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2/12/21

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Sharon Curry promoted to Director of Investigations, Workplace Investigations, and Global Investigations for Walmart

Sharon has been with Walmart for more than 30 years, starting with the company in 1988 as Director of Global Investigations. Before her promotion to Director of Investigations, Workplace Investigations, and Global Investigations, she spent six years as Director of Global Investigative Governance. She also served as Director of Corporate Investigations for Walmart. Congratulations, Sharon!

Quincy Howard named Manager, Internal Audit - Forensic & Fraud for Amazon

Before joining Amazon as Manager, Internal Audit - Forensic & Fraud, Quincy spent two years with Cardinal Health as Global Internal Audit Manager - Fraud Investigation. Prior to that, he spent three years with Hilton as Senior Manager, Global Fraud & Abuse. He was with Amazon earlier in his career as well, serving as Global Security Manager and DC Loss Prevention Manager over a four-year period. He also spent more than five years in LP roles with the Exchange. Congratulations, Quincy!

See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position

Faster, More Accurate Emergency Dispatch Expected in Cumberland County, PA with Launch of ‘ASAP to PSAP’
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania joins a growing number of municipalities across the nation to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) at its Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

ASAP automates communication from alarm monitoring central stations to PSAPs and 911 centers resulting in faster, more accurate emergency response by delivering alarm notification information directly from the alarm monitoring centers to PSAPs via computer rather than by phone. All pertinent data goes directly to first responders and the process takes only about five seconds. Many agencies using ASAP can expect alarm response times to drop from minutes to seconds.

Vector Security helped develop ASAP in partnership with The Monitoring Association (TMA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). Vector Security President and CEO Pam Petrow served as founding co-chair of the committee; the company was the first to debut ASAP in Richmond, Virginia in 2012. vectorsecurity.com

5 Reasons Why We Let People Steal this One Thing...
Some people think this is dangerous or should be reserved only for your personal life. Still, the Product Protection Solutions (PPS) team has no fear; we know the risk, and we do it anyway...while we are quick to provide an LP solution, there is one thing we let you steal from the PPS team just as fast...OUR HEARTS!

“From the first day we joined the LP community, the PPS team wanted to make a difference. While we bring innovative and creative solutions to our customers and the industry, we exist to make LP professionals’ lives easier and better in every way! We do this because we care,” said Chris Cox, CEO at PPS.

Here are the 5 reasons we let you steal our hearts.

Protests & Violence

High Stress - More Anxiety - More Alcohol & Drug Abuse - More Aggressive
Millions Unemployed - Financially Strapped - Working Lesser Positions - Angry & Locked Down

Retail Robberies Flat - Retail Violent Fatalities Increase Slightly - Homicides up 30% & Now Traffic Fatalities Increase 7% in 2020
Excessive speeding was cited as a leading contributor to the carnage. You'd think less traffic with stay-at-home orders, curfews, and shutdowns nationwide. And while traffic count was down the traffic that was out there almost "saw the open lane as an invitation for reckless driving."

Across the country, 38,370 people were killed in highway crashes from January through November 2020, up 7 percent compared with the same period in 2019, according to preliminary federal data analyzed by the National Safety Council. December numbers aren’t yet available.

Transportation and law enforcement officials say the data confirms that the pandemic, which has killed nearly 500,000 Americans, also altered the dynamics of road safety. Some drivers took open lanes as an invitation for reckless driving, they said, making roadways more lethal in 2020.

While Americans drove less because of stay-at-home orders and increased telecommuting, the fatality rate per mile driven rose 24 percent last year, according to the council’s analysis. Meanwhile, the number of miles driven nationwide decreased by 15 percent.

Experts cited speeding and aggressive, distracted and impaired driving as the primary causes for the increase. washingtonpost.com

Editor's Note: You'd think all the numbers would have decreased in every category across the board. But the fact is stressful times influence people in numerous ways and cause reactions. Most of which being aggressive and negative reactions where stress is vented and released. And each one of the above are just that. More unemployed, more alcohol and drug abuse, more arguments (domestic - workplace - public), and more reckless driving. Just my thoughts - Gus Downing

Dramatic Homicides & Shootings Spike With Pandemic
Going hand in hand with article above

Desperate to slow spike in killings, LAPD redeploys controversial units in South L.A.
Facing a troubling spike in gun violence, the Los Angeles Police Department has returned tactical officers to crime suppression and vehicle stops in South L.A. and other neighborhoods after critics called the tactics racially biased and department leaders determined two years ago that they were ineffective.

The move, which The Times confirmed this week, speaks to a growing desperation among police and others to curb the dramatic spike in homicides and shootings that began with the pandemic in 2020 but has continued unabated in the first weeks of 2021.

Through the end of January, homicides were up 40% compared to the same time last year, and up 111% compared to 2019, with much of the violence occurring in South and Central L.A., according to police data. The city saw its 50th homicide of the year this week, compared to 31 during the same period last year. Shootings were up more than 160%.

