D&D Daily Mobile Edition

The D&D Daily Mobile Edition
LP, AP & IT Security's #1 News Source

1/6/21

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New LPRC Report:
Feedback & Trial Results of CIS Security Solutions' Tick-R-Tape Technology

Package tags and wraps are widely used to protect merchandise. However, as retail offenders adapt and learn techniques to defeat these technologies, solution providers must respond by developing new, more secure ways to protect products.

CIS Security Solutions Inc. developed and sought to test their Tick-R-Tape technology, a universal package tag designed to protect hard and soft merchandise.

In 2019, the Loss Prevention Research Council worked with a large department store chain to better understand the effects of implementing CIS' Tick-R-Tape in-store. Read More Here

Download the TotalLP App.
The first 100 downloads get a free LPF Membership ($75 value)!

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iOS: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/totallp/id1513691286

Protests & Violence

DC on Lockdown
Capitol placed on lockdown, buildings evacuated amid protests
The U.S. Capitol Police on Wednesday locked down the Capitol building and evacuated multiple congressional buildings amid increasingly violent protests outside.

Buildings being evacuated included the Library of Congress's Madison Building across from the Capitol as well as the Cannon House office building. In an alert sent to Hill staffers, police ordered occupants of the Madison building to “move in a safe manner to the exits” and “close doors behind you but do not lock.”

Capitol police also told those in the Cannon House building to "take visitors, escape hoods, and Go Kits" and report to a tunnel connected to a nearby building. Asked how long the lock-down might last, the officer said it will depend on the behavior of the protestors. thehill.com

Thousands Gather for D.C. Rally
Trump Urges Protesters to March to Capitol to Contest Election Results, D.C. Police Make 6 Arrests Tuesday Night
Thousands of President Trump's supporters gathered in Washington D.C. Wednesday to protest the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election as Congress was set to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College win.

The protesters, many without masks, massed around the Washington Monument and stretched across the National Mall toward the Ellipse in front of the White House, where Mr. Trump, who hasn't conceded the election, repeated his claims of voter fraud and complained about news coverage of him to cheers.

Mr. Trump encouraged his supporters, some carrying American flags and pro-Trump signs, to march to the Capitol to pressure Congress to reverse President-elect Biden's win. Some began marching as Mr. Trump continued his speech.

Hundreds of protesters knocked over a barricade on the west side of the Capitol and marched up the steps, some yelling "take the Capitol!" and reaching the edge of the building. Police sirens blared and officers rushed toward the crowd. A few of the protesters climbed scaffolding outside the Capitol that had been erected for the coming inauguration of President-elect Biden.

A group of Mr. Trump's backers clashed with police Tuesday night, local news outlets reported. Two police officers and one civilian sustained minor injuries and were transported to hospitals around 11:30 p.m.

Six people had been arrested in connection with the unrest as of late Tuesday, a police spokeswoman said. Several were charged with multiple weapons violations, including carrying a rifle and possessing a large-capacity ammunition-feeding device. Others were charged with assault, including of a police officer, the spokeswoman said. wsj.com

Violent threats ripple through far-right internet forums ahead of protest

DC National Guard changing vest colors from camo to black for protests

Kenosha Declares An Emergency
The Kenosha Cop Who Shot Jacob Blake In The Back, Paralyzing Him, Won't Be Charged

Rusten Sheskey shot Blake in the back seven times, paralyzing him from the waist down and sparking deadly protests in Wisconsin.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced, "No Kenosha law enforcement officer in this case will be charged with any criminal offense based on the facts and the laws."

Graveley added that Blake would not be charged with any offenses.

A detailed report was also released summarizing the investigation. A federal civil rights investigation is ongoing. Contrary to prior reporting, Blake had been armed with a knife and refused to drop it, Graveley said. Blake also later admitted to holding a knife, according to the district attorney.

In this context, Graveley said, the officer was justified in trying to stop him. "An armed man with a felony warrant who has resisted arrest appears to be about to flee in a disputed vehicle with one child in the back," Graveley said.

In anticipation of protests over the charging decision, Kenosha's city council on Monday night approved a resolution to declare an emergency, granting the mayor the power to respond quickly. Bracing for unrest, local businesses were boarded up and the city closed roads, limited bus routes, and installed protective fencing around public buildings. buzzfeednews.com

'It was peaceful. That was all that matters':
Protesters in Kenosha, Wis. take to streets after no charges are filed

Portland protesters swarm police precinct after Jacob Blake decision

Rittenhouse pleads not guilty in Kenosha protest slayings

2nd Suspect on the Loose
NYPD seeks second man in connection to Queens mall bomb hoax
Investigators are seeking a second person in connection to the Tesla bomb hoax that evacuated the Queens Place Mall Monday, cops confirmed Wednesday morning.

