NRF's 'Fight Retail Crime Day' is Tomorrow

Join the NRF in Pushing for Congressional Action on ORC & Theft

As a reminder, tomorrow is Fight Retail Crime Day in Washington, D.C.! Join with the National Retail Federation (NRF) in pushing for congressional action this fall on the retail industry's top two priorities to address organized retail crime and theft.

Taking action only takes one minute - add your voice along with thousands of retail professionals, and tell Congress to act on our top two priorities. Click here to take action.

NRF's priorities include:

• INFORM Consumers Act (S.936/H.R. 5502): Requires online marketplaces to verify the identity of high-volume third-party sellers to help curb the sale of stolen and counterfeit merchandise. NRF supports inclusion of the INFORM Act in the pending Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) manager's amendment.

• Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (S.5046/H.R. 9177): Establishes a new Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center that will help federal, state and local law enforcements agencies better coordinate to effectively combat criminal activities. Recently introduced in both chambers of Congress, NRF is advocating for additional cosponsors.

We invite you to share this information widely with your colleagues and networks. Every voice counts.

    


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Retail Store Crime Wave - NYC Shoplifting Up 36%
Wawa joins list of retail stores closing, shortening hours due to crime

Retail stores across the country are dealing with increased crime.

Popular convenience store chain Wawa is permanently closing some Philadelphia locations and shortening the hours at some suburban stores due to crime. The company says that two Center City Philadelphia locations are being shuttered due to "continued safety and security challenges and business factors."

Several Bucks County Wawas are closing early due to crime. Two locations in Featerville Wawa stores will be closed between midnight and 5 a.m.

Retail store crime wave

Retail stores across the country are dealing with increased crime. Rite Aid recently said it was considering locking up all items in New York City stores due to rampant shoplifting. The company recently reported $5 million in additional losses in the past 3 months, much of it in the Big Apple.

Two Rite Aid closures in Manhattan earlier this year came after well-publicized shoplifting incidents, including one recorded on a video by actor Michael Rapaport. Shoplifting has grown in the past two years in New York City.

There were 32,358 retail theft complaints in 2020. That grew to 43,864 in 2021 - a 36% increase. The trend has continued into 2022.

This summer, Starbucks announced that it was closing 16 locations nationally, including one in Philadelphia, due to crime issues. The company also said restrooms at some stores might be closed if they become a safety hazard. That's a reversal from 2018 when Starbucks issued a policy allowing anyone to use its restrooms even if they didn't buy anything.

Walgreens started closing San Francisco locations last year due to rampant theft. They said organized retail crime was to blame for the closures. fox5ny.com

America's Crime Data Problem
Is Crime Getting Better or Worse? We Don't Really Know.

The FBI changed the way it compiles data, and reporting law-enforcement agencies have yet to catch up.

Philadelphia residents are bemoaning the closure of two iconic WaWa convenience stores, largely as a result of "continued safety and security challenges," according to the Pennsylvania company.

Philadelphians are far from alone in their concerns; after decades of improvement, crime has reemerged as an issue amidst a widespread sense of increasing danger. But there's a catch: because of changes in methodology, crime statistics are less reliable than in the past. That leaves us working from limited information.

According to a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll released last week, inflation ranked as "very important" with 74 percent of respondents, 68 percent said the same of crime, followed by immigration at 59 percent. Well beyond the looting of urban convenience stores, crime obviously worries Americans. The data seems to support those fears.

"The FBI's crime statistics for 2021 confirm that violent crime continued to be a major issue in the United States, remaining at or near the 2020 level which saw a 5.6 percent increase compared to 2019," the FBI reported earlier this month. "Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded a nationwide increase of 29.4 percent in 2020. ... Overall, the analysis shows violent and property crime remained consistent between 2020 and 2021."

Despite those specific-sounding FBI numbers, we don't really know the current crime rate. The feds recently changed the way they compile data, and reporting law-enforcement agencies have yet to catch up.

"The gap includes the nation's two largest cities by population, New York City and Los Angeles, as well as most agencies in five of the six most populous states: California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida," added Li.

So, is crime getting better or worse? You can make an educated judgment about your own community. But on a larger scale, like most everything else right now, it will be a while before we sort out the mess. reason.com

Debating Which States Have Worse Violent Crime Rates
FBI & CDC Stats Confirm Oklahoma Violent Crime Rate Higher Than New York & California
In a recent debate with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, his Democratic opponent Joy Hofmeister claimed that rates of violent crime are higher in Oklahoma than New York and California. Data from the CDC and FBI point to her being correct.

