NRF Big Show: Enhancing Health and Safety Protocols
NRF Announces Additional Investments for Annual NRF Convention as Partner and Exhibitor Momentum Continues
The National Retail Federation announced today additional investments in health and safety protocols for its 112th Annual Convention, which is on track to welcome more than 25,000 attendees to New York City January 16-18 for NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show. In addition, NRF announced that with nearly one month until the event, the total number of exhibitors and square footage of exhibit space already exceeds totals for NRF 2020.

NRF announced enhancements to existing health and safety protocols, which require proof of vaccination and indoor mask-wearing to attend the event. In addition, NRF will provide attendees and exhibitors of the annual NRF Big Show with COVID-19 rapid self-tests, as well as access to PCR tests on-site at the Javits Center. Testing kits will be available at both remote registration sites and at the convention center, and PCR tests will be available on-site at the Javits Center during the show.

“Like all of our attendees, we are closely monitoring the external health environment. That’s why we are making additional investments to enhance our existing health protocols, which require vaccination and mask-wearing for all attendees."

More information is available about the Big Show and health protocols.


Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls releases Super Saturday shopper traffic insights

● Compared to Super Saturday 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, shopper traffic was down -26.3% this year

● Super Saturday is expected to remain the second busiest day of the holiday shopping season in the U.S.

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland—December 20, 2021—Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, today released in-store shopper traffic data for U.S. brick-and-mortar retail stores and shopping centers on Super Saturday (Dec. 18), the last Saturday before Christmas. These insights are informed by retail traffic data analytics within the company’s intelligent operating platform, Sensormatic IQ.

Compared to 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, shopper traffic on Super Saturday was down -26.3% in 2021. Compared to 2020, Super Saturday shopper traffic increased by 19.4%.

Read more here
 

Roundtable: How to combat the retail theft epidemic

Loss prevention experts weigh in on recent wave of flash mob incidents and what stores can do to mitigate the threat

Retailers throughout the country in recent weeks have been bombarded by so-called “flash mob” robberies in which groups of individuals descend upon a store from seemingly out of nowhere to steal as much loot as possible before making a quick getaway. From high-end clothing establishments in Los Angeles to consumer electronics big box stores in the suburbs of Minneapolis, retailers across the spectrum have been impacted by these coordinated attacks.

To get a better understanding of the scope of the problem, SecurityInfoWatch.com (SIW) recently spoke to several loss prevention experts to discuss the steps that retailers can take to mitigate against the threats posed to stores by these mass thefts as well as what can be done more broadly to address organized retail crime (ORC) as a whole.

Meet the Panel:

● Christian Beckner, VP of Retail Technology and Cybersecurity, National Retail Federation (NRF)

● Dean Correia, Emeritus Faculty, Business Continuity Lead, Security Executive Council, former Director of Corporate Security for Walmart Canada

● King Rogers, former Vice President of Assets Protection, Target Corp.

SIW: What do you see as the drivers behind the recent wave of flash mob thefts?

Rogers: There are two drivers behind the motivation and execution of these incidents: Organized criminal enterprises who are motivated by profits and by achieving a position of power by creating mayhem within the American retail culture, and the “group think and do” mentality of the actual smash and grabbers or looters who are motivated by being part of the group, by the thrill and risks of the smashing of property and the theft of merchandise which doesn’t belong to them. I think that once investigators peel this onion back, they will learn that the organized criminal enterprises are well-funded, experienced gang leaders who are personally motivated by the perceived power they achieve by directing their followers and wannabe gang members to actually commit the on-site criminal activity. These enterprises have established communications networks and they develop coordinated tactics designed to hit targets hard and fast and get away with the spoils of their efforts and sell their loot, make profits and languish in the adoration of their followers.

At some point, the fallout from an incident will be human casualties (customers, employees or bystanders, including those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the path of fleeing vehicles being driven by perpetrators of these crimes). It’s sort of like attending a stock car race where part of the thrill is to wait for and watch a serious accident occur as an outcome of an entertaining sport.

Beckner: There’s not a single, definitive answer to that question. There are a variety of factors, and it is different, in some degree, in different locations and cities. In some cases, it is one factor and there are areas where there has been decreased law enforcement presence. In some jurisdictions where you have a decrease in what law enforcement can do in terms of arrest and prosecution, that is a factor. Both of those things contribute to organized criminal gangs and others looking at this as a relatively low-risk type of activity compared to other types of criminal activity that they might otherwise be engaging in.

