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1/27/21

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Maggie Naayers, MBA, CFE, CFI promoted to Director of Loss Prevention Southeastern Division for Sherwin-Williams

Maggie has been with Sherwin-Williams for nearly six years, starting with the company in 2015 as a Field Auditor. Before her promotion to Director of Loss Prevention Southeastern Division, she spent more than two years as Regional Loss Prevention Manager EMEAI. Before that, she served as a Regional Loss Prevention Manager and a Loss Prevention Analyst. She earned her Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from John Carroll University. Congratulations, Maggie!

See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position

DHS Issues a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin

Dept. of Homeland Security warning advises against large crowd gatherings through April 30 amid 'heightened threat environment across U.S.'

The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to a heightened threat environment across the United States, which DHS believes will persist in the weeks following the successful Presidential Inauguration.

Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.

Read the full bulletin here

Protests & Violence

Taking Stock of a Most Violent Year

'Some blamed the mayhem on the pandemic, but cop-bashing emboldened criminals'

The year 2020 likely saw the largest percentage increase in homicides in American history. Murder was up nearly 37% in a sample of 57 large and medium-size cities. Based on preliminary estimates, at least 2,000 more Americans, most of them black, were killed in 2020 than in 2019.

The local murder increases in 2020 were startling: 95% in Milwaukee, 78% in Louisville, Ky., 74% in Seattle, 72% in Minneapolis, 62% in New Orleans, and 58% in Atlanta, according to data compiled by crime analyst Jeff Asher. Dozens of children, overwhelmingly black, were killed in drive-by shootings.

Why this mayhem? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch expresses the conventional wisdom: because of the “economic, civic and interpersonal stress” from the coronavirus pandemic. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed pandemic-related “frustration, anger . . . trauma and mental health challenges.” But crime fell during the first months of the pandemic shutdowns, both in the U.S. and globally. Only at the end of May did that trend reverse itself, and only in the U.S., thanks to a surge in drive-by shootings.

Cops now face a poisonous environment. Since the summer, they have been shot in the head, firebombed and assaulted with lethal projectiles. An officer providing first aid at a crime scene may be met with a hail of rocks and bottles. Resistance is now the norm. As a result, the calculus for engagement has changed.

“Proactive police work is dead,” says Lt. Bob Kroll of the Minneapolis Police Department. The data bear him out. In Minneapolis, police stops fell more than 50% over the summer. The number of police-civilian contacts plummeted in Philadelphia, Oakland, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere. Across the country, specialized police units that got guns off the street were disbanded, since they were said to have a disparate impact on African-Americans. Police chiefs and prosecutors have refused to enforce low-level quality-of-life laws for the same reason. wsj.com

L.A. officials say they’re working to make 2020 violence an ‘anomaly’
but relief remains elusive
Los Angeles officials outlined efforts to interrupt last year’s deadly surge in gun violence, with Mayor Eric Garcetti expressing hope that the intense bloodshed of 2020 would be “an anomaly and not a trend.” In his first extended comments on last year’s violence and the city’s path out of it, Garcetti noted that reductions in some crime categories — and in violent crime overall — were overshadowed by the fact that nearly 100 additional people were killed compared to the previous year, with 350 homicide victims in total.

Garcetti and LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the LAPD has taken a hard look at its responsibilities and capabilities in recent months to prioritize things such as patrol and violent crime investigations, even as the department scales back special deployments and other less critical work. Officers are already taking more guns off the streets, and community policing efforts that are paying dividends are getting new investment. latimes.com

Portland leaders aim to approach gun violence from public health perspective
Nike Green, director of Portland's Office of Gun Violence Prevention, is working with elected city leaders to address gun violence through a public health lens: "We agree on a shared definition, because if we don’t have a shared definition of a problem, then we’re all looking all around. We have all different types of solutions, but we understand it to be a virus, and that’s really essential because that means it’s treatable and preventable."

Green said that definition allows law enforcement and community groups to focus on treating victims and suspects of gun violence in the present, while also allowing others to focus on younger people through preventive work to lead people away from a life of violence. katu.com

Gun violence survivors ask President Biden to prioritize gun violence prevention
In a letter to President Joe Biden, 300 families and survivors impacted by gun violence from 29 states asked him to prioritize gun violence prevention in the early days of his presidency. The Newtown Action Alliance and Guns Down America helped organize the open letter to the President. The letter explains that since the beginning of 2021, over 3,000 Americans have died from gun violence. There have been 290 deaths and 502 injuries since President Biden's inauguration.

The families wrote in the letter suggestions to the President on how to reduce gun violence. Their suggestions included a crackdown on social media companies that enable hate and violence and strengthening the country's federal gun laws. fox61.com

DC Insurrection Fallout
Pentagon restricted commander of D.C. Guard ahead of Capitol riot
Local commanders typically have the power to take military action on their own to save lives or prevent significant property damage in an urgent situation when there isn’t enough time to obtain approval from headquarters.

But Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, said the Pentagon essentially took that power and other authorities away from him ahead of the short-lived insurrection on Jan. 6. That meant he couldn’t immediately roll out troops when he received a panicked phone call from the Capitol Police chief warning that rioters were about to enter the U.S. Capitol. washingtonpost.com

Capitol Police chief apologizes for security failures during the assault, including a delay in calling for Guard troops

D.C. National Guard deployment extended through end of March

Philly Police Force Lacked Manpower to Arrest Looters
New Report Criticizes Philadelphia's Response to Summer Protests, Unrest
A new report released Wednesday by the city controller criticizes Philadelphia's top leaders, including Mayor Jim Kenney, for their failure to properly plan for last year’s protests against police brutality and the unrest that followed. Controller Rebecca Rhynhart said that most of what went wrong in the days that followed the George Floyd protests -- looting, officers injured, inappropriate use of force by police -- was a result of poor planning and understaffing. Main report findings include:

• The city disregarded blueprints for handling and coordinating large-scale protests, including previous ones against police-involved shootings.

• The mayor left the decision to use tear gas to the police commissioner, who the Controller says was comfortable using the chemical munition given her prior experience with it in Portland. (The report says tear gas had not been used in Philadelphia for crowd control or protests since the MOVE bombing in 1985.)

• The department lacked the manpower and transportation to arrest looters, allowing the looting to continue without challenge for hours. nbcphiladelphia.com

Detroit Throws Out Protesters' Tickets, OKs $200K To Defend Suits
The city of Detroit is dismissing dozens of citations issued to anti-police brutality protesters who were ticketed for violating temporary city curfews months ago, but has approved a large allotment of money to defend itself in lawsuits filed by protesters and protest organizers. patch.com

Minneapolis settles first lawsuit against police stemming from Floyd protests

Tacoma: Officials, public call for action after officer drives through street-racing crowd

Survey: Mayors Largely Support Black Lives Matter Protests, Recognize Racial Disparities in Treatment by Police, But Are Not Embracing Dramatic Change to Policing

The Netherlands: Fires, Looting Reported As Dutch Police Arrest Citizens Protesting COVID Restrictions

COVID Update

US: Over 26M Cases - 436K Dead - 15.7M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 101M Cases - 2.1M Dead - 73M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 271
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 220
*Red indicates change in total deaths

See Covid-19 Risk in Your County and a Guide for Daily Life Near You

In a majority of United States counties, residents are at an extremely high risk for contracting Covid-19 right now, according to an analysis of coronavirus case and testing data by The New York Times and public health experts. Even as cases fell from record highs earlier in the month, an average of more than 3,000 coronavirus deaths per day were reported in January. nytimes.com

Retail in 2021 May Look Similar to 2020
Americans won’t be rushing to retail stores to shop after getting Covid vaccine
As millions of Americans wait their turn to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, many say they won’t be rushing back to retailers’ stores to shop for clothes and shoes after the immunization.

Forty percent of consumers say they plan to shop for apparel in stores either the same amount or less after being vaccinated, according to a study released by First Insight. The predictive consumer analytics firm polled more than 1,000 people online on Jan. 13 about their purchasing plans.

Forty-four percent of respondents said they’ll visit stores the same or less to buy footwear post-vaccination, while 45% said they would visit stores the same or less for beauty products, 41% said this about luxury items, and 43% for electronics.

The lesson here is that while it might be widely believed that Americans will rush back to some level of normality after getting a vaccination, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen soon, said First Insight founder and CEO Greg Petro.

“No. 1, not everyone feels comfortable getting vaccinated,” Petro said. “No. 2, most people are not going to rush into stores after getting vaccinated. ... It’s going to take a long time for people to get really comfortable and reacclimated to the way the world was. And so you can count on 2021 looking very similar to 2020.”

More than half, or 53%, of respondents said they plan to continue to wear a face mask in stores after being vaccinated, First Insight found. Sixty percent of respondents commented that continued spikes in Covid-19 across the country are deterring them from shopping in stores. cnbc.com

Biden says U.S. will have enough vaccine doses
for 300 million Americans by end of summer
President Biden announced on Tuesday that his administration is boosting the weekly supply of vaccines to states and territories by 16% next week, and said he hopes to have enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall.

Vaccine supply to states, territories and Native American tribes will climb to 10 million doses next week, up from 8.6 million and continue at that rate for the next three weeks. Governors will be given a three-week forecast of their vaccine allocations, giving them more time to prepare vaccine distribution plans. cbsnews.com

The number of Americans who want to be vaccinated ASAP has risen
According to a new survey, the percentage of Americans who want to be vaccinated as soon as possible or who have already received at least one dose of a two-dose regimen has jumped to 47 percent from 34 percent in Kaiser’s December survey. nytimes.com

Cuomo says NYC indoor dining could soon return at 25% capacity
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York announced on Wednesday that coronavirus-related restrictions on nonessential businesses and indoor dining would be lifted in several areas across the state, as officials assess whether indoor dining could soon return with limited capacity in New York City, which he barred last month.

