It's Not Just Organized Criminals - It's Everyday Americans
The rise of the Middle-Class Shoplifter

Middle-class Americans are shoplifting everything from tape measures to blocks of cheese.

As much as retailers are quick to point the finger at organized operators for their theft problems, there's another group that gets a lot less lip service: the opportunists, like Carson, who are pocketing things from time to time because they feel like it. These shoplifters have existed forever - adults with decent jobs who are firmly in the middle class. And they're everywhere.

"It's your normal, everyday person, doesn't matter sex, gender, age, whatever, it's just people that see an opportunity and go, 'Huh, I bet I could steal that and nobody would know,'" said Joshua Jacobson, a loss-prevention professional in California who's worked for half a dozen major retailers over the past decade. "They're like a giant organized mob, they just don't know each other."

Shoplifting is illegal, and there are costs to it, even if you don't love the company that's bearing them. Many people find this sort of behavior objectionable and unethical. But after chatting with members of the smallest-time thieves brigade, it was clear that they generally aren't concerned about the moral weight of their actions - they choose to ignore it, or they don't really consider what they're doing as wrong.

In recent weeks, I spoke with nearly a dozen of these non-organized middle-class retail thieves to get a sense of why and how they do it. I also talked to loss-prevention professionals and retail industry analysts about what they're seeing. The takeaway: A lot of people steal, from small-stakes stuff at the drugstore to larger items worth hundreds of dollars at hardware chains. Their motivations are generally not the direct result of economic need, but instead, people make a moral (or amoral) judgment about what goods are unjustly expensive, especially as they deal with the recent bout of inflation. They view it as a way to get back at The Man - many have concocted a code of conduct that amounted to pilfering only from big, evil retailers (and, in one case, overpriced corporate ski resorts).

Case in point: A lot of the one-off shoplifters I talked to steal from Whole Foods with a very clean conscience. "No, I don't feel bad about stealing from Jeff Bezos," one 20-something occasional shoplifter in Washington, DC, told me. Her loot of choice is passion fruit, which she rings up as a cheaper item - bananas. She's even memorized the code: 4011. Another shoplifter, a 30-something man in New York who asked to be referred to as the "Parmesan cheese bandit," echoed the anti-Bezos sentiment. The only people who know about his habit of stuffing a block of Whole Foods cheese into his sweatpants pocket after hitting the gym (which he developed after seeing some TikTok videos about Parmesan's high protein content) are his brother - and, he said, "maybe the fucking surveillance people, I don't know."  businessinsider.com


Can 'Invisible Barcodes' Eliminate Self-Checkout Theft?
Goodbye to Walmart thieves forever - a new security system has been developed that will change everything
Walmart, the retail giant, has taken a significant step to combat one of its biggest challenges: theft at self-checkout kiosks. In partnership with Digimarc, Walmart is introducing a revolutionary invisible barcode technology designed to enhance security while improving the customer experience. This new system aims to reduce the billions of dollars lost to theft every year and promises to change how we shop forever.

How does Walmart's new security system work?

The innovative technology at the heart of this new initiative uses invisible barcodes that are imperceptible to the human eye. Unlike traditional barcodes, these codes cover the entire surface of a product, making it possible to scan an item from any angle. This advancement, developed by Digimarc, ensures that products cannot be bypassed at the checkout, reducing the chances of theft.

Walmart's self-checkout machines, equipped with advanced scanners, can detect these invisible codes even if a customer tries to hide an item. The machines are also capable of scanning multiple products at once, allowing for faster and more efficient transactions. With this system in place, Walmart no longer relies solely on customers to scan every product correctly, closing a significant loophole that has been exploited by shoplifters.

A revolution in retail

Walmart's adoption of Digimarc's invisible barcode technology represents a major shift in the way retailers approach both security and customer service. The days of relying on traditional barcodes may soon be over, as more retailers realize the potential of this advanced system. Companies like Wegmans have already begun implementing similar technology, and Walmart's involvement could drive wider adoption across the industry.