Correia: Many of the recent flash mob thefts are the result of a myriad of legislative and economic factors in certain cities, coupled with known reduced or hesitant police response.

SIW: What should retailers be doing to protect their employees, customers and assets from these types of crimes?

Rogers: In order to impact these incidents, retailers and shopping center operators should have well-designed camera video systems in place and should ensure they are operational every day. Camera placements are crucial to cover as much area where these events are likely to take place as possible. Video clarity is just as critical as area coverage. While there might be some deterrent effect, the use of video systems is primarily for post-incident investigative efforts and for evidentiary purposes in subsequent criminal and civil proceedings. Well-managed video systems are a very good and necessary technology application in mitigating these incidents but do little to enable the retailer to anticipate these attacks and intervene prior to them happening.

Yes, retailers can undertake the expense of uniformed security or off-duty law enforcement personnel as some form of visible deterrence but frequently their presence is ignored and even challenged by the perpetrators of these crimes. But the best tool(s) for retailers to have in their tool belts is to have a very good and mutually respective relationship with local and state law enforcement and collaborate and share information and to have a shared robust intelligence gathering and analysis system. Social media researchers and data collection experts are a phenomenal resource, especially if they are capable of deep dives in the more shady and obtuse social data sites. When perpetrators of these incidents of criminal behavior are apprehended, law enforcement can develop human intelligence through legal questioning of these individuals and, working with their retail social media researcher counterparts, collaborate and corroborate information learned and, in many cases, develop action plans to interdict deterrence activity.

Today there are companies that exist primarily to provide data gathering and analysis for retailers who are also very adept at nurturing relationships with partners in law enforcement to help their retail customers actively protect themselves. Utilization of the services provided by these companies is highly recommended. securityinfowatch.com

DOJ to Help Fund Retail Theft Programs Nationwide - 1st Time Ever Mentioned in Grant Awards Press Release
Justice Department Will Award $1.6 Billion to Reduce Violent Crime and Strengthen Communities
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the Department of Justice will award $1.6 billion in grant awards to support a wide range of programs designed to reduce violent crime and strengthen communities. The grants, which are being distributed to communities and organizations throughout the nation, are administered by the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

As law enforcement agencies address a range of public safety challenges – from violent crime to human trafficking to retail thefts – these awards will provide additional tools to advance violence intervention activities and evidence-based police and prosecution strategies. Funds are also intended to reduce recidivism, help people coming out of prisons and jails make the transition back into their communities and support responses to crises like drug overdoses and episodes involving mental illness. These grants build on earlier OJP investments, including more than $1.2 billion to support victim assistance and compensation programs, $187 million under the state formula Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants Program, more than $175 million in funding for victim services and public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, over $21 million in grants to address hate crimes and $17.5 million in Project Safe Neighborhoods grants. The COPS office also funded the hiring of over 1,000 officers in 183 police departments this year.

A full list of awards, as they are made, will be available on the OJP Grant Awards page. justice.gov

Stores deploying unique methods to combat retail theft

"Organized retail crime costs retailers an average of $700K per $1B in sales"

Stores looking to crack down on theft and smash-and-grab type robberies this holiday season have resorted to deploying coiled wire and other protective measures to deter would-be criminals.

At The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles -- whose Nordstrom store was targeted around Thanksgiving -- yellow, coiled wire akin to something you would see guarding a prison has been erected outside, according to Newsnation Now.

"If somebody’s running, trying to get through something quickly, they are going to have to navigate it and get tangled up," Josh Nielsen, the vice president of Adamson Police Products, told the media outlet this week.

in San Francisco, officials announced new traffic patterns near high-end retailers in a bid to make it harder for thieves to park, commit crimes and race away, NBC News reports.

"We will do what we need to do to put an end to this madness," San Francisco Police Chief William Scott was quoted as telling the media.

After a Nordstrom store was looted outside of San Francisco in Walnut Creek on Nov. 20, officials there reportedly closed a street.

"If it means that we are going to detour roads, if it means we're going to have more police on the street and more security around, whatever it is, every option is on the table," Walnut Creek Mayor Kevin Wilk told NBC Bay Area.