The officers are working in uniform and conducting “investigative stops” based on “information gleaned from crime alerts, real-time statistics and communication with the area commanding officers regarding the most recent crime trends,” he said, adding: They are “held to a high standard and mandated to engage in constitutional policing, which relies on reasonable suspicion and probable cause for detentions and arrests.”

Last year’s violence — 350 homicides and many more shootings — was the most seen in the city in a decade, though still well below historic highs in the 1990s. There were 130 shootings in the first four weeks of this year, compared to 47 last year and 49 in 2019, police data show.

Moore said he believes the closing of schools, recreation centers and other places where community members would normally come together to “talk and work through difficulties” has contributed to the violence. latimes.com

Police Increasingly Using 'Geofence Warrants' to Solve Crimes
Minneapolis police tapped Google to identify George Floyd protesters

The warrant ordered the search giant to turn over user account data

Police in Minneapolis obtained a search warrant ordering Google to turn over sets of account data on vandals accused of sparking violence in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd last year, TechCrunch has learned.

The death of Floyd in May 2020 prompted thousands to peacefully protest across the city. But violence soon erupted, which police say began with a masked man seen in a viral video with an umbrella and smashing windows of an auto-parts store in south Minneapolis. The AutoZone store was the first among dozens of buildings across the city set on fire in the days following.

The search warrant compelled Google to provide police with the account data on anyone who was “within the geographical region” of the AutoZone store when the violence began on May 27, two days after Floyd’s death.

These so-called geofence warrants — or reverse-location warrants — are frequently directed at Google in large part because the search and advertising giant collects and stores vast databases of geolocation data on billions of account holders who have “location history” turned on. Geofence warrants allow police to cast a digital dragnet over a crime scene and ask tech companies for records on anyone who entered a geographic area at a particular time. But critics say these warrants are unconstitutional as they also gather the account information on innocent passers-by.

Law enforcement across the U.S. are increasingly relying on geofence warrants to solve crimes where a suspect is not known. Police have defended the use of these warrants because they can help identify potential suspects who entered a certain geographic region where a crime was committed. The warrants typically ask for “anonymized information,” but allow police to go back and narrow their requests on potential suspects of interest.

When allowed by law, Google notifies account holders of when law enforcement demands access to the user’s data. According to a court filing in 2019, Google said the number of geofence warrants it received went up by 1,500% between 2017 and 2018, and more than 500% between 2018 and 2019, but has yet to provide a specific number of warrants. Google reportedly received over 180 geofence warrants in a single week in 2019. When asked about more recent figures, a Google spokesperson declined to comment on the record. techcrunch.com

Judge: Former Minneapolis Cops Face Tougher Charges in Floyd Case
Judge rejects 3rd-degree murder charge against ex-officers in George Floyd case
A judge has rejected prosecutors' request to file a third-degree murder charge against four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death, saying a similar case is not yet a precedent.

Chauvin will proceed to a planned March 8 trial on charges of manslaughter and second-degree murder, an intentional act of killing someone that can be tougher to prove. Kueng, Lane and Thao are scheduled to be tried in one trial Aug. 23 on charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter. startribune.com

Minneapolis: Riot-Damaged Cub Foods Reopens Following Civil Unrest
After being forced to close in late May 2020 due to significant damage following civil unrest in the area, Stillwater, Minnesota-based Cub has reopened its store located at 2850 26th Avenue S. in Minneapolis. The reopening of the Lake Street store also marks the closure of the Cub Community Market, which played a vital role in keeping groceries available to the neighborhood since early July 2020. theshelbyreport.com

Indianapolis: T.J. Maxx to reopen after repairing damage from last May's riots
The T.J. Maxx store in downtown Indianapolis will reopen on Sunday. The clothing and home goods department store at 50 N. Illinois St. was damaged during rioting and civil unrest last May sparked by confrontations between police and demonstrators who were protesting the killings of Black Americans by police officers. More than 80 businesses across downtown were vandalized. The TJ Maxx was broken into and looted of goods. It has been closed ever since as workers repaired the boarded-up site. indystar.com

Violence Against Asian-Americans Raises Concern in Bay Area

Sonoma, CA: Restaurant gets death threats for not allowing server to wear BLM mask

Buffalo police officers seen shoving elderly protester have charges dropped

Two officers who helped fight the Capitol mob died by suicide. Many more are hurting.

COVID Update

US: Over 28M Cases - 487K Dead - 17.9M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 108M Cases - 2.3M Dead - 80M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 274
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 243
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Biden Announces Deal For 200 Million More COVID-19 Vaccines
President Biden has finalized deals to buy 200 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of July, increasing the likelihood of delivering on his promise to have all Americans inoculated by mid-summer.

Biden announced the latest deals, which are part of a plan he unveiled two weeks ago, during remarks made at the National Institutes of Health on Thursday. Additionally, Biden said, Pfizer and Moderna have agreed to expedite the delivery of 100 million doses each by a month — moving them up to May instead of June. npr.org

Retail's Federal Vaccine Push Kicks Off
Pharmacies move to the forefront of the U.S. vaccine campaign
More vaccine shots will be given to Americans beginning Friday with the start of a federal program that delivers doses directly to drugstores and grocery store pharmacies. The program will start small, with one million vaccine doses distributed to about 6,500 retail pharmacies. Over time, it will expand to as many as 40,000 drugstores and groceries.