Restrictions on capacity at houses of worship, restaurants and indoor gatherings would only remain in parts of the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan, along with one city in Orange County, Mr. Cuomo said, adding that hospitalizations and virus test positivity rates had decreased in many regions of the state after holiday season spikes. nytimes.com

January has been the deadliest month for Covid-19 with nearly 80,000 lives lost so far in the US

Home Depot Talks ORC & Partnership with Buy Safe Coalition

There is a new fight to crackdown on organized retail crime. The Buy Safe America Coalition says it is working to protect and inform consumers while putting a stop to a crowing criminal trend. Organized retail crime is more than the one-off shoplifting theft, and it can get violent

“More and more employees are put in harm’s way. They are being flashed knives and guns, some have been punched, some have been Maced, some have been verbally abused and we see that continues to increase,” says Michael Hanson, Buy Safe America Coalition, Spokesperson

It's an effort to steal items to sell them off to pawn shops or more commonly now - on an online marketplace, and that money is usually used to finance other criminal activity.

“Places where it is really easy for someone to upload these stolen items and then resell them for cash, and when we talk about organized retail crime, this is a lot of times a network of shoplifters,” says Christina Cornell, The Home Depot Spokesperson.

Home Depot is one of partners with the Buy Safe America Coalition. Cornell showed Oklahoma City's Fox 25 Consumer Watch images of a busted fencing operation including many home improvement products. There were thousands of dollars in stolen items set up to look like a makeshift store in what appeared to be a garage. okcfox.com

Par Mar’s Proactive LP Approach
Par Mar’s director of LP discusses theft reduction strategies heading into 2021
As technology evolves, c-stores’ loss prevention tactics continue to mature. CStore Decisions spoke with Terri Caldwell, director of loss prevention for Par Mar Oil Co. — which operates 156 Par Mar Stores in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania — about the company’s best practices for loss prevention and plans for the new year.

In what ways has the pandemic affected loss prevention?

TC: I really haven’t seen a big rise (in theft). From when I was a manager and came to work for Par Mar in 1998 to today, there’s always been theft. Where you get a rise is when cigarette retail (prices) go up. Twenty years ago, if you stole a carton of cigarettes, that was $30. Today it’s $90.

We’ve only had one instance (with masks) that really affected us, and we couldn’t see the person’s face. Only one instance since March. Of course, it’s harder for (bigger stores), I’m sure.

Are there any new LP strategies or new opportunities that you’re looking at for 2021?

TC: Camera systems. We are definitely looking into camera systems. And bringing everything together, where as soon as you do a transaction, it’ll be on the camera, on the register. I’ll get an email right to me and the manager. It is very nice with modern technology because the choices are so much better. We went from 50 to 156 stores in four years, so we have many different systems out there at this time. We’re working to get it down.

Of course, you always have to make sure the cost is going to save you money. If you’re going to spend a million dollars and you don’t have a million dollars in loss, then there’s really no point in spending that money in dollars. And we have a big enough IT department now that we can install cameras in-house. Because it’s just like a plumber at your house; everything has a cost. Read the full Q&A here.

11 retailers among 100 best places to work: 2021 Glassdoor ranking
The winners of the 13th annual Employees’ Choice Awards, from job and recruiting site Glassdoor, are determined based on anonymous feedback employees, who complete a company review about their job, work environment and employer over the past year. (Bain & Company claimed the top spot.)

Here are the 11 retailers who made the list:

8: Lululemon Athletica
10: H-E-B.
29: Vans
35: Trader Joe’s

36: Wegman’s
48: REI
49: Nike
56: Costco

79: Kwik Trip
86: Discount Tire
100: QuikTrip
chainstoreage.com

Joint Statement from AAFA, FDRA, NRF, RILA, and USFIA Urging Clear and Decisive Action on XUAR
The American Apparel & Footwear Association, Footwear Distributors of America, National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and The United States Fashion Industry Association today submitted a letter to House and Senate Leadership of the 117 Congress, reiterating zero tolerance for forced labor and urging Congress to take quick, clear, implementable, and decisive action on the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The letter further urges Congress to ensure that any action is part of a broader U.S.-led global strategy to end forced labor in the XUAR and the larger campaign of oppression it fuels. nrf.com

Is a labor storm developing at retail?
Management and labor unions have been at odds with very few exceptions for as long as the two have been around. This has certainly been the case in the retailing business. The question right now, however, is whether nonunion frontline workers have been made to feel more disposable during the novel coronavirus pandemic and if they will turn to collective bargaining agreements in an effort to seek safety in numbers.