The NYPD did not provide any specifics on the person being sought - but NBC New York identified him as Taylor McRae Lyne, 27, of Santa Rosa, California, citing two senior law enforcement officials. Lyne may have been responsible for stealing the Tesla from Las Vegas and driving it to the Big Apple, the network reported.

Lyne is also believed to have been with Louis Shenker Monday, the far-right conspiracy theorist who surrendered to cops in connection to the incident early Tuesday.

Shenker, 22, of Amherst, Mass., was charged with placing a false bomb and criminal possession of stolen property, as well as abandonment of a disabled animal in connection to the husky that was left alone inside the Tesla, police said. nypost.com

Police Reform & Budget Cuts

San Francisco to turn over 17 types of calls to 'unarmed civilian response teams'
The San Francisco Police Officers Association (POA) has reportedly signed off on a plan to delay pay raises for its officers and to turn over 17 different types of calls that will instead be handled by unarmed civilian service providers. At the end of November, Mayor London Breed announced the launch of the first phase of San Francisco's Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT) pilot program. SCRT is part of the city's efforts to develop alternatives to police responses to non-violent calls.

The SCRT pilot program is a collaboration between the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Fire Department with support from the Department of Emergency Management. Reportedly, each team includes a community paramedic, a behavioral health clinician, and a behavioral health peer specialist. lawenforcementtoday.com

New Jersey AG overhauls police use-of-force rules
New Jersey's top law enforcement official on Monday unveiled new guidelines governing the use of force for the state's nearly 40,000 police officers, saying the changes would make the state "a national leader in policing reform" and help restore public trust. The new policy, which had been promised after widespread protests against police brutality, sets up a framework for police interactions with civilians, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.

Among the new policies are a prohibition against any use of physical force against a civilian except as a last resort and only after attempts at de-escalation; a bar on deadly force against civilians, including chokeholds and strikes to the head and neck, except as a last report; and a halt on firing at moving vehicles or during high-speed chases, except in narrow instances. apnews.com

Massachusetts Governor Baker signs police reform bill
A police accountability bill that creates a civilian-led commission with the power to certify officers, investigate claims of misconduct and revoke the certification of officers for certain violations was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Charlie Baker. The law also bans the use of chokeholds, bars officers from shooting into a fleeing vehicle unless doing so is necessary to prevent imminent harm and limits the use of so-called no-knock warrants. It also creates a duty to intervene for police officers when witnessing another officer using force beyond what is necessary or reasonable under the circumstances. boston25news.com

Chicago: CPAC Plan Would Cut $600 Million From Chicago Police Budget, As Aldermen Debate Civilian Oversight Of Cops

COVID Cuts: Oakland Police Union Warns Of Possible Cuts Amid City's Budget Crisis

COVID Update

US: Over 21.6M Cases - 366K Dead - 12.8M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 87M Cases - 1.8M Dead - 62M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 252
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 186
*Red indicates change in total deaths

66% Say Vaccinations Necessary for Business Continuity
Majority of Employers Will Encourage, Not Require, COVID Vaccine: SHRM
The majority of U.S. organizations (61 percent) that intend to encourage, but not require, their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination, according to research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted in December. Conversely, more than one-third (35 percent) of organizations aren't certain whether they'll require vaccines.

Diving deeper into the question of whether to mandate vaccinations, more than half of organizations (55 percent) say they're unsure whether they'll require employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to the workplace. Four in 10 organizations (40 percent) won't insist on a COVID-19 vaccination before an employee returns to the workplace.

For many organizations, COVID-19 vaccinations are a matter of dollars and sense. In SHRM's survey of employers, two-thirds (66 percent) say the COVID-19 vaccination is very or somewhat necessary for business continuity.

Many employers won't need to do much arm-twisting in terms of vaccinations, though: SHRM's research indicates nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of U.S. workers say they're likely to get the COVID-19 vaccination once it becomes available. If an employer imposes a vaccine mandate, over half (55 percent) of U.S. workers say they're extremely or very likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to SHRM's research. Almost one-fourth (24 percent) of workers, however, say they'd balk at getting the vaccine if their employer required it. shrm.org

75% of Employers Worldwide Requiring Masks
Survey Shows Fewer Than 1 in 5 Testing Employees for COVID
Working with the World Economic Forum, ASU researchers surveyed more than 1,000 companies across 29 countries and 23 industries to collect data on workplace testing, contact tracing, facility safety, pandemic response and challenges.

Fewer than one in five surveyed companies said they were testing employees for COVID-19. The main reasons for not testing: too costly, too complicated to implement and concerns about test accuracy.

About three-quarters of the surveyed companies said they require their employees to wear masks, and about 80% of the respondents said they provide hand sanitizer and masks for employees.

The ASU survey found that U.S. companies were doing less contact tracing than companies abroad - 37% of domestic companies that responded to the survey said contact traced, compared to 54% of non-U.S. companies. azcentral.com

'L.A. County is National Epicenter of COVID'
L.A. County Breaks Another Single Day Record

COVID-19 deaths hit 11,000 in L.A. County, as surge creates 'a human disaster'
Los Angeles County hit another disturbing milestone Tuesday, exceeding 11,000 COVID-19 deaths. Officials warned of dark weeks ahead amid a post-Christmas surge that is expected to put pressure on already overwhelmed hospitals.

