
swiping five cases of Bud Light from a convenience store. The sudsy suspect
walked into a Murphy's Express in Arlington, Texas and picked up the pile of
beer before bolting for the door. "Here is a textbook definition of a beer run,"
Arlington cops tweeted. "This beer baron swiped 5 cases from a convenience
store."
nypost.com
 Middelburg,
South Africa: Robbers bomb jewelry store in Middelburg Mall; 2nd jewelry store
robbery in 2 days
A second jewelry store in an Mpumalanga mall has been targeted in two days, this
time at Middelburg Mall. The witness recalled how unmasked men used "shiny sharp
types of hammers" to break the display windows at the shopfront. They then
emptied the contents into black plastic bags. The Middelburg Police have sent
out information saying that no gunshots were fired. A jewelry store in i'langa
Mall in Mbombela was robbed on October 15. Social media users speculated that it
might be the same gang.
theworldnews.net
Las Vegas, NV: Police seeking thief who attacked
80-year-old man outside Summerlin Best Buy
Santa Clara, CA: 7 Arrested in Robbery Spree Affecting
Santa Clara Co. Cities
New York, NY: NYPD seeking suspect in 4 Cell Phone store
Robberies; stabbed an AT&T employee
Youngstown, OH: Family Dollar armed robbers hit the same
store twice in a week
Calgary, AB, Canada: Circle K Clerk stabbed during Armed
Robbery
Morwell, Australia: Burglary: Three men broke into Coles
stealing a large amount of cash from the self-serve registers
Fraud/Identity Theft
FBI: Sotheby's defrauded out of $5 million in
auction scheme
A fine art consultant in New York and an interior designer in Florida stole an
elderly woman's identity and used it to bid millions of dollars on famous
paintings and defraud the renowned Sotheby's. Joakim von Ditmar and Antonio
DiMarco are accused of using the identity of a wealthy, 80-year-old retiree to
place winning bids on two paintings at a Sotheby's contemporary art auction in
the fall of 2017. The pair, though, were quickly found out and never took
possession of the art, authorities said. Sotheby's initially took a $5M loss but
said it recovered much of that money after reselling the Rothko.
crainsnewyork.com
Arson & Fire
Anderson, SC: Walmart Shoplifter sets fire to
cover his escape
A man is accused of setting a fire inside Walmart as a diversion for
shoplifting. Police say Michael Travis Robinson set fire to a product inside the
store causing extensive smoke and water damage to the store. Reports say the
fire started in the back of the store in the photo and toy area. Customers and
employees were evacuated from the store, which closed following the fire.
Investigators say Robinson was trying to create a diversion so he could
shoplift.
1063word.radio.com
Sentencings & Charges
"Operation Sidestep" Busts VA to NYC Cigarette
Trafficking Ring
21-count indictment charges 3 individuals for distributing more than 1.25
million untaxed cigarettes, evading nearly $430,000 in tax liability.
Code-named "Operation Sidestep," state, federal, and local law enforcement
agents concluded a months-long investigation into a network that allegedly
evaded New York State and New York City excise and sales taxes by trafficking
more than 1,500 cartons of untaxed cigarettes per week from Virginia to be
sold in retail shops in Brooklyn. It totaled approximately 1,255,000
cigarettes were smuggled into Brooklyn, $426,700 in tax liability.
ice.gov
6 Chicago Latin King Street Gang Members Indicted
For Racketeering & Drug Conspiracy Charges
1 For Double Homicide During Robbery of Hammond, IN Retailer
50 Gang Members Charged in Total As Part of This Case
This fifth superseding indictment alleges a conspiracy to commit racketeering
activity by the Latin Kings street gang and a conspiracy to distribute and
possess with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, and alprazolam (Xanax),
with the conspiracies stretching back to 1999. Today's superseding indictment
charges for the first time that in 1999, in furtherance of the Latin Kings
racketeering conspiracy, Farmer committed a double homicide during a robbery of
a local Hammond, Indiana business. In total, 50 members or associates of the
Latin Kings street gang have been charged in Northern District of Indiana as
part of this case. justice.gov
Carol Stream, IL: 7-Eleven get-a-way driver acquitted in
Armed Robbery
Kingman, AZ: Two men allegedly involved in a string of
Armed Robberies and Kidnappings throughout Mohave County were arraigned on
numerous new charges; two Dollar Generals and a Gas Station
Tampa, FL: Man Convicted Of Armed Robbery Of 7-Eleven Store
New York: Gang Leader Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Offenses,
Including Attempted Murder In Subway Station
Boulder, CO: King Soopers employee faces felony theft
charges; $2,000 to $5,000 theft of cash
Colerain, OH: Jury deadlocks in trial of man accused in execution-style
killing of store owner
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C-Store - Iron Station, NC - Robbery
•
C-Store - East Whiteland Township, PA - Robbery
•
C-Store - Erie, PA - Armed Robbery
•
C-Store - Joplin, MO - Burglary
•
Cosmetics store - New Orleans, LA - Robbery
•
CVS - Bakersfield, CA - Robbery
•
Dollar General - Fresno, CA - Armed Robbery
•
Dollar Tree - Davenport, IA - Armed Robbery
•
Family Dollar - Dayton, OH - Armed Robbery
•
Gas Station - Elkhart County, IN - Armed Robbery
•
Grocery - Algonquin, IL - Robbery
•
Laundromat - Laconia, NH - Burglary
•
Macy's - Walla Walla, WA- Burglary
•
MetroPCS - Huntington Station, NY - Armed Robbery
•
Outdoor Equipment - Two Harbors, MN - Burglary
•
Pawn Shop - Littleton, CO - Armed Robbery
•
Pawn Shop - Cuthbert, GA - Burglary
•
Quik Stop - Indianapolis, IN - Armed Robbery
•
Restaurant - Two Harbors, MN - Burglary
•
Shoe Store - Roanoke, VA - Burglary
•
T-Mobile - Norridge, IL - Robbery
•