Conflicts between workers and management have been placed in a more contrasting light since the pandemic hit. Issues of working conditions, racial equity, income disparity and job security have grown even more prevalent at a time when “essential” retailers have produced record financial results while those designated “non-essential” have had to revert to furloughs, layoffs and reduced man hours in an effort to balance demand with operating expenses. retailwire.com

Amazon Faces Toughest U.S. Union Battle Yet

Instacart Fires Workers Who Formed Union

Amazon Disrupts Home Security Market
Amazon Unveils $4.99 Security Monitoring Service for Alexa Guard
Amazon is disrupting the status quo once again, this time in the security and smart home businesses with several new services. It announced it has jumped into the security monitoring business with its new $4.99 per month or $49 per year Guard Plus service via Alexa Guard. Amazon’s security monitoring gives customers hands-free access to an emergency helpline, smart alerts about activity and other potential emergencies, as well as new features to deter potential intruders. securitysales.com

Department store chain Belk filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Franchise Group acquires Pet Supplies Plus for $700M

Starbucks exec Rosalind Brewer to take over as Walgreens CEO

Bloomingdale’s Launching ‘Bloomie’s’ Small Store Concept

IKEA pursuing multi-tier store strategy in U.S.

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Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)

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Notorious Hacker 'Shiny Hunters' Hits Retailer
Bonobos clothing store suffers a data breach, hacker leaks 70GB database
A cyberattack has reportedly exposed customer information of a Walmart-owned omnichannel menswear brand. According to BleepingComputer, personal data of millions of Bonobos customers was illegally downloaded by a well-known hacker who uses the alias “ShinyHunters.” The hacker, who has previously sold information stolen from corporate databases, was able to gain access to a cloud backup of a 70GB Bonobos customer database.

ShinyHunters then posted information including addresses, phone numbers, order information, encrypted passwords, and last four credit card digits from millions of Bonobos customers on a free hacker forum. Not every customer whose data was exposed had every piece of information displayed on the forum. Another threat actor has reportedly claimed to have already figured out 158,000 of the encrypted passwords. chainstoreage.com

International Action Targets EMOTET Crimeware
World’s most dangerous malware disrupted through global action
Authorities across Europe said they’d seized control over Emotet, a prolific malware strain and cybercrime-as-service operation. Investigators say the action could help quarantine more than a million Microsoft Windows systems currently compromised with malware tied to Emotet infections.

First surfacing in 2014, Emotet began as a banking trojan, but over the years it has evolved into one of the more aggressive platforms for spreading malware that lays the groundwork for ransomware attacks.

“The EMOTET infrastructure essentially acted as a primary door opener for computer systems on a global scale,” European police agency Europol said. “Once this unauthorised access was established, these were sold to other top-level criminal groups to deploy further illicit activities such data theft and extortion through ransomware.”

Experts say Emotet is a pay-per-install botnet that is used by several distinct cybercrime groups to deploy secondary malware — most notably the ransomware strain Ryuk and Trickbot, a powerful banking trojan. It propagates mainly via malicious links and attachments sent through compromised email accounts, blasting out tens of thousands of malware-laced missives daily. krebsonsecurity.com europol.eu

Luring in the Big Fish
Business executives targeted with Office 365-themed phishing emails
An ongoing campaign powered by a phishing kit sold on underground forums is explicitly targeting high-ranking executives in a variety of sectors and countries with fake Office 365 password expiration notifications, Trend Micro researchers warn.

The compromised login credentials are likely then sold on those same forums for $250 per account (or even higher). The compromised accounts can be used to send out even more convincing phishing emails, perpetrate BEC scams, or collect sensitive information.

The phishing emails take the form of a Microsoft Office365 password reset email and, at first glance, they seem like they’ve been sent by the company’s IT administrators. The recipients are urged to click on the button/link provided in the email in order to change their Office 365 password or continue with the same one, because “further message might be prevented if any of the above actions are not performed.” The link takes them to a fake Office 365 login page, where some of them end up entering their account credentials (i.e., handing them to the phishers).

The researchers took advantage of poorly configured phishing sites to get their hands on the phishing kit and the sites’ log files, and found that nearly half of the victims who entered their credentials were CEOs, and nearly three quarter of them are based in the US. helpnetsecurity.com

BEC Scammers Find New Ways to Navigate Microsoft 365
Business email compromise (BEC) scammers targeted victims' out-of-office replies and read receipts during the 2020 holiday season, when many took time off work and automatic replies were more prevalent, researchers report. Attackers targeted victims by redirecting their own Microsoft 365 out-of-office messages back to them, Abnormal Security noticed. A scammer would write an extortion email and manipulate the email headers ("Reply-To"). If the target has an out-of-office reply turned on, the alert can be redirected to a second target within the organization — not back to the attacker, researchers report. darkreading.com

Pay-or-Get-Breached Ransomware Schemes Took Off in 2020

Cybersecurity investments will increase up to 10% in 2021

Apple urges security upgrade to iPhones, iPads

Register today for the Retail Loss Prevention Forum! This timely online event will bring together leading retail loss prevention and security professionals to discuss proactive strategies, technologies, and best practices for protecting people, property, and assets.