"That is a human disaster, and one that was avoidable," Solis said. "But I need to underscore that it could be worse. The situation is already beyond our imagination. But it could become beyond comprehension if the health restrictions in place are not fully obeyed."

California has averaged 37,000 new cases a day over the last week, down from a high of 45,000 in mid-December. Still, the situation is far worse than it was at the beginning of December, when 14,000 cases a day were recorded. California's most-populated counties continue to see record or near-record levels of hospitalizations.

The availability of intensive care beds in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley has stood at 0% for weeks; the metric doesn't mean no beds are available.

The situation is less dire but still concerning in the Bay Area and Greater Sacramento, where ICU availability Tuesday was at 5.9% and 11.7%, respectively.

All four of the state-defined regions where ICU availability is below 15% are under stay-at-home orders, which include a host of restrictions on businesses and activities aimed at stymying coronavirus transmission. Those orders will remain in place until ICU availability, forecast four weeks out, is 15% or higher. latimes.com

Minnesota's Winning the COVID Battle - Hopefully
Gov. Walz reopening Minnesota restaurants, bars, theaters
Starting Monday, bars and restaurants can reopen for in-person dining at 50% capacity and with a 10 p.m. curfew. Movie theaters, bowling alleys and museums can also reopen at 25% capacity.

The new order comes as the state is seeing a substantial decline in its COVID-19 positivity rate and the number of patients hospitalized with the virus. startribune.com

COVID Closes Almost Half Million Businesses in UK
UK Retailers Cut 177,000 Jobs in 2020 Up 25% Over 2019
Retailers shed 176,718 jobs in 2020 after Covid pandemic deepens high street woes. About 3400 jobs within the retail sector vanished each week during the year, according to Centre for Retail Research.

CRR director Professor Joshua Bamfield warned up to 200,000 jobs could vanish in 2021.

According to real estate advisory firm Altus Group, 436,000 business premises in England are now closed under Tier 3 and Tier 4 restrictions, including 310,504 non-essential shops, 37,581 pubs and 27,028 restaurants. retailgazette.co.uk

5 questions to ask before adopting a coronavirus vaccine policy

Authorities Probe Threat of Attack on U.S. Capitol

Message was broadcast on an air-traffic control channel, indicating revenge for assassination of a prominent Iranian military leader

Aviation, law-enforcement and national-security officials are investigating an unauthorized message sent on an air-traffic control channel threatening an attack against the U.S. Capitol today, according to people familiar with the matter.

The threat was transmitted Monday on a radio frequency used by the Federal Aviation Administration facility that handles high-altitude traffic around the New York metropolitan region, one of these people said. It is among the FAA's busiest air-traffic control centers, located in Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

The message likely was able to be transmitted, one person said, because the air-traffic control system is accessible by some portable scanners available to consumers, aviation buffs and pilots. wsj.com

Federal agency knew Garda was "really bad" at safety. It took little action.

Three more people have died since the Times revealed safety problems at the Florida-based armored truck company.

In 2020, just weeks before a guard died, one of his co-workers confronted management over a Tampa Bay Times investigation that showed Garda had taken shortcuts on maintenance and training, sending armored trucks hurtling out of control across America.

Lue was one of 22 people to die in crashes involving Garda trucks since 2008 - six in the last two years, and three since the Times investigation published in March.

But armored car companies like Garda largely slip between gaps in the U.S. regulatory system.

As a result, Garda has faced little government scrutiny and few consequences for its national pattern of error-prone drivers and unsafe trucks, or the devastating crashes that have followed.

Garda workers told the Times in March that the company disregarded requests for repairs that the federal agency requires. Dozens said that the company put trucks on the road without working brakes, speedometers or seat belts.

Evidence of Garda's safety problems has regularly appeared in court files and police reports. "I just don't understand how it was allowed to go on this long," said Jammie Bolton, a Garda manager from 2017 to 2018. "These people just continue to do whatever they want."

A Times report in October that showed the company had lost track of millions of dollars in its vaults and hid those losses from the banks that are its clients. tampabay.com

Amazon Gains Drone Power
U.S. Dept of Transportation Names Dozens to Drone Advisory Committee
Amazon & American Airlines Exec's Included
The private-sector panel meets regularly to advise the Federal Aviation Administration on how to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace alongside with traditional aircraft. Executive-level representatives are selected from a wide range of stakeholders including the aviation industry, research and academia, retail, technology, and state and local government.

The Drone Advisory Committee is chartered to have up to 35 members. The new members will serve a two-year term and join Chairman Michael Chasen, chairman of the advisory board for PrecisionHawk USA Inc. More vacancies may be filled in the future.