The San Francisco Police Department also announced in early December that "newly implemented crime-prevention strategies and beefed-up deployments of police resources in the wake of organized gang robberies in and around Union Square on Nov. 19 have resulted in significant reductions in retail- and holiday-related crime."

The police tactics being used in the shopping area, which the Department says includes officer deployments that will run "24/7 until further notice" and "partial or full street closures, if needed," has resulted in only 12 theft incidents between Nov. 20 to Dec. 6, compared to 67 in the preceding 16-day period, data shows.

At a Safeway supermarket in San Francisco, automatic gates reportedly have been installed to block potential thieves from quickly fleeing the store with shopping carts of goods.

The same store also added barriers around its self-checkout area – creating only one exit -- blocked off empty checkout aisles and placed a large display of water bottles in front of its entire side entrance, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. foxnews.com

Theft-Driven Closures or Part of the Announced Planned Closures?
CVS to close at least three stores in downtown S.F. next month
CVS plans to close at least three downtown San Francisco locations next month, adding to the spate of closures from convenience store chains around the city in recent months, some a reaction to frequent retail theft.

Convenience store closures have become a flashpoint in the debate over the state of retail theft in San Francisco, as rampant shoplifting at Walgreens locations prompted the chain to close five stores in San Francisco in October and at least 10 since the start of 2019. A video of a shoplifting incident at the Walgreens in Hayes Valley went viral over the summer and in part prompted measures from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor London Breed to make new proposals they hope will crack down on organized retail theft.

CVS has doubled its crime investigations team over the past two years and runs its own surveillance van to monitor organized retail crime at its stores. A Wall Street Journal story this fall described a stakeout of CVS stores in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.

A spokesperson for Walgreens told news outlets this fall that shoplifting losses in San Francisco were five times the national average.

Some doubt has been cast on whether crime was the motivating reason behind the closures, as Walgreens said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing prior to the pandemic that it planned to close 200 stores across the U.S. to reduce costs. San Francisco Police Department data on shoplifting incidents did not support the Walgreens claim about retail theft here, the San Francisco Chronicle has reported, but it is worth noting incidents often go unreported. bizjournals.com

Chicago mayor calls for federal help to fight violent crime
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) is calling for federal officials to help her curb gun violence in the city and target its root causes.

The mayor also requested that judges in Cook County stop releasing people charged with violent crimes including murder, aggravated gun possession, sex crimes, illegal gun possession and kidnapping on electric monitoring, the Tribune noted.

The solutions proposed by Lightfoot, none of which are new strategies, were reportedly criticized as "regressive" and “clearly unconstitutional.”

Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell told the Tribune the mayor “diagnosed the very real root causes of violence, the solutions were textbook policymaking based on fear.” thehill.com

Raleigh Man Sentenced to 85 Months for Setting Fire to Businesses During Downtown Riots

US: 52M Cases - 828.8K Dead - 40.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 275.9M Cases - 5.3M Dead - 247.6M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 334  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 570
*Red indicates change in total deaths

'Nation Will See Record # of Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths From Omicron'
NYC seeks federal help as U.S. braces for record cases with omicron wave
Federal and state officials are warning of an oncoming wave of coronavirus infections fueled by the omicron variant that could bring the highest level of cases yet during the pandemic in the United States — and New York, as it did in the pandemic’s early months, is feeling the effects first.

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “unfortunately” he believes the nation will see record numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. He added during an appearance on ABC that the omicron variant is “really something to be reckoned with.”

For the third day in a row, New York reported a record daily level of new coronavirus cases. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who said in a news conference Sunday that “we are seeing a very substantial rise in the number of cases in a way we haven’t seen previously,” called on President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act, a wartime law, to provide supplies of testing kits and treatments to New York City and the rest of the country. washingtonpost.com

Record Wave of Infections Coming?
Europe gives US gloomy portrait of what's to come with omicron
As the omicron variant batters Europe with exponentially skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, public health experts warn that the U.S. could be barreling down the same path and face record waves of infections in the coming days and weeks.

Due to the strain’s high transmissibility, top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci predicted omicron will be the dominant variant in the U.S. in “a few weeks” with the potential to overwhelm hospital systems already strained by delta cases.