While some states in recent weeks have begun using a limited number of retail pharmacies to administer doses, the delivery of vaccines directly from the federal government to pharmacies marks a new chapter in the U.S. vaccination campaign.

On Friday, Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, among other retailers, will start administering vaccines to eligible people based on state guidelines at limited locations around the country. Walgreens will have vaccines available in 22 states and Puerto Rico; Rite Aid will receive direct federal allocations initially in five states as well as Philadelphia and New York City; and CVS will offer vaccines in 18 states and Puerto Rico.

Dr. Fauci: April Could See 'Open Season' for COVID Vaccinations
The United States could see “open season” for COVID-19 vaccine doses by April, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday, an optimistic forecast that comes as states continue to clamor for additional supplies to ramp up their rollouts.

Though the nation will still be far from administering doses to all those who need it by then, Fauci said he believes conditions will improve to the point that health officials can begin inoculating the wider population.

“I would imagine, by the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, ‘open season’ — namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated,”

Nationwide, nearly 66 million vaccine doses have been delivered, and about 44.8 million have been administered.

Federal officials said this week that they would further increase the nationwide weekly vaccine allocation by 500,000 doses, to 11 million from 10.5 million. Up from 8.6 million three weeks ago.

“We’ve launched efforts to get more vaccines to pharmacies and community health centers. And we’re building new vaccination centers from the ground up, in stadiums, community centers, school gyms and parking lots across the country,” he said during a briefing Wednesday. latimes.com

COVID is Here to Stay - Permanently?
Doctors: Covid will become endemic & people need to learn to live with it
More and more physicians and public health officials are warning that even with the mass rollout of safe and effective vaccines, Covid may permanently establish itself.

White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and World Health Organization executive director of the Health Emergencies Program Dr. Mike Ryan have said in recent weeks that the coronavirus may never go away.

“I think if you speak with most epidemiologists and most public health workers, they would say today that they believe this disease will become endemic, at least in the short term and most likely in the long term,” said David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology. cnbc.com

UK COVID-19 variant is ‘going to sweep the world,’ top scientist says
The highly contagious UK variant of COVID-19 will likely become the world’s most dominant strain, according to a top UK molecular biologist — who warned that scientists may be forced to monitor the mutating virus for the next decade.

“[It] is going to sweep the world, in all probability,” Professor Sharon Peacock, head of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, said of the UK strain, which has already spread to 50 countries — and may morph in months or years to come. nypost.com

The Hardest Question for Corp. America Right Now:
When Should Offices Reopen?
Workers Remain Anxious About In-Person Meetings - Feeling Safe in 2022?

Another Remote-Work Year Looms as Office-Reopening Plans Are Delayed

Return dates get pushed to September or beyond, keeping firms and employees in ‘moment of limbo’

The vaccine roll-out failure has scuttled reopening of offices for millions of workers.

Many companies are pushing workplace return dates to September—and beyond—or refusing to commit to specific dates, telling employees it will be a wait-and-see remote-work year.

Return-to-office dates have shifted so much in the past year that some companies aren’t sharing them with employees.

Nearly a year of makeshift work at home has weighed on employees, leaders say. While many companies say productivity is up, executives worry that creativity is suffering and say that burnout is on the rise. Even so, bosses struggle to say when things will change.

“Everyone’s in the moment of limbo. They want certainty, but they know they can’t have it.”

Continue Reading: Labor Day? - Sometime in '22? - Reaching Herd Immunity - In-Person Settings?

COVID Infections Among Dockworkers Causing Historic Traffic Jams at Ports
New video shows massive scope of California box-ship traffic jam
Newly released U.S. Coast Guard video offers visceral proof of just how extreme the congestion has become at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The new view from above reveals a vast armada of container ships scattered at anchor across California’s San Pedro Bay.

The data confirms that there has been no real let-up in the historic container-ship traffic jam off California’s coast.

As of Thursday, there were 25 container ships at berth in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Thirty-two container ships were at anchorage. Waiting time has remained at an average of around one week since then.

What’s causing the traffic jam - Delays on the landside are causing the logjam at sea. Extremely high inbound volumes combined with logistical complications both inside and outside the ports are causing the landside delays.

One of the challenges inside the ports involves COVID infections among dockworkers. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reported 694 of its members had tested positive as of Jan. 17. By Jan. 25, the number had jumped to 803.

Consumers to see emptier shelves - That new, new normal will be increasingly felt by consumers.

“We’re seeing a decline in the fashion market. Maybe some Valentine’s Day goods are stuck. We’ll see Easter goods getting stuck. And we’ll see things that are actually arriving too late to go to market. So, there will be an economic impact, from consumer goods to manufacturing.” freightwaves.com

NY Gov. in Hot Water
New Allegations of Cover-Up by Cuomo Over Nursing Home Virus Toll

In a leaked conversation, the governor’s top aide admitted that data was withheld on nursing homes, where more than 10,000 New Yorkers have died during the pandemic.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his top aides were facing new allegations on Friday that they covered up the scope of the death toll in the state’s nursing homes from the coronavirus, after admissions that they withheld data in an effort to forestall potential investigations into state misconduct.