The FBI and CDC have different methods of collecting violent crime data. The FBI tracks violent crime rates, including homicides. The CDC only tracks homicide mortality rates. In both cases, Oklahoma is more violent than New York and California.

In just violent crime for 2020 the FBI shows Oklahoma's rate sits at 458.6 violent crimes per every 100,000 Oklahomans. That same year, California's violent crime rate was 442 per 100,000 and New York's was 363.8 per 100,000.

Per the FBI's definition, violent crime includes homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In terms of homicide rates Oklahoma once again takes the top spot each of those three years from 2018 through 2020. In 2020 Oklahoma saw 7.4 homicides per 100,000, California's was 5.5 and New York's 4.17 per 100,000.

The CDC's follow the same trend, but they only track homicide mortality rates, with Oklahoma's 2020 homicide mortality rate at 9 deaths per 100,000. California's homicide mortality rate was 6.1 deaths per 100,000 and New York's 4.7 deaths per 100,000. That trend extends back to 2018 where the states fall in the same line for each year. news9.com

   Click here to read the Daily's initial coverage on the most violent states

Ranking Cities by Homicide Rates
Q3 Data: Cities with the Highest Increase in Homicide Rates
The homicide rate is increasing rapidly in the U.S., so much so that President Joe Biden has made tackling the problem a priority and spoke in his State of the Union address about his plans to reduce violence. Alarmingly, homicide rates have risen by an average of nearly 10% in 50 of the most populated U.S. cities between Q3 2021 and Q3 2022, and are still rising.

In order to determine which cities have the biggest homicide problems, WalletHub compared 50 of the largest U.S. cities based on per capita homicides in Q3 2022, as well as per capita homicides in Q3 2022 vs. Q3 2021 and Q3 2020.

In order to assess the changes in homicides across cities, we calculated the number of homicides per capita in Q3 2022 and the change in the number of homicides per capita in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of 2021 and 2020.

In determining our sample, we included 50 of the most populated U.S. cities that had locally published homicide data available for our specific time period. We used the UCR definition for criminal homicide. Data from this study is based in some cases on preliminary police department crime data, which is subject to reclassification upon further investigation. wallethub.com

Detroit, Milwaukee, Memphis Among Most Violence Cities in U.S.
2021 Data: These Major Cities Reported the Highest Homicide Rates in 2021
Detroit was one of the most violent major cities in America in 2021, even though the city's homicides dropped 4% from 2020. Nearly 300 miles west of Detroit, Milwaukee had a record year of killings in 2021, continuing the upward trend that started for them in 2020. Memphis also struggled significantly with homicides in 2021, breaking the record the city set in 2020.

According to FBI crime data, in 2021 these three cities had some of the highest homicide rates in the country. The FBI's 2021 crime data, released Oct. 5, offers an incomplete picture of crime data nationwide-an estimated 40% of police agencies, including police in New York City and Los Angeles, did not report data because of a change in the system the FBI uses to record crime stats. As a result, the FBI had to estimate national crime figures for 2021, with questionable results.

However, for cities that did report crime data to the FBI, homicide figures can provide a useful window into the level of violence.

It's important to note that most homicides (80%) were committed with firearms, continuing the surge in gun violence that's happened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  time.com

   Click here to read the Daily's coverage of the most violent states

N.Y. officials announce plans for a memorial to the victims of the Buffalo shooting

Refund the Police: Gov. Whitmer Highlights $1B Investment to Fund Police, Fire, First Responders, and Courts Across Michigan

US: 99.1M Cases - 1M Dead - 96.5M Recovered
Worldwide: 633.3M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 612.3M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 812

Move Over 'Twindemic' - Is a 'Tripledemic' Coming?
A 'Tripledemic'? Flu and Other Infections Return as Covid Cases Rise

Flu cases are higher than usual for this time of year and are expected to soar in the coming weeks. A third virus, R.S.V., is straining pediatric hospitals in some states.

With few to no restrictions in place and travel and socializing back in full swing, an expected winter rise in Covid cases appears poised to collide with a resurgent influenza season, causing a "twindemic" - or even a "tripledemic," with a third pathogen, respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., in the mix.

Cases of flu have begun to tick up earlier than usual, and are expected to soar over the coming weeks. Children infected with R.S.V. (which has similar symptoms to flu and Covid), rhinoviruses and enteroviruses are already straining pediatric hospitals in several states.