During the Retail Loss Prevention Forum, you'll gain actionable insights on these pertinent topics:

● Organized Retail Crime
● Cyber Security Landscape in Canada
● Upside of Curbside & other Pandemic Measures
● Responding to Escalated Violence
● New Technologies for LP
● Payment Security & Fraud Prevention
● and more

Visit RCCLPConference.ca for full event information and stay tuned for agenda and speaker announcements.

COVID Update

Vaccinating the Security Industry
Union calls for security guards to be added to vaccine priority list
UFCW Local 333, which, according to its website, represents thousands of workers in the security industry, has published an open letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford requesting that security guards be added to the COVID-19 vaccine priority list.

The union’s press release of Jan. 22 notes that security guards have continued to work at grocery stores, long-term care facilities, hospitals, government facilities, malls, etc., throughout the pandemic, which was declared last March.

“Although we have asked the government, since the beginning of the pandemic, to deem security guards as essential workers, and ensure that they are given pandemic pay, we are now also asking that guards be given priority for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine due to the hazardous nature of the work that they perform,” added Ketelaars. canadiansecuritymag.com

200,000+ COVID-Related Closures in Canada
COVID-19 could shutter more than 200k Canadian businesses forever

1 in 6 business owners are contemplating shutting down, survey suggests

More than 200,000 Canadian businesses could close permanently during the COVID-19 crisis, throwing millions of people out of work as the resurgence of the virus worsens across much of the country, according to new research.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Thursday one in six, or about 181,000, Canadian small business owners are now seriously contemplating shutting down. The latest figures, based on a survey of its members done between Jan. 12 and 16, come on top of 58,000 businesses that became inactive in 2020. cbc.ca

COVID Lockdowns = Mass Closures?
Half of Restaurants in Canada Could Shutter Permanently Amid Lockdowns
The Fifteen Group, one of North America’s leading hospitality industry experts, surveyed its clients across Canada to get a deep understanding of what the restaurant industry is going through in these challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the numbers aren’t pretty.

The survey found that 98 percent of the company’s clients have had their revenues negatively impacted since the start of the pandemic and over three quarters of those report more than a 50 percent decline.

David Hopkins, President of The Fifteen Group, said most restaurant owners feel that the steps they’ve taken to protect consumers and staff are sufficient.

“They don’t understand necessarily the lockdowns or the positions governments are putting in place. There’s a disconnect there. We’ve seen that in the media to a certain degree but hearing it from our client base certainly was impactful. They think they’re doing enough, they’re protecting their guests and yet they’re not allowed to operate. I’m speaking of Ontario and some provinces,” he said.

“Forty nine percent of the respondents said they weren’t sure if they would make it through to the end of the pandemic. ... Things have gone downhill fairly fast in most if not all provinces. It’s way tougher now than we thought it might be at the start of December.” retail-insider.com

Toronto BIAs Tell Premier Ford That Lockdowns Are Unfair

COVID Cyber Scams
Fake Canadian COVID notification apps & websites aim to steal money & personal data
Thousands of fake Canadian government websites, emails and apps that take advantage of the pandemic to try to mine personal data or steal money have been taken down in the last few months, according to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.

The centre leads the government's response to cyber-security events, defends Ottawa's cyber assets and provides advice to Canadian industries, businesses and citizens about how to protect themselves online.

Evan Koronewski, a spokesperson for the centre, said in an email the fraudulent websites are impersonating the government of Canada to "deliver fake COVID-19 exposure notification applications, designed to install malware on users devices." Since March 15, the centre has helped remove more than 4,000 such fraudulent sites or email addresses, he said. cbc.ca

FedEx, Innomar score big contract to distribute COVID vaccine in Canada

Canada keeps end-September COVID vaccination target despite Pfizer delay

Made-in-Canada coronavirus vaccine starts human clinical trials

'Old, Sick, Broke, Lonely & Likely to Die in Jail'
For Peter Nygard, Alone and Jailed, Rags-to-Riches Story Turns Upside Down

The former fashion executive’s defense team asked for more time after one of the two guarantors who put forward collateral raised suspicions.

In a Manitoba court this week, his lawyers presented a very different picture of the 79-year-old inmate, now facing extradition to the United States and seeking to be released on bail: He was old, sick, broke, lonely and likely to die in jail, where he has languished for more than a month and where the coronavirus is raging.

In his own affidavit, Mr. Nygard said that since his arrest on behalf of the United States in connection with sex crimes and other charges, “I am getting weaker everyday. I have lost weight; have difficulty breathing (it’s getting worse); have suffered dizziness and fainting spells as well as numbness in my hands and toes.” He added that the jail food, full of sugar and carbohydrates, which he had cut from his diet, had made him “violently sick.”