T- Mobile - San Diego, CA - Armed Robbery
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Daily Totals:
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15 robberies
•
7 burglaries
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0 shootings
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0 killings
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Weekly Totals:
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92 robberies
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28 burglaries
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1 shooting
•
0 killings
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Teneka Burrell named Sr. LP Specialist for Fanatics, Inc. |
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Submit Your New Hires/Promotions or New Position |
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Featured Job Spotlights
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Divisional Loss Prevention Director
Florida
Provides strategic loss prevention management for a division of 2,000+ stores
with sales volumes totaling +/- $4B. Maximizes profits by developing and
executing programs to reduce and prevent the loss of company inventory/assets
and managing Regional Loss Prevention Managers within an assigned geographical
area...
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Director Loss Prevention
Irvine, CA
The Director of Loss Prevention at Tillys builds and implements policies,
programs, and procedures that control risk, reduce shrink and protect the
employees and assets. The director is responsible for leading and developing LP
team members in the corporate, retail, and distribution centers...
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Global Manager of Environmental Health and Safety
Austin, TX
● Establish goals for EHS performance and implement effective EHS systems to
ensure continuous improvement
●
Provide oversite to Regional Environmental Health and Safety Administrators and
Global Risk Leadership on EHS matters with a focus on environmental issues...
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Regional Asset Protection & Safety Manager
Emeryville, CA
The Regional Asset Protection and Safety Manager will lead the Region in shrink
reduction and profit maximization efforts. The position will proactively seek to
bring economic value to the company, promoting profitable sales and world class
customer service while ensuring a safe place to work and shop...
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Regional Loss Prevention Manager
Baltimore MD
This position is responsible for managing all aspects of loss prevention for a
geographic area to reduce and control shortage and other financial losses in 120
to 140 company stores. The coverage areas average $550 million in sales revenue
and $3.5 million in shrink losses annually...
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Loss Prevention Investigator
Wawa, PA
The Loss Prevention Investigator is responsible for utilizing proper
investigative techniques and act as the primary liaison with field operations
management. Conducts investigations into cash losses, deposit shortages,
associate theft, overall shrinkage, and other matters...
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Regional Asset Protection Manager
Harrisburg/State College, PA
The Regional Asset Protection Manager will lead their region in Shrink
Reduction, Asset Protection and Safety efforts through an in-depth understanding
of the overall business, effective partnerships and by directing the region with
integrity and professionalism...
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Loss Prevention Market Specialist
Jacksonville, FL
To monitor store locations to detect, investigate and resolve internal and
external situations and circumstances that could lead to or result in losses to
the company. All actions and conduct within the scope of the position must be
performed according to performance standards set by Burke's policies, procedures
and Code of Ethics...
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Loss Prevention/Asset Protection Investigator
Boston, MA
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
● Protect the assets of the store as well as the associates and visitors.
● Maintain surveillance of the store via CCTV and conduct physical inspections
including perimeter checks...
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Asset Protection Analyst
Norcross, GA
AP Analyst based in Norcross, GA reporting to the Director of
Asset Protection. This high-visibility role will be responsible for
business-wide security administration, multiple fraud detection programs and
functional communication...
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Featured Jobs
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Productivity Tips:
Improve Your Sleep, Think 'half-time',
Five Minute Meetings, Always Look to Improve
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The double-edged sword of advice. Always sought after and
easily given by every executive, advice is something we all look for and try to
find our answers with. Oftentimes, it is what helps get us thru the most
difficult times in our lives and make some of the most important decisions we
face. Human nature is to ask our closest friends and family members, when in
reality sometimes we need to ask people outside that circle to make sure what
we're hearing is in fact what we need to hear as opposed to what we want to hear
or what they want us to hear. Even the most sincere friends have agendas, even
if it's a subconscious agenda. After all, that's human nature as well. Finding a
person who you respect and has absolutely nothing to gain or lose from your
decision could be extremely beneficial.
Just a Thought,
Gus
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