The latest revelations came in the wake of private remarks by the governor’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, and a cascading series of reports and court orders that have nearly doubled the state’s official toll of nursing home deaths in the last two weeks. nytimes.com

Massachusetts’ vaccine buddy system sets off ‘old rush’
This week, Massachusetts launched a first-in-the-nation experiment, offering vaccinations to younger people who accompany people who are 75 and older to mass vaccination sites.

COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Open At 593 Florida Publix Pharmacies

Tractor Supply, Shipt, Petco, Eyemart Express offer vaccine stipends to employees

Biden tells Americans to wear masks for COVID-19 until at least 2022

More Than 1.7 Million Counterfeit N95 Masks Seized in Queens Warehouse

The U.S. reported 2,781 Covid-19 deaths. Hospitalizations fell to 74,225, the lowest level in three nearly months.

Canada: Alberta Premier Announces $1,200-Lump Sum Payment to Critical Workers - Including Front-Line Grocery Workers

Gov. Walz scales back some COVID-19 restrictions in Minnesota

MAP: Where are the most COVID-19 workplace outbreaks in Los Angeles County?

Amazon sues New York attorney general to preempt COVID-19 lawsuit
Amazon.com Inc on Friday sued New York’s attorney general to stop the state from filing its own lawsuit over the online retailer’s early response to COVID-19, including its firing of activist Christian Smalls.

In a complaint in Brooklyn federal court, Amazon accused Attorney General Letitia James of overstepping her bounds by threatening to sue unless it met several demands including surrendering some profit and slowing down operations. Amazon said federal labor and safety laws take precedence over New York’s, and is seeking an injunction to block James from suing.

The Seattle-based retailer had drawn scrutiny 10 months ago when workers protested conditions at a Staten Island warehouse, and Amazon fired Smalls for violating a paid quarantine. James said at the time that Amazon may have broken the law. New York City announced its own probe, and senators questioned Amazon’s actions. reuters.com

VF Corp Implementing New Racial Equity Programs in Brands
The parent company of The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Dickies Building said it is building on its Council to Advance Racial Equity (CARE) by adding a combination of actions and programs, community partners and public policy initiatives to address opportunity gaps that Black and Brown Americans face in such areas as access to education, economic equity and environmental justice.

VF has set a goal of achieving 25% Black, Indigenous and People of Color within its staff at the director level and above by 2030.

In addition, VF will apply Mansfield Rule requirements, a recruitment benchmark requires initial candidate slates to contain at least 50% diverse candidates (defined as women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals and individuals with disabilities) when hiring or promoting candidates.

By 2024, VF said it will assess and resolve any identified pay gaps for employees, sponsored athletes and influencers across the organization through a pay equity analysis.

In another initiative. VF will create a supplier diversity program to double its spend with people of color- and women-owned businesses by 2025 through enterprise direct and indirect procurement and the activities of its brands. chainstoreage.com

Retail sales to rise 8.1% in 2021, according to CGP forecast
Retail sales in 2021 will increase to a record $4.26 trillion, up 8.1% year-over-year, which is the highest this century.

Digital channels will drive some 56% of the aggregate increase in 2021 sales, according to the CPG forecast. Big-box stores (such as Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Home Depot and Target) will see soft footfall growth balanced by strong online growth, yielding robust net traffic growth—and even some increases in-store traffic. Average tickets and net traffic will each rise by 3% to 5%, generating the 8.1% sales increase.

Home and hardlines categories—notably home improvement, electronics and electronics—will thrive in 2021, as consumer spending continues to rotate from apparel towards the home and work-from-home lifestyles.”

That’s according to Customer Growth Partners’ 2021 annual forecast, which noted that the growth was on top of 2020’s robust—“and widely unexpected”—year-over-year growth of 7.1%, which came despite last year’s spring collapse in retail spending triggered by COVID store closures. chainstoreage.com

Love in a Quarantine Bubble
3 ways COVID-19 is changing Valentine’s Day plans this year
As consumers in the United States bought heart-shaped treats and made Valentine’s Day plans last year, the coronavirus was just a blip on the horizon. Twelve months later, shoppers have become expert at adapting to the long shadow of a pandemic that upended everything from daily routines to special events and celebrations. Given that environment, it comes as no surprise that consumers are changing how they spend on Valentine’s Day this year.

According to NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics’ annual Valentine’s Day survey, consumers plan to spend an average $165 on Valentine’s Day gifts and celebrations — $32 less than they budgeted last year. Yet despite this drop, it is still the second highest Valentine’s Day in terms of expected spending and comes on the heels of a record-setting winter holiday season. NRF's research revealed three ways consumers are marking the occasion differently this year.