This shift won't happen overnight, as the process of replacing traditional barcodes with invisible ones requires time and adaptation. However, as more stores introduce these codes, we can expect to see a significant impact on both inventory management and theft prevention. eladelantado.com


'Remarkable' Decline in Murders
Murders Surged in the Pandemic. Now in Many Cities That Surge Is Gone.

A huge drop in 2023 has been followed by an even greater improvement so far this year.

Murders declined at a remarkable rate in America in 2023, with official statistics showing the largest one-year drop in more than half a century. Even more remarkable: This year looks on track for an even greater improvement.

That decline, visible in more recent crime data than what is published annually by the F.B.I., is at odds with how Donald J. Trump has broadly framed crime as rising "through the roof."

Murders surged at record rates early in the pandemic (starting in 2020 when Mr. Trump was still president). But many cities are now poised in 2024 to fully reverse that rise - a recovery that would be as swift and surprising as the initial nationwide spike in murder rates.

"We are seeing the fastest decline ever recorded," said Jeff Asher, a crime analyst with AH Datalytics and a former Upshot contributor, who runs the Real-Time Crime Index that tracks local police data. "Oftentimes, we're squishy and there's doubt, or there's uncertainty. And there's no uncertainty with this."

Our understanding of crime data can be clouded by the long lag in official statistics, the fact that many crimes aren't reported to police, and differences in the multiple methods the federal government uses to track crime (the early pandemic era was also fraught for data collection of all kinds). But murders are different: Nearly every one is counted, and today we have relatively up-to-date counts in many cities and states.

The drop in murder through August this year has been widespread - occurring across the vast majority of the country's largest cities, and appearing even in places like Washington and Kansas City, Mo., that notably didn't improve last year. nytimes.com


Is There Really a Migrant Crime Wave?
Trump's fear of a 'migrant crime wave' plays well, but there's little evidence it exists
With the 2024 presidential election coming to a close, Donald Trump and other Republican candidates are upping the volume as they hammer away at one of their central messages: The influx of migrants from the southern border has put Americans in danger.

An "army of migrant gangs who are waging a campaign of violence and terror against our citizens" are coming into the country, Trump claimed last week at his Madison Square Garden rally. Incessant TV ads echo the same theme.

But most of the horror stories setting a foreboding and ominous tone are anecdotal episodes - not evidence of any sort of widespread migrant crime wave. In fact, experts and data say there really is little evidence of any such trend.

In New York City, where over 210,000 migrants have arrived since Spring 2022, there's been no associated spike in crime. Despite oft-repeated claims about a "migrant crime wave," there is no available data that shows any evidence of a migrant-driven increase in crime in the city.

Regardless of the truth of the claims, the points seem to be landing with some voters who fear the impact of the newcomers on their lives, jobs and safety. Trump, who has made slowing immigration a central pillar of his campaign, talked at length about the issue at his rally last Sunday at the Garden.

"They're allowing criminals from all over the world to enter our country," the GOP nominee said to a crowd of thousands, saying a beat later that migrants have "even taken over Times Square." nydailynews.com

 
Property Crime Decreased in 13 of 17 years Between 2007 & 2023
"Incarceration, violent crime, and property crime rates lower than they were 30 years ago"
LESS CRIME: Property crime decreased in 13 of the 17 years between 2007 and 2023; it is now 44% lower than in 2007 and 55% lower than it was 30 years ago. California's violent crime rate decreased in 9 of the 17 years; it is now 4% lower than it was in 2007 and slightly less than half of what it was 30 years ago.

MORE SAVINGS: The dramatic decrease in California's incarcerated population has led to significant savings to the state and county governments. Spending on the state correctional system dropped notably, from 9.4% of the state's General Fund in 2007 (when the federal three-judge panel was appointed) to 6.7% in 2024.

Additionally, the California Highway Patrol just received additional funding to continue their efforts to combat sideshows.