But several experts said data is signaling the country is heading for a rough next few weeks coinciding with the holiday season, with Michael Osterholm, the director for the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. He called it “a perfect storm in all regards.”

“We're going to end up in a viral blizzard here in this country in the next three to eight weeks,” the former Biden adviser told The Hill. thehill.com

From 12.6% to 73% in 1 Week
CDC: Omicron now a majority of US COVID-19 cases — 73 percent
The statistics are for the week ending Dec. 18 and show the rapid spread of the variant in the U.S. That spike is a significant increase from just 12.6 percent of cases one week earlier.

The omicron variant is highly transmissible, and officials are bracing for a large wave of infections in the coming weeks. However, people who are vaccinated, and especially those with booster shots, are well protected against severe disease from the variant, experts say, meaning the greatest risk is for the unvaccinated. thehill.com

ETS Starts Feb 9, 2022 - All Employees Vaccinated or Tested Weekly
OSHA plans ‘enforcement discretion’ after court reinstates vax mandate
Trucking companies and other private businesses covered by the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate have been given a small amount of compliance breathing room by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after a federal appeals court reinstated the rule.

In a decision issued late Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit voted 2-1 to grant a motion by OSHA to lift a stay of the vaccine-or-test Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).

But the court’s majority opinion underscored OSHA’s contention that the ETS as a life-saving measure.

“In a conservative estimate, OSHA finds that the ETS will ‘save over 6,500 worker lives and prevent over 250,000 hospitalizations’ in just six months,” the court stated. “A stay would risk compromising these numbers, indisputably a significant injury to the public. The harm to the government and the public interest outweighs any irreparable injury to the individual petitioners who may be subject to a vaccination policy.”

In addition, starting Jan. 4, 2022, all employees were to be vaccinated and/or all employees who are not fully vaccinated were required to be tested weekly.

After Friday’s decision, however, OSHA stated it will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before Jan. 10, nor will issue citations for noncompliance with the testing requirements before Feb. 9, “so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard,” according to the agency. “OSHA will work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.”

Employers who fail to comply with the mandate may be subject to penalties that include up to $13,653 per violation for serious violations and heightened penalties for willful or repeated violations of up to $136,532 per violation, according to OSHA. freightwaves.com

Retail Reacts to Vaccine Mandate Ruling
NRF Responds to Stay Lifted for OSHA Employer Vaccine Mandate
The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French regarding the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision to lift the stay for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 employer-based vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).

“NRF is disappointed that the Sixth Circuit has decided to lift the stay instituted by the Fifth Circuit. NRF will consider additional legal options. We will also continue to prepare our members to comply with this onerous mandate.

“NRF has long maintained that OSHA, in promulgating its Vaccine Mandate Emergency Temporary Standard, exceeded the authority granted to it by Congress in 1970 and crafted a rule that is infeasible for employers to implement during the critical holiday season.

“NRF urges the Biden Administration to delay the ETS’s implementation timeline. We can work together to find viable ways to increase vaccination rates and mitigate the spread of the virus in 2022.”  nrf.com

Large Employers Hesitant About Vax Mandate

“The majority of employers are really in wait-and-see-mode" amid legal challenges to the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine rule.

Most large U.S. employers do not appear to be motivated to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless the Biden administration’s mandate survives legal challenges.

In a survey of 1,000 of its members, the Society for Human Resources Management found that 75% of those subject to the mandate said they are not likely to require vaccines or testing if it is permanently struck down by the courts.

The mandate applies to organizations with 100 or more workers. More than half (51%) of the survey respondents are waiting to see how current legal challenges unfold before deciding on a vaccination policy. cfo.com

Whiplash on U.S. Vaccine Mandate Leaves Employers ‘Totally Confused’
Companies are struggling to figure out what to do as legal battles and rising Covid cases complicate their plans. Even up in the air: What does “fully vaccinated” mean?

No company has been spared the whirlwind of changes in the last week, set off by the spike in Covid cases that have, in some instances, cut into their work forces. Then on Friday, an appeals court lifted the legal block on the vaccine rule, though appeals to the ruling were immediately filed, leaving the rule’s legal status up in the air. On Saturday, hours after the appeals court ruling, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration urged employers to start working to get in compliance. But OSHA also gave employers some leeway, pushing back full enforcement of the rule until February, recognizing that for all its best intentions the rollout of the rule has been muddled.