No reservation required | Love in the bubble | A gap year for dating | nrf.com

Syracuse, NY: Destiny USA mall ramps up parental escort policy
Destiny USA, the largest mall in New York state and the fourth largest in the country, has ramped up its parental escort policy and now requires visitors 17 and younger to be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times. Previously, Pyramid required mall visitors 17 and younger to be accompanied by a parent or adult 21 or older from 4 p.m. until closing on Fridays and Saturdays. It announced the enhanced policy Feb. 3, and it went into effect Feb. 5. The change follows the Jan. 23 stabbing of a 14-year-old boy near one of the mall entrances. democratandchronicle.com

Third Amazon Fresh Opens in Chicago

What happens to all that Chiefs Super Bowl merchandise that won’t be used now?

Quarterly Results
Canada's Restaurants Brands Q4 Tim Horton's sales down 12.9%, Burger King down 8.1%, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen sales down 0.9%, consolidated down 8%
Canada's Restaurants Brands FY 2020 Tim Horton's sales down 17.5%, Burger King down 11.1%, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen sales up 17.7%, Global sales down 8.6%

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Senior Director, Loss Prevention job posted for HearingLife in Somerset, NJ
The Senior Director of Loss Prevention and Internal Audit is responsible for the development and management of HearingLife’s loss prevention and internal audit programs. This individual directs the day-to-day work of a team of loss prevention specialists/auditors. This person leverages their managerial and process expertise to build and implement programs which significantly mitigate risk and preserve revenue and profitability while maintaining a commitment to quality patient and team member experiences. careers-hearinglife.icims.com

Director of Asset Protection job posted in East Brunswick, NJ for Express Stores, the 2nd largest T-Mobile Premium Retailer in the US
You have a talent for observation and an eye for detail. Risk management, fraud reduction, security, and shrink control are terms that are in your wheelhouse. In this role, you will lead our AP organization in all aspects of loss prevention, asset protection, cyber security, safety operations and more. Developing and implementing an Asset Protection strategy for our store locations, currently encompassing 17 states. indeed.com

Director, Security job posted for Pictsweet Company in Bells, TN
The Pictsweet Company is growing! We are currently seeking a Director of Security based at our corporate headquarters in Bells, TN. The Director, Security will direct and analyze all issues related to the nationwide security of our food products and protection of the company's employees, facilities, equipment, and proprietary data. The Pictsweet Company is a family-owned, family-run frozen vegetable business four generations strong. careers-pictsweet.icims.com

Mgr, Corp. Security job posted for Constellation Brands in San Francisco, CA
Work with the Director of Corporate Security to develop policies and procedures and manage the ongoing operation of the security infrastructure. Configure and maintain security technology. Ensure appropriate cost-effective protection of Constellation Brands’ employees, facilities, and assets. Constellation Brands is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. cbrands.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com

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Russia Taking Total Control Over the Dark Web?
Will Russian Cryptocurrency Law Drive Hacker Recruitment?

Regulation Requires Russians to Disclose Their Cryptocurrency Transactions - Or Else

Did Russia pass a tough new cryptocurrency law to help authorities recruit or compel criminal hackers to assist the government?

That's the thesis of a new report from New York-based threat intelligence firm Advanced Intelligence, aka AdvIntel. While a new law in Russia that took effect on Jan. 1 provides a legal framework for using cryptocurrency, it also includes a host of provisions designed to unmask users of bitcoins, monero and other virtual currencies, the report notes.

"By enforcing the cryptocurrency law, the Russian government builds the legal base for overtaking the power and establishing total control over the dark web market, including the ransomware sector."

"The new Russian crypto law requires all cryptocurrency holders, including individuals, companies and Russian authorities, to report their crypto transactions and wallet balances if the transaction amounts exceed 600,000 rubles - approximately $8,124 - in a calendar year," Anastasia Sentsova, an analyst at AdvIntel, and Yelisey Boguslavskiy, the firm's CEO, write in the report. "Failing to report twice in three years or providing inaccurate information will result in monetary fines, forced labor and imprisonment."

Ostensibly, the law is designed "to prevent illegal cryptocurrency transactions and money laundering," the AdvIntel researchers say. But in reality, the move might be an attempt "to monopolize the dark web market, including the ransomware sector, by excluding competitors who interfere with government plans and take away the profit," they say. It also could be part of an attempt to "recruit new hackers" to assist government offensive hacking teams.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last August signed into law the bill, which legalizes cryptocurrency, albeit with a host of caveats. govinfosecurity.com

Virginia is poised to pass a state privacy law
Virginia is poised to pass a privacy law — highlighting how a patchwork of rules is emerging across the country in the absence of federal action by Congress.

The legislation allows residents of the commonwealth to opt out of targeting their data and the sale of their data, similar to California's law. They could also obtain the data that companies have collected about them, and correct or delete it.

The bill was passed by the state's House of Delegates and Senate, and it's expected to move to the governor's desk as early as this month after a reconciliation process. Known as the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, the legislation would take effect in 2023. Amazon, Microsoft and tech industry trade groups have backed the bill.