Today's PPIC analysis and CHP investment comes as Governor Newsom announced a CHP partnership with San Bernardino and more than 10,000 arrests have come from the state's Organized Retail Theft grants. gov.ca.gov

 
Retailers Battle Surging Lego Thefts
Lego Lockup: Thefts of the popular toy leads to price impact
Stores are now being forced to lock up items like medications and toothpaste, even popular toys such as Legos. Campbell uncovered multiple thefts of Lego sets at retailers in Kettering, Sugarcreek Township, and Centerville.

Mason told News Center 7 that many of the thieves are bold with Lego thefts because "They're pretty big at least the bigger dollar ones." According to Mason, his department's investigators see stolen Legos on sale, online as thieves try to make a quick buck.

Kettering Police said thieves sell stolen Lego sets on Amazon and other sites, but they also sell them to pawn shops as well.

Officers are working with both groups to make it much tougher to re-sell without leaving lots of information to help police track down stolen goods and thieves. We've learned that a Dayton-area Meijer, Kroger, Walmart, and Target stores have all been hit by Lego thieves.

So far, 32 states have passed laws to toughen organized retail crime. Federal law enforcement agencies estimated that retail crime drives up prices so much it forces the average American family to pay an extra $500 a year in costs. yahoo.com
 

Crime Has Been a Big Talking Point. How Does It Look in Battleground States?

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Fast Food Chains Struggling
TGI Fridays files for bankruptcy protection as other fast food chains struggle
TGI Fridays has filed for bankruptcy protection to "position [its] restaurants for long-term success," the casual-dining restaurant chain announced Saturday. The self-described "birthplace of fun, freedom and celebration" filed for Chapter 11 protections in a federal court in Texas early on Saturday in a bid to allow the company to "explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand."

The bankruptcy will only affect the 39 restaurants owned and operated by TGI Fridays Inc. All franchised stores operating in 41 countries will continue to serve customers as usual. The "difficult and necessary actions" announced by the Dallas-headquartered company on Saturday are designed to protect the interest of franchisees, both in the U.S. and abroad, said Rohit Manocha, the company's executive chairman.

Saturday's announcement comes as a growing number of high-profile casual-dining restaurant chains in the U.S. struggle to adjust to what appears to be a new landscape in the service industry in the US, as rising menu prices continue to turn off customers. nydailynews.com


Target's Holiday Transformation
Target holiday plans include pop-ups, in-store shops, 'fantastical' creatures
Target Corp. is looking to dial up the magic for customers shopping in-store this holiday season.

The retailer is transforming its stores into a white-and-red holiday wonderland, with a ceiling banner - styled to resemble swirling peppermint ribbons - and peppermint signage. The peppermint pattern will be seen not only throughout Target stores but also extended to its marketing billboards and packaging for its Favorite Day private label line of sweets and savories.

The ribbon will lead customers to a host of special holiday shops, including a "Merry Cherry Chalet" for gifts, a London station for Marks & Spencer holiday items and "Candy Cane Corner, which features more than 50 new Favorite Day items. Holiday home décor items are featured in the "Trim the Tree Lot."
chainstoreage.com


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Last week's #1 article --

California's Disappearing Theft Suspects
Ahead of Proposition 36 vote, state data show California is not tracking retail theft suspects after arrests
Governor Gavin Newsom announced last month that California's Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCT) had made more than 1,000 arrests in 2024. For more than a month, CBS News California has been trying to find out what happened to those people after their arrests.

No one - not the Governor's Office, the attorney general, nor the California Highway Patrol (CHP), which runs California's task force - could tell us how many of the people arrested for retail theft were sentenced, let alone how many showed up to court, went to jail, received treatment, or re-offended. None of the agencies could even provide the names of those 1000+ people, so we could not independently track them down.

The CHP did provide arrest statistics, which reveal that out of the 1,126 arrests made by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force as of early October, more than half (684) were cite-and-releases, which means those offenders received the equivalent of the ticket and a notice to appear in court. District Attorneys say many of those people never show up in court.