His lawyers offered a proposal for Mr. Nygard’s release that they called “rock solid,” but the judge said she had “some serious issues” with the plan, and with one guarantor in particular, before agreeing to adjourn the case for another week, so Mr. Nygard’s lawyers could regroup and draft a Plan B. nytimes.com

Peter Nygard to Be Spotlighted in Four-Part Streaming Series

45 Retail Bankruptcies
Retailers Led Bankruptcy Filings in Canada Over the Past 12 Months
The online publication Insolvency Insider highlighted 244 insolvency filings in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the financial viability of many companies in Canada throughout various industries.

Retail led all industries with 45 filings mentioned, followed by real estate with 23 filings, manufacturing with 17 filings, food and accommodation with 16, and cannabis with 15. The publication said 112 filings mentioned were in Ontario, followed by 45 in Alberta and 35 in Quebec.

Dina Milivojevic, Editor of Insolvency Insider, said the number of filings in 2020 in the retail sector was not as high as perhaps expected.

“One of the reasons from a landlord’s perspective is probably that some landlords aren’t enforcing (full rents) because it won’t be good for business in the post-COVID era to have lots of empty un-leased space,” she said. “So to the extent that they can keep their tenants alive I think that’s what they’re trying to do. retail-insider.com

Salesforce Releases 2020 Holiday Shopping Report Showing Canadians Shifted Online in a Big Way
The numbers are in and Canadians increasingly shopped online during the recent holiday season, according to a new report by Salesforce.

Salesforce, a global leader in Customer Relationship Management, said in its 2020 Holiday Shopping Report that Canada saw holiday shopping revenue growth of 70 percent in e-commerce from a year ago.

It also found:

● Pre-Cyber week sales reached 135 percent revenue growth and pre-Christmas saw 123 percent growth;

● There was a massive 2170 percent growth in online Boxing Day shopping traffic and 201 percent year-over-year increase in Canadian ecommerce Boxing Day revenue retail-insider.com

Retail sales continue rebound, having risen 7 months in a row since COVID low in April
The data agency released numbers for November on Friday that showed Canadian retailers racked up more than $55 billion in sales during the month. That's more than $600 million higher than they were the previous month, and the seventh straight monthly gain since shopping cratered in March and April of 2020, when the pandemic was just beginning. The increase was led by higher sales at food and beverage stores and higher online sales — continuing the internet shopping trend that exploded last spring. cbc.ca

QuanU, other retailers find new real estate deals in Canada

Godiva to close all 11 Canadian stores by end of March

Organized Crime Leader Arrested Trying to Enter Canada
Nabbed Canadian man named as one of world's biggest drug kingpins learned underworld trade from Mafia in Canada
When one of the world’s most wanted organized crime figures was arrested at an airport in Amsterdam over the weekend while trying to return to Canada, it ended a global manhunt for one the biggest and most important global kingpins — a Canadian citizen described as Asia’s El Chapo.

Tse Chi Lop, 57, was born in China and immigrated to Canada, where he learned important lessons in underworld economics and the value of alliances from the Montreal Mafia, two characteristics that would help forge an empire. From a base in Toronto, where he still has family, he laid a foundation for what authorities allege blossomed into one of the world’s most prolific drug syndicates.

His vast wealth and power kept his name out of the headlines for years, allowing him to live a jet-set life filled with private planes, high-rolling casinos, real estate and travel while, authorities allege, building a multi-billion-dollar drug syndicate. It is the first time a major crime figure in Asia of his stature has been arrested in decades, if ever. thechronicleherald.ca

Drug Trafficking Operation
‘Cocaine bananas’ shipped to Canadian grocery stores in botched operation
Police in Kelowna said Tuesday that 21 kilograms (46 pounds) of cocaine was shipped from Colombia as part of the failed drug deal, Global News reported. The discovery was originally made by workers at a Kelowna grocery store who found 12 packages of cocaine hidden under a banana shipment in February 2019. Later that day, another grocery store owner contacted authorities about also discovering the drug in the fruit delivery. Police seized the two shipments of cocaine, which they estimate amounted to more than 800,000 doses, and launched an international investigation. nypost.com

Orillia, ON: Alleged five-finger-discount ends in drug/weapons seizure

Seized drugs believed to be fentanyl and methamphetamine

Two women from the Niagara area are charged with numerous theft, drug and weapons offences following a shoplifting investigation. Shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, Orillia OPP received a report of two females acting suspiciously and possibly stealing from a downtown business. Later that day, police received a report from a Murphy Road business of two females shoplifting at the store. Officers located and arrested two women, who were identified as being the same suspects from the original call. Further investigation led to the seizure of what police suspect is fentanyl, methamphetamine and two prohibited edged weapons. Officers also recovered numerous stolen items from the two events, Orillia OPP said. simcoe.com

Halton, ON: Violent trio used robbery to stock up on supplies
The Halton Regional Police Service have arrested three men who they say stole a large amount of merchandise from retailers in the area, sometimes threatening violence. Suspects in these occurrences entered retail stores and brazenly stole large quantities of merchandise including high end fragrances, formula and energy drinks. In some instances, when confronted by staff the suspects utilized threats or violence to aid their escape. Stores were targeted in Milton, Oakville and Burlington. All three have been held in custody pending a bail hearing. bayobserver.ca