Virginia Delegate Cliff Hayes Jr., who introduced the House bill, said the proposal was influenced by Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation and other state privacy efforts – and that Virginians need these protections in the absence of action in Washington.

The action at the state level could put more pressure on industry groups to work with national lawmakers to advance privacy legislation to ensure they don’t have to deal with the headaches of complying with different laws in each state.

Washington state is resuming debate on its own proposal. Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma and others are also weighing proposals. washingtonpost.com

Ransomware Attackers Set Their Sights on SaaS

Ransomware has begun to target data-heavy SaaS applications, open source, and Web and application frameworks.

Ransomware attacks have begun to more heavily target software applications, open source tools, and Web and application frameworks as attackers seek more direct paths to organizations' largest and most important data stores.

How They're Breaking In
Attackers are also looking for more severe vulnerabilities to reach these targets – namely, those that are capable of remote code execution (RCE) or privilege escalation (PE) when exploited.

Between 2018 and 2020, more than 25% of CVEs used in ransomware attacks were considered "dangerous," meaning they were capable of RCE or PE and had weaponized exploits. While the number of weaponized vulnerabilities went down overall, the number of RCE/PE flaws increased. Researchers report more than 25% of newly published CVEs pose a higher risk to organizations due to these RCE/PE capabilities.

The Ransomware Family Tree Grows
Researchers identified 125 ransomware families using 223 CVEs. Some of the more prominent families include Crypwall, which uses 66 CVEs, Locky (64), Cerber (62), Cryptesla (56), GandCrab (51), Cryptomix (50), Reveton (46), and Waltrix (45). Of the ransomware families detected, 42 only use vulnerabilities reported in 2019 or earlier, with the oldest flaw reported in 2010.

The number of ransomware families has continued to grow as new players enter the scene, joining old groups that continue to operate. Some, such as Cobralocker and Lokibot, have been running since 2012 and don't show any signs of retiring, researchers note. darkreading.com

JUST RELEASED: NIST’s Key Practices in Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management
NIST announces the release of NISTIR 8276, Key Practices in Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM): Observations from Industry. This final document provides the ever-increasing community of digital businesses a set of Key Practices that any organization can use to manage cybersecurity risks associated with their supply chains.

The Key Practices presented in this document can be used to implement a robust C-SCRM function at an organization of any size, scope, or complexity. These practices combine the information contained in existing C-SCRM government and industry resources with the information gathered during the 2015 and 2019 NIST research on industry best practices. The Key Practices also include 24 actionable recommendations that synthesize how these practices can be implemented from a people, process, and technology perspective. govdelivery.com

How Your Boss Can Use Your Remote-Work Tools to Spy on You

Amazon Ties to China?
Amazon questioned over contract with Chinese security camera company
Amazon.com Inc. faces questions from senators over a reported contract with Dahua, a Chinese security camera company that indicated it has the ability to alert police when its facial recognition software identifies members of the Uighur ethnic group.

Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent the letter to Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos one day after the Los Angeles Times reported on Dahua product support documents that suggest the company’s technology can sort passersby by race, issue “real-time warnings for non-local Uighurs,” and track “Uighurs with hidden terrorist inclinations.”

Dahua is among the Chinese companies included on the Commerce Department‘s entity list for its ties to “human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression” against Uighurs, a Turkic ethnic group. The U.S. doesn’t restrict American companies such as Amazon from buying from businesses on the entity list, though it urges caution. Companies on the entity list are barred from purchasing American products. latimes.com

Suing the Counterfeiters
Amazon, Salvatore Ferragamo File Two Joint Lawsuits Against Counterfeiters
Amazon and Salvatore Ferragamo SpA jointly filed two lawsuits on Thursday against four individuals and three entities for counterfeiting Ferragamo products.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and alleges the defendants conspired to use Ferragamo’s registered trademarks without authorization, offering the counterfeit products on Amazon, deceiving customers about the authenticity and origin of the products and the affiliation with the Florence-based brand.

“We do not allow counterfeit products in our store, and we have made it crystal clear that we take aggressive action to hold accountable bad actors who attempt to evade our proactive protections,” said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president, customer trust and partner support at Amazon. “Through our Counterfeit Crimes Unit, we are working closely with luxury and cosmetics brands, small businesses and brands with global name recognition. We will continue to fight to protect intellectual property from small family-owned businesses through Fortune 500 companies.”

Amazon in 2019 alone invested more than $500 million to protect customers and brands from fraud and abuse, including counterfeits, trough robust seller vetting, for example, as well as advanced machine-learning based technologies, and brand protection tools such as Project Zero, Brand Registry and Transparency. As a result, Amazon states that 99.9 percent of all products viewed by customers on its platform have not received a valid counterfeit complaint. wwd.com

Comparing mail-in COVID testing kits from Amazon and Walmart

Amazon Preparing to Launch a ‘Digital Currency’ Project in Mexico

Processed Refunds through POS Terminals & Drained the Stolen Funds
Defendant in $3.8M Refund Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Operating out of hotels & motels in Northern California

Talalima Toilolo of Salt Lake City was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for a conspiracy to commit a bank fraud scheme that attempted to defraud financial institutions of more than $3.8 million.