A week before California voters decide on the tougher-on-crime Proposition 36, Gov. Newsom held a virtual news conference Monday to announce that more than 10,000 arrests over the past year by local law enforcement agencies statewide. These arrests were for various crimes, but he attributed them to the hundreds of millions of dollars California invested in cracking down on organized retail theft (ORT) last year.

Newsom awarded approximately $267 million worth of grants to 55 California cities and counties in October 2023. The governor said that money "has generated 10,128 arrests and counting just from the local law enforcement efforts." Of those arrests there were "nearly 8,000 for organized retail theft," according to the governor's office. cbsnews.com
 

Modernization Efforts Falling Short?
Executives worry over aging IT systems

Despite ongoing modernization efforts, tech debt is still hindering mission-critical infrastructure, according to Kyndryl.

Enterprise modernization initiatives are too often threatened by aging infrastructure and systems that have run out of technical support, according to a recent Kyndryl report. The IT services firm surveyed 3,200 C-suite executives and collected anonymized customer data from its Kyndryl Bridge platform.

While 9 in 10 executives said their company's technology is best-in-class, nearly two-thirds acknowledged that outdated systems present a major concern. Data indicating 44% of mission-critical enterprise IT infrastructure is approaching or at end-of-life confirmed the apparent paradox.

If a company lacks comprehensive IT asset and configuration management, locating tech debt is a challenge, according to Michael Bradshaw, Kyndryl's SVP and global practice leader for applications, data and AI. "It's almost like an archaeological dig," he said. "You don't know where the problems are unless you stub your toe on something that's reached end-of-support."

Executives are bullish on additive digital transformations that enable smarter chatbots, sleeker dashboards and more user-friendly interfaces. But drumming up enthusiasm for the everyday grunt work that keeps the IT machine humming can be a challenge.

"It's hard for companies to strike that balance between investment in the new and making sure that you're tending to and you're being a good steward for those things that have been around for a period of time," Bradshaw said. cybersecuritydive.com


100 Organizations Targeted
CISA warns of foreign threat group launching spearphishing campaign using malicious RDP files

Midnight Blizzard has targeted more than 100 organizations across government, IT and academia, in some cases impersonating Microsoft employees.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Thursday said it has received multiple reports of a foreign threat actor targeting government and IT companies in a widescale spear-phishing campaign using malicious remote desktop protocol files.

Microsoft Threat Intelligence linked the spear-phishing campaign to Midnight Blizzard in a Tuesday report, warning that emails were sent to thousands of targets. The emails were sent to more than 100 organizations in government, defense and academia, among others, and in some cases impersonated Microsoft employees to lend credibility.

AWS identified internet domains abused by the threat group, which is also known as APT29 and affiliated with Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, CJ Moses, CISO and VP of security engineering at Amazon wrote in a post last week. The phishing campaign was launched in Ukraine and design to steal credentials from Russian adversaries, Moses said.  cybersecuritydive.com


Cybersecurity Hiring Prep
Hiring guide: Key skills for cybersecurity researchers
In this Help Net Security interview, Rachel Barouch, an Organizational Coach for VCs and startups and a former VP HR in both a VC and a Cybersecurity startup, discusses the dynamics of cybersecurity researchers and team-building strategies. She highlights that these researchers, often brilliant and introverted, come with distinctive working styles, making it challenging to foster collaboration.

However, with the right approach to assessing, managing, retaining and developing them, organizations can unlock their potential and drive high-performance teams, ultimately boosting the startup's market value, especially in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&As).

What should organizations focus on when preparing to interview cybersecurity researchers?

Pre-interview preparation is essential for evaluating potential candidates. Organizations should thoroughly review candidates' technical contributions, including their publications, vulnerability disclosures, and open-source work. Conference presentations provide insight into their ability to communicate complex ideas.

Their participation in competitions like Capture The Flag events and platforms such as TryHackMe and HackTheBox can demonstrate practical skills. Understanding that many researchers perform their best work during non-traditional hours, sometimes flourishing at 2 AM, can help organizations adapt their expectations accordingly.  helpnetsecurity.com
 

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