Winnipeg, MB: 2 men recovering after one was shot in suite above c-store

Kawartha Lakes, ON: Lindsay man arrested after suspected shoplifting incident

Charlottetown, PEI: Man charged after he was caught shoplifting

Robberies & Burglaries

● C-Store - Niagara Falls, ON - Armed Robbery
● C-Store - Kitchener, ON - Armed Robbery
● Cannabis Store - Calgary, AB - Armed Robbery
● Electronics - Alliston, ON - Robbery/Tied Up Employees

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

View Canadian Connections Archives

Tackling fraud challenges in ecommerce

Patrick Finnigan, Director of Loss Prevention Analytics and Fraud at Dunkin’ Brands, shares best practices on how ecommerce businesses can meet their fraud challenges while increasing their revenue, expand digital enablement, and drive customer loyalty

With the surge of online and mobile purchases, fraudsters have also seized the opportunity to explore any vulnerability or loophole in the ecommerce space, causing merchants to wisely rethink their strategies so they can ensure a secure and convenient customer experience. At the same time, solution providers are pushed to further innovate their services and technologies to keep fraudsters at bay and help their merchants boost their revenue and protect profits. In a high growth environment like the ecommerce space, several particular challenges remain top of mind so that businesses can increase revenue, expand digital enablement, and drive customer loyalty.

Omnichannel success depends upon a multi-layered fraud mitigation strategy

While some businesses had already offered a variety of channels for customers to interact and engage with them, the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 forced many merchants to accelerate their omnichannel and digital plans. While this opened up new streams of revenue, it also produced a host of new and previously unseen points of fraud exposure that merchants needed to protect against. As such, it is increasingly clear that merchants need to guard against fraud along the entire customer journey – not just at the time of financial transaction. This means putting protective measures in place at account creation, login, add a credit card, loyalty programme sign-up etc.

Gift cards are very appealing to both consumers and fraudsters alike

Gift cards are an attractive target for fraudsters for a variety of reasons. First off, they are very easily monetised. Gift cards can be bought and sold on many third-party websites, in both digital and physical form, making it very easy for fraudsters to monetise their ill-gotten gains. Digital gift cards, in particular, can be easily obtained by fraudsters who purchase them using stolen credit cards. This is probably the most widespread form of gift card fraud.

Fraud detection in real time may be difficult with sparse or unlabelled data - Choosing the right fraud prevention solution provider thepaypers.com

Amazon Scam
Deputies warn of two scams in which people claim to be from Amazon

Two victims discovered they were out $7,000 and $9,000 respectively.

Investigators say they have received and taken reports recently from citizens who are being scammed by those who are claiming to be from Amazon. The scams follow the same pattern as the victims are contacted by someone who says they are from Amazon.

The caller tells the victim that they have charges on their Amazon account or the victims owe Amazon money.

When the victim questions the charges on the account, the caller instructs them to go and purchase gift cards so money can be credited to their account. Once the gift cards are purchased, then the victims are instructed by the caller to provide the card numbers so the caller can access the money on the card. wyff4.com

Walmart to begin drone delivery pilot this summer
Walmart customers along the Arkansas and Missouri state line will soon be able to receive their e-commerce orders via drone delivery. The retailer and drone provider Zipline International have announced that a pilot program operating out of Walmart’s Pea Ridge, Arkansas, store will begin this summer. Crabtree told the Globe deliveries would be mostly medical supplies, and at its peak, the service could be making as many as 15 deliveries per day. freightwaves.com

This Company Could Be the Next Big Thing in E-Commerce

Dothan, AL: Serial Lowe’s shoplifter arrested again
Police picked up a Dothan man again for allegedly stealing from the west side Lowe’s while he was out on bond of several other theft charges. Pierce Miller, 63, is being charged with two more counts of third-degree property for thefts captured on surveillance cameras on Dec. 13 and Jan. 16. Dothan Police Lt. Scott Owens said he took two ceiling fans, two five-gallon buckets of paint, two paint sprayers, a compound miter saw and a jig-saw and left the store without paying on both occasions. The merchandise was valued at around $1,500. In December, he was arrested for taking four lamps valued at $529 and leaving without paying. In September 2020, he was caught after allegedly stealing from the home improvement retailer four times between Aug. 28 and Sept. 4. dothaneagle.com

Polk County, FL: Two men with long histories steal several hundred dollars worth of cologne
Two men with histories of shoplifting and theft were caught in the act of stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of cologne from a CVS in north Lakeland, Fla. The total value of the fragrances stolen is $485.00. Martin had a glass pipe with cocaine residue in his pocket. Sheriff Grady Judd pointed out a bizarre moment in the entire situation. “These suspects ironically stole several bottles of a fragrance called ‘Guilty’ - how fitting. Maybe they should instead focus on purchasing a new fragrance called ‘Reformed’ and give up their practice of stealing,” Judd said in a press release. Together, the 2 men have been in state prison 16 times. mysuncoast.com