"We're seeing everything come back with a vengeance," said Dr. Alpana Waghmare, an infectious diseases expert at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and a physician at Seattle Children's Hospital. nytimes.com

Should you WFH or take a sick day?
What to consider this cold, flu and Covid season
If you wake up with a sore throat or runny nose, treat it like it could be Covid-19 and take an at-home rapid test, says Dr. John Swartzberg, a clinical professor emeritus at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health.

If your first rapid test is positive, it's safe to assume you have Covid-19 and make plans to self-isolate, he says. If it's negative, that doesn't mean you're in the clear. Swartzberg suggests staying home and testing again the next day.

If your second at-home test is negative, or if you complete a PCR test that's negative, then you likely don't have Covid, but you could still have another respiratory virus or infection. cnbc.com

The Remote Work Debate Continues
Op-Ed: Remote Work Is Here to Stay. Lean In, Employers.
It's important to acknowledge that workers who can do their jobs remotely are a privileged group. Some jobs have to be client-facing, and some jobs really need that in-person component to function properly.

It will also probably take years for the pro-remote work argument to fully sink in with the people who have the power to make it the new normal. And giving workers with caregiving responsibilities the flexibility to manage their lives is a drop in the bucket in terms of what America would need to do to make this country truly family friendly. But it's a very necessary start. nytimes.com

Newer COVID subvariants ticking up in California amid concerns of winter wave

CDC director tests positive for Covid-19

Union Push Could Fizzle Out in 2023
Labor movement's next big challenge: Keeping momentum as economy slows

Despite an Amazon setback last week, unions have gained footholds at big companies such as Apple, Chipotle and Starbucks

It has been a year of firsts for the U.S. labor movement, with successful votes for unions' first Amazon warehouse, first Apple Store and first Trader Joe's, Chipotle and REI locations. The most promising of all for union organizers has been victories at some 250 Starbucks stores.

The labor movement has continued to gain traction this fall, despite a high-profile union defeat last week at an Amazon warehouse in Albany, N.Y. With 21 months of strong job gains, the tight labor market has resulted in unusual worker shortages across many sectors over the past year, giving workers more leverage with employers.

There are other objective measures of increased enthusiasm for unions this year. The National Labor Relations Board reported a 53 percent year-over-year increase in union election petitions over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, more Americans say they approve of labor unions, a high not seen since 1965.

However, as the economy teeters toward a downturn in coming months, the window for cementing more victories could be narrowing. Already job openings have fallen, and some companies - particularly in technology and interest-rate sensitive sectors such as mortgage finance - have ordered hiring freezes and layoffs, igniting fears that the paradigm of power in favor of workers could be short-lived.

"Unions are trying to make real lasting inroads during this period. That's going to change in 2023 and almost by definition lead to a reduction in worker bargaining power."  washingtonpost.com

Good News for Retailers
Southern California's Notorious Container Ship Backup Ends

Slump in imports, cargo diversions to other ports help shrink queue of dozens of vessels

The backup of container ships off Southern California's coast that was at the heart of U.S. supply chain congestion during the Covid-19 pandemic has effectively disappeared.

The queue of ships waiting to unload at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach fell from a peak of 109 ships in January to four vessels this week, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. Shipping specialists say fewer ships than normal are heading to the main U.S. gateway complex for imports from Asia in coming days and that cargo volumes that had long swamped the ports now are receding.

Bottlenecks continue to delay cargo at other major U.S. seaports and at inland freight hubs, but the end of the backup at the big ports in California signals broader supply-chain tangles that have been troubling retailers and manufacturers are unwinding.

Port and Biden administration officials point to a range of factors that have helped ease congestion, including a tighter queuing system that had ships lining up further out in the Pacific, new container yards that freed up space on docks, and government initiatives that fostered better collaboration between retailers, ports, railroads and truckers. wsj.com

In-Store Shopping is on the Upswing
Stores regain popularity for holiday shopping
Over 63% of U.S. consumers plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping in-store this holiday season - up from 58% last year, according to JLL's Retail Holiday Survey 2022. In-store shopping has experienced something of a renaissance this year, beating online ordering for the top shopping method, the study noted.