Last week the FAA issued draft final rules that will require drones to have transponders allowing them to be remotely identified and allowing drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions. freightwaves.com

How NIST Is Helping First Responders Stay Connected
What first responders expressed far more than wanting new technology was for the communications devices they already had to work better - to be more reliable, more usable, and interoperable.

Imagine being a police officer responding to an active shooter scenario where several agencies are involved and not being able to communicate with the other responding units about your response plan.

Several technologies that first responders want for their work already exist for consumers in the general public but are not used widely in public safety. nist.gov

NYC saw most chain store closures in over a decade in 2020: report
Manhattan had the most losses, accounting for 520 of 1,057 store location closures, followed by Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island respectively, per the report.

● Over 1,000 chain stores, or a little less than one in seven stores, in New York City permanently or temporarily closed last year, according to the Center for an Urban Future's annual report.

Most store closures were a direct result of the virus outbreak in New York, which at one point became the epicenter, though not all. Several retailers selling apparel, jewelry, cosmetics, pet supplies and vitamins closed due to competition from e-commerce rather than pandemic-led problems, per the report. retaildive.com

Macy's continues downsizing effort with 45 more store closures

Family Video to close over 250 remaining locations, sell off inventory

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director of Global Distribution Safety & Security job posted for Michael Kors
in Whittier, CA
The Director, Global Distribution Safety & Security is responsible for the leadership of all safety and security programs and the development of tools and techniques to maintain a safe and secure working environment in the Michael Kors distribution centers worldwide. These facilities are located in Whittier, California, Montreal, Quebec, and Venlo, Netherlands. capri.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Director, Global Safety & Security job posted for Red Wing Shoe Company
in Red Wing, MN
The Director of Global Safety & Security is responsible for establishing a strong culture of prevention, protection and compliance for all Red Wing Shoe Company regions and locations. They have global responsibility for strategic leadership and management of Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs and processes as well as security practices, both proactive and reactive to potential risk of violence. indeed.com

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New LPRC Report:
Feedback and Trial Results of CIS Security Solutions’ Tick-R-Tape Technology

In 2019, the Loss Prevention Research Council worked with a large department store chain to better understand the effects of implementing CIS’ Tick-R-Tape in-store. The goals of the research were to:

1. Examine offender reactions to the Tick-R-Tape technology

2. Understand customer perceptions of CIS’ Tick-R-Tape technology

3. Understand associate perceptions of CIS’ Tick-R-Tape technology

4. Compare the Tick-R-Tape to traditional keeper boxes and spider-wraps by examining size differences and shelf availability between the technologies

RH-ISAC's Upcoming Cyber Thursday Webinars

Jan. 28
Rise of the Hybrid Threat: Resiliency in the Age of Evolving Cyber Attacks
In this session, John Carlin, former assistant attorney general and head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, will discuss the current cyber threat landscape, the rise of blended and hybrid cyber threats, and the evolution of responses from both government and industry. Register now

Jan. 28
Improve Your Detection Process with Attack Range
In this upcoming webinar, analysts will walk away with knowledge on how to use MITRE ATT&CK and Attack Range to simulate attacks, validate detections, and generate data sets for further analysis, testing detections, building investigations, and writing playbooks. Register now

From Russia With Love
It's Not About Espionage It's About Malicious Activity?

US intel agencies formerly blame Russia for massive SolarWinds hack
A group of U.S. intelligence agencies on Tuesday formally accused Russia of being linked to the recently discovered hack of IT group SolarWinds that compromised much of the federal government.

The FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) attributed the effort to Russia. The group had set up a cyber unified coordination group in December after the compromise of SolarWinds was revealed.

SolarWinds reported in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month that up to 18,000 of its customers had potentially been compromised.

Federal agencies were not the only groups hit, with Microsoft confirming last week that the hackers had been able to view its source code, though not change anything, linking the attack to an unnamed nation state.

“This is not ‘espionage as usual,’ even in the digital age,” Smith wrote. “Instead, it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world.” thehill.com

Check Your Teams Apps
Trump Issues New Ban on Alipay, WeChat Pay and 6 Other Chinese Apps in 45 Days

President said the apps can access private information from their users, which could be used by the Chinese government

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday banning transactions with eight Chinese-connected apps, including the Alipay payment platform owned by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant Group Co. and apps owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Mr. Trump said the apps can access private information from their users. It could be used by the Chinese government to “track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information,” he added.

U.S. companies that do business with China—including Apple Inc., Ford Motor Co. , Walmart Inc. and Walt Disney Co—previously objected to an executive order by Mr. Trump targeting Tencent’s WeChat multipurpose app, saying it was vital to conducting business there. U.S. businesses might raise similar concerns about the new order. wsj.com

NYSE Reverses Course Again, Will Delist Three Chinese Telecom Stocks
The New York Stock Exchange will move forward with delisting three Chinese telecommunications companies targeted by an executive order from President Trump, reversing course yet again after the NYSE said earlier this week that it wouldn’t delist them.