Between June 2018 and February 2019, Talalima Toilolo, 44, conspired with Johnathon Ward and Monica Nunes to defraud financial institutions using a scheme that exploited the merchant refund process used by businesses and retail establishments to refund customers for returns, reimbursements, and erroneous charges.

The defendants committed this scheme by stealing or purchasing point-of-sale (POS) terminals used by businesses to process bankcard transactions. They programmed each terminal to make it appear as if it was authorized by a particular retail merchant, connected the terminals to payment processing intermediaries, and executed refund transactions even though no purchases had been made. The payment processors, falsely believing the terminals were authorized, approved the refunds and caused the merchants’ payment processors to transfer funds to the defendants’ fraudulent accounts. The defendants then drained the stolen funds from the accounts and distributed them among members of the conspiracy.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) Task Force, which includes investigators from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. justice.gov

Coon Rapids, MN: Man sentenced to 13 months for Home Depot felony theft
A 57-year-old St. Paul man was convicted of shoplifting from Home Depots in multiple Anoka County cities. Melvin O’Neal Sims pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft, valued over $5,000, with a second felony count of theft dismissed. On Jan. 15 Sims was sentenced to 13 months in the St. Cloud prison, stayed for three years. He also was sentenced to 104 days in the Anoka County Jail, credit for time served, and was placed on three years of supervised probation. If he successfully completes his probation, he won’t serve the prison time. Sims was convicted of stealing merchandise from Home Depots in multiple cities, including Blaine and Coon Rapids, between May and July 2018. hometownsource.com

Germantown, MD: Man arrested for buying and selling stolen merchandise
43-year-old Ricardo Aparicio was charged with multiple counts of theft after detectives determined shoplifting suspects were selling their stolen goods to him at a house on Frederick road. An undercover officer met with Aparicio multiple times in 2020 where they sold property that was implied to be stolen. Police say he even gave the officer tips on how to steal items. Detectives searched Aparico’s home and found approximately $5,000 worth of merchandise. He has since been released from custody, but police say Aparicio may face additional charges as the investigation continues. localdvm.com

Brookfield, WI: Suspects steal over $700 worth of merchandise from Target
According to police, two unknown male suspects entered Target (Feb 11) on Bluemound Road, walked directly to the electronics aisle and selected two Vizio TVs and one Hisense TV, a total value of $734.97. Both male suspects then exited through a fire exit where a gold-colored caravan-type vehicle was waiting with another suspect in the car who opened the doors for them. fox6now.com

Berkley, MI: Phone thives tied to 5 similar crimes and crashed rental car
A suspect in a Berkley retail fraud was apprehended after getting in a vehicle crash days after the theft. According to the Berkley Public Safety Department, the initial crime was reported at 1:42 p.m. Jan. 29 at the T-Mobile store on Woodward Ave. The crime was later classified as first-degree retail fraud. Berkley Public Safety Detective Lt. Andrew Hadfield said the suspect, a 25-year-old Clinton Township man, entered the store and began speaking with employees about its selection of phones. When employees weren’t looking, the suspect was able to steal an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Hadfield said. The man was taken into custody on a separate warrant and was taken to the Macomb County Jail. An interview was conducted there, where the suspect reportedly admitted to being involved in the Berkley retail fraud. Hadfield said the man is suspected of committing similar crimes in five other cities, one of which was confirmed to be Ferndale. candgnews.com

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Shootings & Deaths

Columbus, OH: C-Store Owner shot and killed over an argument inside the store
Police said a warrant charging Mark Stephens, 41, with murder in the death of Jimmy Crum, 51, has been filed. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, police were called to Van's Carry Out at 1270 W. Town St. on a report of a shooting. According to police, there was a dispute inside the store during which a customer was thrown out of the store by Crum and another employee. As he was leaving, the customer made threats to come back and shoot the employees. abc6onyourside.com

Williamsport, PA: Man shot, killed by Police after Armed C-Store Robbery, chase
Authorities on Friday launched an investigation after police in Pennsylvania shot and killed a man who they were pursuing following an armed robbery had brandished a weapon at them, officials said. The events unfolded Thursday night when state troopers responded to a domestic dispute in which a handgun was used to assault a victim at a trailer park in Woodward Township, state police said. According to officials, Clifford Wilbur Jr., 38, had fled the scene and then robbed a convenience store at gunpoint. Police gave chase and Wilbur's vehicle crashed. Wilbur produced a handgun and troopers and officers opened fire, state police said. Wilbur was pronounced dead by the county coroner. miamiherald.com

Columbus, GA: Man shot and killed at restaurant early Friday morning
Columbus police are investigating an overnight shooting that left one person dead. Muscogee County Coroner Charles Newton tells News 3 the victim was shot and killed at the Suite Bar & Grill on Sydney Simon Blvd early Friday morning. The victim was pronounced dead at 2:43 a.m., Newton said. wrbl.com