As to what consumers enjoy most about shopping in stores during the holidays, being able to see and touch the products before buying (54.5%) came out on top, followed by the holiday décor and ambience (36.9%) and avoiding shipping costs and delays (32.7%.). chainstoreage.com

Hobby Lobby owner announces he's giving away the company, for God
CEO and founder of Hobby Lobby, David Green, announced Friday that he plans to give away ownership of Hobby Lobby. Green said he thinks God is the reason for his success in business and that he should honor God as a consequence by being the steward of the company and not focusing on his personal profit. wric.com

Rising Shipping Costs Prompt Businesses to Get Creative With Deliveries
 
Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocery chain

Adidas cuts ties with Kanye West over antisemitic comments
 

Point-of-Sale Malware Used to Steal 167K Credit Cards
Researchers uncover 167K+ stolen credit card numbers, primarily from the U.S.
Cybercriminals used a pair of point-of-sale malware variants to steal more than 167,000 payment records from 212 infected devices mostly in the U.S., according to researchers with Group-IB.

It's not clear who is behind the attack or whether they sold or used the pilfered card data. But researchers estimate the information could be worth more than $3.3 million, highlighting how malware designed to steal information from credit card payment terminals remains a troubling concern.

The researchers' analysis revealed that since at least February 2021 through Sept. 8, 2022, the operators had managed to steal payment records. Shelekhov told CyberScoop the researchers identified 11 victim companies in the U.S.

"The information about compromised cards, POS terminals, and the victims that Group-IB researchers were able to identify, was shared upon discovery with a US-based non-profit alliance that brings together private industry, academia, and law enforcement," he said.

Industry analysts first spotted MajikPOS malware attacking targets in the U.S. and Canada in early 2017. By July 2019, popular underground markets listed the malware's source code, the researchers said, making it difficult to attribute the malware to any particular group or location.

The researchers managed to analyze roughly 77,400 unique credit card dumps from the MajikPOS panel, with more than 75,000 of those from U.S. credit card issuers. They found more than 90,000 from the Treasure Hunter panel, they said, and 86,411 of those were from U.S. issuers.

The market for stolen credit card information totaled more than $908 million between April 2021 and April 2022, averaging about $20 per card, the researchers said.

Buyers of this stolen information can't use the numbers - because the data does not include the three-digit code required for online purchases - to make online purchases, but if "the card-issuing authority fails to detect the breach promptly, criminals are able to produce cloned cards ("white plastic") and withdraw money from ATMs or use the cloned cards for illicit in-person purchases," the researchers said. cyberscoop.com

Cybersecurity Pros are Burned Out
Stress Is Driving Cybersecurity Professionals to Rethink Roles

Burnout has led one-third of cybersecurity staffers to consider changing jobs over the next two years, potentially further deepening the talent shortage, research shows.

The stress and strain of cyberattacks on the staff tasked with protecting businesses is driving droves of desperately needed security practitioners to rethink their roles. New research from Mimecast reveals a huge mental health toll being exacted from cybersecurity professionals with every ransomware, data theft, or other cybersecurity incident.

More than half (54%) of those surveyed told researchers ransomware attacks have put a strain on their mental health, while a full 56% say their job gets harder with each passing year.

The constant barrage of attacks has also eroded a feeling of personal responsibility when an attack is successful. For comparison, Mimecast reported that last year 71% of respondents said they would "feel very personally responsible" for a successful breach - this year it was only 57%.

"With the profession facing a pressure cooker of ongoing attacks, disruption, and burnout, it's critical that organizations support security teams by giving cyberattacks the focus and resources needed - or face losing critical employees," according to Mimecast's State of Ransomware Readiness 2022: Reducing the Personal and Business Cost report. darkreading.com

2022 Could be the Worst Year Ever for Ransomware Attacks
To better thwart ransomware, startups must get cybersecurity basics right
The Department of Justice (DOJ) famously declared 2021 as the "worst year" for ransomware attacks, but it seems that title could be in 2022's hands very soon.

Despite some rare wins in the war against hackers over the past 12 months - from the government's seizure of $2.3 million in bitcoin paid out to the Colonial Pipeline hackers, to its successful disruption of the notorious REvil gang - the ransomware threat continues to grow. Over the past few months alone, we've seen threat actors ramping up attacks against public sector organizations, including hospitals, schools and in the case of Costa Rica, entire governments. The private sector is also battling a worsening ransomware threat, with attackers claiming a number of high-profile victims such as AMD, Foxconn and Nvidia.

Founders of early-stage startups will undoubtedly find it concerning to see even well-known organizations failing to protect themselves from ransomware despite their seemingly endless resources, particularly as it's unclear exactly where these companies went wrong.