The NYSE said Wednesday that trading of the U.S.-listed shares of China Mobile Ltd. CHL, China Telecom Corp. CHA and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. CHU would be suspended at 4 a.m. ET on Monday. Mr. Trump’s order seeks to ban trading in securities of companies that the administration says have links to the Chinese military. wsj.com

More People Engaged in Dark Web?
Dark Web Forum Activity Surged 44% in Early COVID Months
Dark Web forum activity grew 44% during the spring of 2020 compared with baseline numbers in January, researchers learned in a new analysis of COVID-19's effects on underground forums.

A team at cybersecurity company Sixgill analyzed five underground forums, chosen for their high volume of posts, low barrier to entry, and prominence, to investigate their user count and activity. At their peak, these forums had a combined total of 268,610 unique monthly users – up from 82,421 in January. Their compounded monthly growth rate ranged from 1% to 9.2%.

"Everyone's stuck at home; people are bored and looking for something to do … I would have guessed that the number of [Dark Web] actors would rise as well," he says. "I did not expect it to rise 44%. That number really stood out as something very, very striking." darkreading.com

COVID Update

One-Third of Ontario Businesses May Not Survive New Restrictions
Second COVID Lockdown Will Obliterate Small Retailers & Businesses: Experts

Extended lockdowns will put thousands of entrepreneurs out of business, warns Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

A survey released Monday by the CFIB said one-third of Ontario businesses report they will not survive the second lockdown extending into January, adding that the Ontario government’s decision to extend and expand lockdowns across the province is another big hit in a long line of crushing blows to small business owners.

The Provincewide Shutdown went into effect as of Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m. It was last until January 23 for all regions in southern Ontario. The shutdown prohibits in-person shopping in most retail settings — curbside pickup and delivery can continue. Discount and big box retailers selling groceries will be limited to 25 percent capacity for in-store shopping. Supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar stores that primarily sell food, as well as pharmacies, will continue to operate at 50 percent capacity for in-store shopping.

The shutdown also prohibits indoor and outdoor dining. Restaurants, bars, and other food or drink establishments will be permitted to operate by take out, drive-through, and delivery only. retail-insider.com

Canada's Slow Vaccine Rollout
Health experts urging quicker vaccine rollout in Canada as COVID-19 cases surge,
doses sit in freezers

Health experts, seniors advocacy groups, and the federal government are urging provinces to speed up COVID-19 vaccinations as coronavirus infections surge following the holiday season.

Since the first vaccine was administered three weeks ago, on Dec. 14, slightly more than 121,000 people have received Pfizer or Moderna shots. That’s 0.319 per cent of the Canadian population. As of Monday afternoon, only Prince Edward Island had administered doses to more than 1 per cent of its population, according to the CTVNews.ca vaccine tracker.

“Vaccine helps nobody if it’s in the closet,” Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge, a national seniors advocacy organization, told CTV News Channel on Monday.

“This needs to be a 24-7 initiative as we have seen in other countries. Vaccine spread is what we need to do. We need to make sure that it gets into the arms of people who need it because the virus does not stop for holidays.” ctvnews.ca

Fewest International Brands Enter Canada Since '14
International Retailers Continue to Enter Canadian Market Despite Pandemic
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 saw at least 13 international brands enter the country. While it’s the lowest number since Retail Insider began tracking international entrants in 2014, it’s still an impressive number given what has been a transformative year for the retail industry in Canada.

Some international brands had already set out plans to open in Canada prior to the pandemic, and some continued to do so despite concerns about a changing consumer profile and mass shutdowns. Some brands, looking to a future where the pandemic is over, opened stores with an eye to long-term growth despite current challenges. retail-insider.com

These three Toronto businesses with a COVID outbreak pose a 'significant risk'
The City of Toronto has publicly named three companies that are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that they say poses a significant risk to public health. According to Toronto Public Health, beauty brand DECIEM is facing an outbreak, as well at Sofina Foods Inc. and TTM Technologies Inc.

The public health agency did not release any specific details about the outbreaks or say the precise location of where they are occurring. The three companies were named on Tuesday, a day after the City of Toronto announced it would start publicly exposing companies dealing with "sustained transmission" of COVID-19 in an effort to curb the spread of the disease. ctvnews.ca

Charges laid in assault on B.C. Walmart employee who asked customers to wear masks

Canadian Retail Sees Sales Surge, but so does COVID

Canadian Businesses Take on Amazon
A Canadian 'Buy Local' Effort Fights Amazon on Its Own Turf

A website called Not Amazon was created to drive sales to more than 4,000 independent stores in four cities. The initiative aims to keep expanding.

Inspired to build a more comprehensive list, Ms. Haberstroh promptly created an Instagram post, tagging independent businesses and shopkeepers across Toronto. Included was a new website, Not-Amazon.ca — a URL that she had bought for $2.99.