Jurupa Valley, CA: Body camera footage released in death of Ernie Serrano at Stater Bros
Body camera footage of sheriff’s deputies arresting Ernie Teddy Serrano, a Jurupa Valley man who died while restrained inside a Rubidoux Stater Bros. market, was released Thursday, further illustrating that deputies were familiar with Serrano from a previous arrest. The two videos show deputies struggling with Serrano after they tasered him, and then pinned him facedown onto a grocery store counter for about six minutes until deputies noticed that he had stopped breathing. The newly-released videos largely confirm the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s telling of events. Conversation heard in the video also provides details and context about Serrano’s alleged drug use and his actions leading up to the arrest. pe.com

Baltimore, MD: Police Release Body Cam Video Of Officer-Involved Shooting Inside Grocery Store
The Baltimore Police Department Thursday released body-worn camera footage from two officers involved in a shootout with an armed grocery store security guard late last month. The video shows the moments Ofcs. Wesley Rosenberger and Daniel Jensen pulled up to the Compare Foods in the 5600 block of The Alameda on January 30 after getting a call about an armed person. After the officers walked into the store, the security guard, Dontae Green, reportedly pulled out a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and began shooting. Ofc. Jensen ran to the front of the store while Ofc. Rosenberger ran up a flight of stairs into what appeared to be an office. Rosenberger and Green exchanged gunfire. Green was able to get away through a back door but was fatally shot days later as a U.S. Marshals task force tried to arrest him. baltimore.cbslocal.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Maryville, TN: Man charged with attempted robbery, public intoxication after Food City incident
An incident report states an officer at approximately 10:20 p.m. arrived at Food City on a call of a disturbance involving an impaired man. “While speaking with Mr. Holtcamp, I observed him to have slurred speech, smelled of alcoholic beverages, and was very unsteady (on) his feet,” the officer wrote in the report. “Mr. Holtcamp stated that he had been drinking alcohol, along with his medication, prior to this incident.” The officer spoke with a Food City employee, who said she was placing money from the registers into a safe when Holtcamp walked behind her, held his hands in the shape of pistols and said, “Give me all of your money,” the report states. The employee didn’t comply with the demand, and Holtcamp left the store. The employee told the officer she feared for her safety during the incident, and officers confirmed her story via store security camera footage, the report states. thedailytimes.com

Burlington County, NJ: HR Manager charged with theft of over $600,000
Burlington County Prosecutor announced that a 41-year-old Maple Shade woman has been charged with stealing more than $600,000 from her Cinnaminson-based employer, SEA BOX, Inc., over a one-year period ending in December 2020. The investigation began after SEA BOX officials informed the Cinnaminson Township Police late last year that O’Brien had been caught embezzling funds. The investigation revealed that over a 12-month period, O’Brien, who served as human resources manager, had used the company’s credit card for personal expenses totaling $614,499. The investigation further revealed that O’Brien made several purchases of designer clothes, handbags, and other accessories from luxury stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton, among others. She also used the company credit card to purchase airfare, rental cars and lodging accommodations for her and others to vacation in Puerto Rico, and even used it to pay for herself and a friend to undergo buttock augmentation procedures. southjerseylocalnews.com

New York, NY: Man stabbed during wild fight in Midtown Manhattan 7-Eleven

Albuquerque, NM: Man pleads guilty to Federal Armed Robbery of medical products and drug charges

Evesham Township, NJ: : Man, 22, arrested in $77,000 high-end jewelry store theft

New Castle, PA: police arrest suspect in CVS Pharmacy Armed Robbery

King Sooper Shopper slaps employee for asking her to wear face mask

● AT&T – Brownsburg, IN – Armed Robbery
● C-Store – Kansas City, KS – Robbery
● C-Store – Missoula, MT – Robbery
● Check Cashing – Greer, SC – Armed Robbery
● CVS – New Castle, PA – Armed Robbery
● Gas Station – Palo Alto, CA – Robbery
● Gas Station – Rankin County, MS – Burglary
● Grocery – Avon, OH - Robbery
● Grocery – Maryville, TN – Robbery
● Guns – Jacksonville, FL – Burglary
● Jewelry – Aurora, IL – Robbery
● Liquor – Lamorinda, CA – Robbery
● Pawn – Hinesville, GA – Burglary (23 guns)
● Restaurant – Clarksdale, MS - Burglary (Wendy’s)
● Restaurant – Etna, CA – Armed Robbery
● Restaurant – Fresno, CA – Robbery
● Restaurant – Carlsbad, CA – Burglary
● 7-Eleven – San Antonio, TX – Armed Robbery

Daily Totals:
• 13 robberies
• 5 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed

Weekly Totals:
• 86 robberies
• 26 burglaries
• 1 shooting
• 1 killed

Click to enlarge map

	Damien Walter named National Investigator - Organized Retail Crime for Harbor Freight Tools
	Dwight Bennett, LPC named Area Loss Prevention Manager for Ross Stores
	David Conner named Zone Loss Prevention Specialist for Bealls
	Stacy Tegg named Manager of Asset Protection Solutions for Walgreens

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