"It could be a zero-day or it could be a failure to implement multifactor authentication (MFA) or an MFA bypass," said Brett Callow, threat analyst at Emsisoft, during a panel discussion on the TechCrunch+ stage at Disrupt 2022. "There's no standard answer, and that is what makes this problem so difficult to deal with." techcrunch.com

Human Hacking Remains a Huge Cyberthreat
Social engineering attacks anybody could fall victim to
Social engineering - also known as human hacking - is an expression that encompasses a number of methods and vectors attackers use to manipulate targets into giving away or providing access to sensitive information, or generally performing actions that are against their best interest.

To effectively perform social engineering attacks, attackers exploit vulnerabilities in how humans react to specific situations.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the overwhelming majority of humans have exploitable traits (to a lesser or higher degree), which means that anybody and everybody can be manipulated by social engineers.

If you're interested in getting more information about how can you protect your organization, watch our recently published video 3 ways enterprises can mitigate social engineering risks. helpnetsecurity.com

Atlassian Vulnerabilities Highlight Criticality of Cloud Services
Two flaws in the popular developer cloud platform show how weaknesses in authorization functions and SaaS flaws can put cloud apps at risk.

Asset risk management: Getting the basics right

Cybersecurity's Role in Combating Midterm Election Disinformation

Kentucky: DOJ: Two Men Indicted In Card Shop Thefts In Kentucky, Tennessee
Two men are accused of stealing more than $75,000 worth of sports cards from stores in Kentucky and Tennessee. A federal grand jury in Kentucky on Thursday indicted Coy Lee Best, 35 and Thomas Zebulon Kasemeyer, 33, on charges of conspiracy and the interstate transportation of stolen goods with a value of $5,000 or more. According to court documents from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the two men stole cards from stores specializing in sports cards and memorabilia, taking merchandise worth thousands of dollars. Prosecutors alleged that Lee and Kasemeyer resold the stolen goods to other sports card businesses in other cities and states. The burglaries were spread across an eight-month period beginning in May 2021.

The indictment charges that on May 2, 2021, Kasemeyer used a hammer to smash out the glass door at a sports card business in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prosecutors alleged that Kasemeyer stole baseball and basketball cards valued at more than $30,000. Best waited outside the shop and served as the driver, according to the indictment. The two men allegedly sold the cards a few days later to a business in Corbin, Kentucky, according to the indictment. While the indictment did not name the Knoxville shop, Sports Collectors Daily reported at the time that Eddie's Sports Treasures was the store hit by the thieves. Shop owner Eddie Barker estimated that more than $54,000 worth of merchandise had been stolen.

According to the indictment, Kasemeyer and Best are accused of burglarizing another Tennessee store. The men allegedly robbed merchandise from a store in Mt Juliet, Tennessee, located east of Nashville, on Dec. 24, 2021. Prosecutors said the men grabbed more than $30,000 worth of football and basketball cards. sportscollectorsdaily.com

Riley County, KS: RCPD investigating Nike clothing theft worth over $4K
The Riley County Police Department is investigating two connected thefts of more than $4,000 in Nike clothing. RCPD officers responded to a theft around 6 p.m. Sunday at Dicks Sporting Goods. An unknown man and woman stole around $2,400 worth of Nike clothing from the store. Officers were then called to Academy Sports for another theft at 7:30 p.m. Police said the same people stole around $1,700 of Nike clothing from the store. The estimated total loss of clothing is about $4,100. themercury.com

Green Bay, WI: Serial shoplifter charged with stealing thousands in merchandise from Green Bay stores
A woman from Green Bay is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Kohl's locations across the city. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 5, on October 16 around 5 p.m., an officer was sent to Kohl's on East Mason Street for a reported theft in progress. The alleged shoplifter was in the store and reportedly had a history of shoplifting. The complaint says the woman stole three times from the store in that week alone. The woman was identified as 37-year-old Heather Vera-Meyers. wearegreenbay.com

Framingham, MA: TJ Maxx Reports $2,999 in Merchandise Stolen to Police
Framingham Police is investigating a theft at the TJ Maxx store in Shoppers World in Framingham. The theft was reported to police on October 21 at 10:42 a.m., but happened on October 15, said Deputy Police Chief Victor Pereira "A white male entered the store wearing a gray sweatshirt, black backwards ball cap, black shorts and a black adidas bag. The male took 6 items valued at $499.99 each," said Deputy Police Chief Pereira. The total amount stolen was $2,999.94. framinghamsource.com

Selinsgrove, PA: Man charged with stealing more than $1,000 of merchandise at Best Buy; prior conviction for Retail Theft in January

Menomonee Falls, WI: grocery theft; police seek 2 responsible