Introduced as a local list to help keep small businesses alive, Not Amazon was created “so you don’t have to give any money to Amazon this year!” the post read.

What began as a Google spreadsheet with more than 160 businesses collated initially from Ms. Haberstroh’s memory and research became a directory of hundreds that have a website and a high-quality photo and offer nationwide shipping, curbside pickup or delivery.

So far, the website has garnered more than half a million page views and grown to include 4,000 businesses across Toronto, Calgary, Halifax and Vancouver. The site is now submission-based, and thousands of businesses are awaiting Ms. Haberstroh’s approval. nytimes.com

E-Commerce Fraud Surging
Online shoppers in Sudbury, North Bay caught up in rising e-commerce fraud

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in North Bay says reports of merchandise fraud surpassed 2019 total in September

This pandemic year has been one for staying home and letting your fingers do the shopping on-line and more people, including those close to home in northeastern Ontario, are finding fraudsters rising to the opportunities.

"You know, as the country went into lockdown in early- to mid-March due to COVID-19, what you saw was more people hopping online having to do groceries, just to do their routine day-to-day online shopping. So certainly that's increased the pool of victims. And it certainly had an impact in reporting on online merchandise or e-commerce type scams."

Thomson says, at end of September, there were about 2,500 reports of these types of fraud, equal to the total number of reports in 2019. cbc.ca

In Case You Missed It
Canada-Based Shopify hosts thousands of fraudulent shops, analysis finds
Shopify says it does "not condone the behavior of bad actors" after a Fakespot analysis found that more than 20 per cent of the Shopify stores it analyzed posed a risk to shoppers.

Fakespot is a program and browser extension that helps online shoppers to spot fake reviews and counterfeits. But recently, the company used their tools proactively to do an analysis of a little over 10 per cent of Shopify's storefronts.

The analysis found that almost 26,000 of the over 124,000 Shopify stores it looked into were "related to fraudulent practices" and were flagged with a "caution" or "warning determination" by the Fakespot tool. Shopify hosts over a million stores.

In addition, almost 39 per cent of the stores were said to be "problematic sellers," with either poor reputations, counterfeit issues or possible brand infringements.

Meanwhile, another 28 per cent were found to be possible scam stores - such as those with privacy leaks and suspiciously low prices. In addition, over 16 per cent had problematic consumer reports and just under 10 per cent had no transaction history. globalnews.ca

Canadian Ecommerce Company EMERGE Sees Growth Through Website Acquisitions

15 of the most bizarre items reported stolen in Canada in 2020

Mississauga, ON: Arrest made in $1.5M jewellery store robbery & attempted murder; 2nd suspect still on the loose
A suspect has been arrested in connection to a violent, daytime robbery in Mississauga, Ont., involving $1.5 million worth of jewellery and gold. Peel Police say two suspects in ‘realistic’ masks, disguising themselves as white males with long black beards, escaped with the loot on the afternoon of Nov. 9. The men entered a jewellery store in the area of Airport and Derry Roads at approximately 2 p.m. and, using zip-ties, forcibly confined customers and an employee and held them at gunpoint, police say.

An employee was shot twice at close range after following the suspects to the parking area and attempting to retrieve the stolen merchandise, police say. He sustained serious physical injury, but is expected to survive. Following an investigation, one suspect was apprehended on Dec. 21. The 30-year-old Toronto man has been charged with attempted murder, robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent, and two counts of failing to comply with a weapons prohibition order, Peel Police say. jewellerybusiness.com

$100K Scam Targets Ontario Box Stores
Trio arrested following ‘elaborate’ Ontario box store scam
Three people from Kingston have been arrested after police say they stole over $100,000 worth of merchandise from nearly 60 box stores across Ontario last year. Kingston police’s fraud unit headed the multi-jurisdictional investigation. The investigation began in November 2020 and involved police units from Toronto to Ottawa.

According to Kingston police, the frauds and thefts involved three people, two women and one man. In each case, one party would purchase an expensive product and leave the store, making sure to keep the receipt. They would then re-enter the store without the product, go find the same item, and also add a much less expensive item to their cart. When they arrived at the cashier, they would show the receipt for the expensive product they had originally bought, pretending that the one they had with them had already been purchased, and then only have to pay for the less expensive item.

The first party would leave the store, and a second party would come back in, with the original item purchased along with the receipt, and ask for a full refund. Police say the group was then able to sell the second expensive item they stole through other means. globalnews.ca

Nationwide Fraud Bust
6 Winnipeggers charged in cross-Canada fraud ring
Six Winnipeggers are facing fraud charges after they allegedly stole credit card information, bought expensive items and resold them, police say. Over the last seven months, the Financial Crimes Unit has been investigating the fraud ring, which involves victims from B.C. to Ontario.

The investigation started in May when a person from Calgary had their credit card compromised and used for purchases traced back to Winnipeg. A number of similar crimes were reported to Winnipeg police.