Natick, MA: Pair busted in theft of $1,400 of liquor from Wegmans
Police say a couple with an apparent taste for vodka were caught trying to steal more than $600 worth of liquor from Wegmans on Friday, days after they successfully stole more than $800 worth. Police arrested Edward Dean and Mary Latham at the Natick Mall grocery store at 2:10 p.m. last Friday, police spokeswoman Lt. Cara Rossi said. metrowestdailynews.com

Bossier City, LA: Camouflaged Tactical Thief hits Target for Electronics, Beer and Batteries
Bossier City police are looking for a tactical thief, who knew just what he wanted, stashed the merchandise in a backpack and quickly hit the door. The Bossier City Property Crimes Division is asking for your help to identify this white male that they say committed a theft of several items at Target in Bossier City. “The suspect was caught on video placing a portable radio, an armband radio, a 12-pack of beer, and a package of batteries in his backpack and exiting the store,” detectives said in a release. bossiernow.com

Portage County, OH: Man charged with Felony Theft, $750 of electronics
A man was charged on Monday with first-degree felony theft in connection with an allegation that he tried to leave a township store without paying for electronic merchandise totaling nearly $750 in value on Jan. 17. record-courier.com

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Shootings & Deaths

Pittsburgh, PA: Suspect sought after man shot dead outside of Family Dollar in Washington County
Police are searching for a suspect in connection with two shootings in Washington County Tuesday, including one that left a man dead outside of a Family Dollar store shortly before 4 p.m. Darnell Steven Brown, 41, of Washington, Pa., was shot in the parking lot of the Family Dollar at 130 Highland Ave. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the county coroner’s office. “It appears this was a targeted shooting,” Washington police Detective Dan Rush told Post-Gazette news partner KDKA-TV. “Whether it was a drive-by, I don’t know. He said other people were in the parking lot at the time, but no one else was injured. post-gazette.com

Adams County, CO: 2 people shot inside Dollar General, police searching for suspect
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says two people were hospitalized after a shooting inside a Dollar General on Tuesday morning. The shooting happened in the 5300 Sheridan Boulevard just before 9:30 a.m. FOX31 has learned that the two people were checking out inside the store when the suspect walked in and shot them. According to investigators, there were two suspects involved in the shooting. The female suspect made a purchase at the register and as they left the male suspect turned around and fired several shots. kdvr.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

New Jersey: Multi-County Burglary Crew Broke Into 40 North Jersey Pharmacies Seeking Codeine
A gang of burglars used bricks and rocks to break into at least 40 pharmacies in Hudson, Bergen and several other counties, targeting specific prescription drugs that they could sell, federal authorities said. Ten men, all from Jersey City, were charged in the three-month spree following an investigation led by Secaucus police, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said Tuesday. Surveillance video captured images of the burglars breaking into some of the victimized pharmacies in North Bergen, Jersey City, Guttenberg, West New York, Secaucus, Lyndhurst, North Arlington, Linden, Iselin, Madison, Kenilworth and Short Hills from Oct. 11 through Dec. 22, she said. dailyvoice.com

Georgia: Burglary crew targeting pharmacies across North Georgia
A burglary crew is responsible for at least six break-ins at pharmacies across North Georgia in recent weeks, including two that occurred Monday morning within a 20-minute span, authorities said. The suspects, typically clad in black hoodies and masks, appear to be after prescription drugs at mom-and-pop pharmacies, though larger retail chains have also been targeted, according to investigators. ajc.com

Philly receives 224 guns in buyback program offering grocery store gift cards
As Philadelphia searches for strategies to contain an epidemic of gun violence, the city successfully took 224 guns off the street last weekend through an incentive program at two local churches. The Gun Buyback event, sponsored by City Council, took place at the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in North Philadelphia and Yesha Ministries in South Philadelphia. Whereas past gun "turn in" events were voluntary in nature, the organizers of Saturday's event offered $100 gift cards for groceries at local ShopRite stores. phillyvoice.com

Rome, GA: Police searching for suspect after Christmas Day jewelry store burglary

New Orleans, LA: NOPD superintendent asks for community involvement in addressing crime across city

	David Halliwell promoted to Regional Asset Protection Manager for CVS Health
	John Carro, CFI named Regional Loss Prevention Manager for Auto Plus Auto Parts
	Julia Tricca promoted to Security Operations Center Specialist for The TJX Companies

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The thrill of the chase intoxicates us all in the beginning and keeps most of us here for a life time. But ultimately it can also hold us back because it legitimizes our separateness and virtually eliminates the need to evolve with the retail business. Recognizing it and forcing yourself to learn beyond your specialty and embracing the relationships around you will poll vault your career and help you stand out even more.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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