For companies struggling to meet OSHA’s standards because of testing shortages, the Labor Department said Sunday that it would “consider refraining from enforcement” if the employer has shown a good-faith effort to comply.

The reaction of companies has been muddled as well. Over the weekend, some took the first steps in developing testing programs. Others remained in wait-and-see mode. And some employers went even further than what the government has so far required by mandating boosters, spurred by fears over the spread of Omicron.

Adding a layer of confusion, many states and cities have created their own vaccine rules — some more stringent than the federal government’s, as in New York City, where an option to test out of vaccine requirements isn’t allowed, while some, like Florida, have sought to undermine OSHA’s rule. There’s also the question of whether companies will eventually be required to mandate boosters, which would require accommodating the six-month delay between the second and third shots. nytimes.com

COVID-19 cases continue to rise in L.A. County as Californians brace for winter surge
Los Angeles County health officials reported 3,512 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, more than double the number of cases recorded just a few days before.

That tally follows 3,730 new cases reported in L.A. County on Saturday — the highest single-day total in months — sparking concerns of another winter surge stoked by holiday festivities. Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise in California as the Omicron variant spreads.

Businesses in L.A. County are reporting notable outbreaks among workers.

Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts that there could be more than 1 million new coronavirus cases recorded the week of Christmas. By contrast, around Halloween, there were 500,000 new weekly cases. latimes.com

Cases and hospitalizations spike in D.C. region, stirring holiday travel angst
On Friday, D.C. reported the highest single-day total of new coronavirus cases since March 2020: 844. On Saturday, the Maryland Department of Health reported that 1,257 people had been hospitalized with the virus — more than double the rate of 581 people this time last month — causing at least one hospital to reach capacity. washingtonpost.com

Weekend shopper numbers on UK high streets suffer Omicron hit
Shopper numbers, or footfall, plunged 8.5% in central London and 6.4% in cities outside of the capital this weekend. reuters.com

‘A Lot of Uncertainty’: Covid Surge Puts Many Americans on Edge About Traveling

Fear of the virus is causing some to rethink their holiday plans, while others say they will proceed, perhaps with more caution.

More than 109 million Americans are expected to travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, a 34 percent increase from last year, according to AAA. The number of airline passengers alone is projected to rise 184 percent from last year. nytimes.com

Offices Shut and Holiday Parties Dim as a Familiar Feeling Sinks In

Employers mandate boosters, postpone return dates and brace for an Omicron surge.

Office workers this week watched as events unfolded that were at once familiar and jarring in their persistence: Covid case counts ballooned, and employer plans deflated. The United States is reporting an average of more than 120,000 new Covid cases each day, up 40 percent from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times database. New York City is experiencing a spike in cases larger than any since last winter. Employers that had been growing bolder in their plans — reopening offices, mandating or strongly suggesting that workers report back, promising holiday blowouts — are now scaling back their ambitions for in-person business and socializing.

“Despite all best efforts, Covid is really forcing a rollback of plans,” said Kathryn Wylde, head of the partnership. “The contagion factor with Omicron has meant that people are going to hunker down again.”

As employers weigh vaccine guidelines and adjust their office returns, they also face a more immediate challenge: How will they celebrate the holidays as Omicron spreads? After a year of email and Slack correspondence, corporate teams had been eagerly anticipating holiday parties. But as New York City’s new Covid cases rose significantly after party invitations went out, dozens of companies scrambled to cancel their plans. nytimes.com

NYPD rolls out stricter masking policy - ALL COPS Must Wear - amid citywide surge

Kroger eliminates paid COVID-19 leave for unvaccinated

‘No guarantees’ Britain won’t see COVID lockdown before Christmas: health official

D.C.'s Bowser reimposes indoor mask mandate as coronavirus cases surge

Dems Come Out Swinging at Amazon's 'Inhumane Business Model'
Democrats press Amazon about fatal warehouse collapse
Democrats are pressing Amazon for answers about company safety protocols after six people died at an Illinois warehouse that was hit by a tornado.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) led a group of Democrats in a letter Monday asking the e-commerce giant for details about its policies and actions both at the Edwardsville, Ill., facility and nationwide.

“Amazon profits should never come at the cost of workers’ lives, health, and safety,” the Democrats wrote.