Police believe the six people involved in the fraud ring all lived together and would steal IDs and credit card information to buy designer clothes and electronics online. From there, they'd resell the products for a profit. cbc.ca

Montreal, QC: $ 100,000 in jewelry stolen in downtown armed robbery

Vancouver, BC: Theft suspect sprays bear mace directly in face of store employee

Halifax, NS: Car stolen at Halifax gas pumps used to rob convenience store

Nunavut: Iqaluit man sentenced two years for C-store armed robbery

Surrey, BC: Theft of Surrey firefighters’ thrift store van ‘disheartening’

How are we doing? We need your input & suggestions. Send to lpnews@d-ddaily.net

View Canadian Connections Archives

Online Scammers Pushing Fake Vaccines
A COVID-19 shot for $150? Online scams surge amid slow vaccine rollout

As millions of people await their turn to get a COVID-19 vaccine that could be months away, scammers online, in emails and on messaging apps are luring victims with claims they can deliver shots within days for as little as $150.

COVID-19 vaccine scams are on the rise, according to European and U.S. government officials who are warning the public of fraudsters out for money and personal data.

A Reuters search online, in dark web forums and on messaging app Telegram found seven different offers for alleged COVID-19 vaccines.

Scams include emails promising entry to supposedly secret lists for early vaccine access and robocallers impersonating government agencies. Message boards on the so-called dark web have added COVID-19 vaccines to more traditional illicit goods for sale.

The U.S. FBI and Interpol, among others, have warned of emerging pandemic-related fraud schemes, saying false cures and vaccines advertised on fake websites could pose cyber threats and a significant risk to peoples’ health, or even lives. reuters.com

Jack Ma Update
E-Commerce giant Jack Ma is lying low for the time being, but he’s not missing

Multiple outlets published reports on Ma’s elusive whereabouts this week.

After reports speculating about Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s whereabouts, CNBC’s David Faber reported Tuesday that the billionaire is not missing, according to a person familiar with the matter. Instead, Ma has been lying low for the time being, Faber reported.

Outlets including The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Ma has not been seen in public since he spoke at a forum in late October where he appeared to be critical of China’s financial regulators.

Shortly after, Ma’s Ant Group saw its record-setting initial public offering suspended by stock exchanges in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Ma and two Ant Group executives were summoned and interviewed by regulators in China, the China Securities Regulatory Commission said in a November statement. cnbc.com

Why Ma's Lying Low!
China Hands Rare Death Sentence to Former Asset-Management Head
Lai Xiaomin was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and bigamy; his punishment comes as crackdown on the financial sector intensifies.

China sentenced the former chairman of one of the country’s biggest state-owned asset-management companies to death on bribery and corruption charges, a striking signal in Beijing’s campaign to rein in financial risk-taking.

Lai Xiaomin, chairman of China Huarong Asset Management Co. from 2012 to 2018 when he was fired for graft, was accused by a local Chinese court in the northern city of Tianjin of proactively taking bribes totaling a record high of more than 1.79 billion yuan, equivalent to $277 million. wsj.com

Editor's Note: Right after Ma spoke at a forum and was being critical of China's financial regulators this happens yesterday. I'd be lying low as well.

Ahold Delhaize Buys FreshDirect Online Fresh Food Grocer

Amazon bought 11 jets for its freighter fleet for the first time

Online Puppy Buying Scams Rising Sharply, BBB Warns

‘Skimming crew’ gets prison for $5M fraud — and has to give up Porsche, feds say
At least six people from Florida used gas station skimmers to steal millions from unsuspecting victims in eight states, according to federal prosecutors. Now they’re going to prison. The ring leader, 33-year-old Yasmani Granja Quijada, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a news release. Five others who also pleaded guilty were previously sentenced to between one-and-a-half and five years in prison, prosecutors said.

FBI agents and detectives with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office traced the scheme to an “organized gang” that frequented Harris Teeter stores in Virginia and North Carolina, according to court filings.
The alleged losses totaled $5 million, and agents seized several cars, a boat and trailer that were reportedly purchased with the stolen funds, according to Tuesday’s news release. Those vehicles reportedly included a 2017 Maserati Ghibli and a 2013 Porsche Panamera. Attorneys representing Granja Quijada — the last to be sentenced — disputed the estimated losses, saying the $5 million figure is 114 times larger than the actual loss of roughly $45,000. miamiherald.com

Seattle, WA: Two men arrested for stealing $8,000 of fruits, vegetables from local produce company
A pair of men from Seattle are facing felony theft charges for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of fruits and vegetables from a local produce company. The Seattle Police Department said an employee of a wholesale produce company and his accomplice were arrested over the weekend after an executive discovered the employees were stealing pallets of product every week for months. The men ended up stealing $8,000 worth of fruits and vegetables, police said. The executive said the suspect would load several pallets on an unidentified truck at around the same time every week and the truck would depart with the produce. Detectives arranged to be at the site when the suspect usually facilitated the unauthorized pick up. After watching the employee load five pallets of produce onto the truck and the truck drive away with the stolen goods, officers arrested the employee and the truck driver. Officers found $8,000 of fruits and vegetables, but the executive estimates the thieves have stolen more than $35,000 from the company. Authorities said the men were booked into the King County Jail for felony-level theft. Police anticipate more arrests in this case. komonews.com

Augusta, PA: Police seek to identify a Home Depot Shoplifter

Bossier City, LA: Police seeking Walmart Shoplifter taking over $500 in merchandise

View ORC Archives

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Shootings & Deaths

Fort Bend County, TX: Man killed in shooting outside Fort Bend County gas station
An altercation between two groups of people led to the fatal shooting of a man at a Stafford-area gas station overnight, the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said. The shooting was reported just before 12 a.m. Monday night. The victim, later identified by the sheriff's office as 22-year-old Camerron Long, was taken to a hospital in Sugar Land where he were pronounced dead. khou.com

Caldwell, County, NC: ‘No reason at all’: 18-year-old killed in convenience store shooting, family says
Cedrick Harshaw, 18, was shot to death Tuesday at a convenience store in the Sawmills area in Caldwell County. An argument between several men inside the store, moved outside and turned deadly after an exchange of gunfire. The shooting happened at The Market Basket along Highway 321-A. Harshaw was rushed to the hospital but later died. wsoctv.com

Update: Independence, MO: Man shot in head faces unlawful firearm charge day after Independence Center shooting
Jackson County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 26-year-old man following a Monday shooting in which he was shot in the head in the Independence Center parking lot. Russell D. Reed, 26, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Reed was convicted in 2019 of resisting arrest by fleeing in Clinton County. Police responded to a report of shots fired shortly after 2:30 p.m. One officer saw Reed waving his arms and holding his head near the car stopped at a stop sign. Reed, according to court documents, told the officer he was shot while driving out of the parking lot. He said he didn’t know who shot him. Reed was then taken to the hospital. Police took another man to the police station for a statement, where he said Reed and him were inside when they saw another man they didn’t know following them. Reed told police that the man they didn’t know confronted them while shopping. When they left, that man was hiding behind a car holding a rifle and shot at them as they drove by, according to court documents. Then, Reed allegedly fired back as they fled. kansascity.com

Atlanta, GA: Two people shot near the Northlake Mall
Two people were shot near the Northlake Mall area on Tuesday, according to DeKalb authorities. It happened around 3:15 p.m. There is no word on the severity of the injuries, but police told 11Alive that it was not a fatal incident. 11alive.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Yakima, WA: Two Yakima Police Officers hospitalized after hit and run at Walmart
Two Yakima Police Officers have been hospitalized after being ran over by robbery suspects at a Walmart Parking lot in an attempt to flee Tuesday evening. At approximately 2:25pm this afternoon, officers received a call of a vehicle which had been taken in a robbery in the lower valley earlier this week. Officers arrived on scene and were directed to the vehicle where they confronted two suspects who were inside. The officers attempted to negotiate with the suspects; however, a few moments later, the suspect drove over the officers while fleeing the scene. Yakima Police officers pursued the suspects, east, into Terrace Heights where the suspects crashed a short time later. The suspects were immediately arrested and had minor injuries. Both officers were transported to the hospital with serious, but stable, injuries. The officers were alert, are being treated and are expected to recover. nbcrightnow.com

West Jordan, UT: Man wanted for allegedly running over Smoke Shop employee multiple times is arrested
Kelly Vaughn Burge, 23, was arrested for investigation of attempted murder, aggravated robbery, obstructing justice and leaving the scene of an accident. On Dec. 21, an employee at Smokey’s Discount Cigarettes, tried to stop a man who had stolen something from the store, according to West Jordan police. When the clerk confronted the man in the parking lot, he was hit by his fleeing car. Zachary Leroy Don Allen was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and was still recovering as of Tuesday. deseret.com

Skagit County, WA: Man charged with attempted Arson at Mount Vernon Gas Station
Police were called to the gas station to reports that a man had stolen lighter fluid from outside the store and was removing the pumps’ nozzles in an effort to light them. When officers arrived, they found the man, who first identified himself as “God,” with a bicycle he had allegedly taken from a customer at the station. goskagit.com

Lima, OH: Microtel Inn & Suites Manager sentenced to 5 years probation for theft: Restitution set at $130,000

Bernalillo man faces robbery charges

Albuquerque man charged with five counts of armed robbery

None to report.

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A lot of articles talk about "How to impress your boss" and give you tips on how to accomplish this. But at the end of the day, it's all about supporting them, helping them reach their objectives and not trying to merely impress them. Impressing a person is great, but usually short lived. Supporting and helping them reach their goals requires a long-term effort that at times can truly test your resolve and stamina.

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