“These reports of Amazon’s workplace safety failures at the Edwardsville facility are disturbing when considered alone. But they fit all too well with an ongoing, company-wide pattern of worker mistreatment, including neglecting worker safety, shortchanging workers on proper pay and benefits, and employing union-busting tactics towards workers when they have tried to organize for better working conditions,” the Democrats added.

Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said the company is “reviewing the letter and will respond directly,” but right now is focusing on “taking care of our employees and partners, the family members of those killed by the tornado, and the communities affected by this tragedy.”

The pressure from Democrats comes a week after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it would be investigating the fatal collapse.

In their letter, Democrats accuse Amazon of using an “inhumane business model” and a pattern of having workers come in during extreme weather events. The Democrats point to Amazon leaving warehouses open during Hurricane Ida in September despite flooding in New York and leaving them open during the deadly wildfires in California in 2018.

The Democrats also accuse Amazon of launching anti-union campaigns. In November, the National Labor Relations Board ordered a new union election at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., after allegations were filed against the company’s initial victory.

The lawmakers are asking Amazon for details about internal communications with workers about the tornado, as well as about the company's policies on fire, tornado and severe weather safety at warehouses. thehill.com

Card industry faces $400B in fraud losses over next decade, Nilson says

● Card fraud over the next decade will cost the industry a collective $408.50 billion in losses globally, according to an annual report from the industry research firm Nilson Report. By 2030, when total payment card volume is expected to hit a whopping $79.14 trillion, the industry will lose an estimated $49.32 billion to fraud.

● Last year, the U.S. was again responsible for a bigger share of global card fraud than total card volume. Despite making up only 22% of total card volume globally, the U.S. accounted for 36% of card fraud last year; in 2019, those figures were 22% and 34%, respectively. By 2030, U.S. fraud losses are expected to reach $17 billion, with total card volume at nearly $19 trillion.

● Systems designed to combat card fraud that are used by large e-commerce retailers have beat back organized fraud efforts. This success, however, has led "the most sophisticated criminals to engage in cryptocurrency fraud and ransomware," the report warned.

Losses in the card payment industry have remained steady the past several years, as issuers, merchants and ATM and merchant acquirers have employed fraud-fighting efforts. Still, the gross fraud amount doesn’t include billions of dollars in losses related to transactions between bank accounts, or to QR code payments not linked to card accounts.

"The decline in the dollar amount of fraud losses in 2020 will not be repeated in 2021," the report asserted.

Actual losses experienced by issuers, merchants and acquirers exceed the $28.58 billion lost globally last year and can’t be accurately calculated, the report noted, because there are additional expenses related to fraud investigation, managing call centers and maintaining operations, which tend to rise annually. paymentsdive.com

Will PETA Videos Make a Difference?
Gucci, Louis Vuitton skin reptiles alive to make pricey handbags: PETA
Some of the reptiles were bludgeoned repeatedly with a machete — with workers cutting off their legs even as the lizards floundered helplessly, according to hidden-camera video that captured the practices and was shared with The Post.

Other videos show snakes that were partially slit open, with hoses stuck down their throats to inflate them with water — apparently to make it easier to skin them alive, according to an investigation by animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA.

“Because of their unique physiology, lizards do not die instantaneously after being decapitated and their brains can remain conscious and fully able to feel pain for over 30 minutes,” according to PETA.” The videos captured two instances in which lizards’ heads continued to move after they’d been hacked off from the rest of the body.

The disturbing photographs and video footage of the grisly killings at a facility in Indonesia represent the first time PETA has been able to demonstrate how these reptiles used in the luxury fashion industry are slaughtered, according to PETA spokeswoman Ashley Byrne. nypost.com

Minimum wage is about to rise in 21 states, 35 localities as more embrace $15 an hour
Twenty-one states and 35 cities and counties are set to raise their minimum wages on or about New Year’s Day. Base hourly pay will climb from $11 to $12 in Illinois; from $9.25 to $10.50 in Delaware; from $9.50 to $11 in Virginia; from $12 to $13 for most workers in New Jersey; and from $10.50 to $11.50 in New Mexico.

Since some governments will act later in the year, a total of 25 states and 56 localities – a record 81 jurisdictions – will lift their pay floors sometime in 2022, according to NELP.

California’s minimum will reach $15 for the first time on January 1 for large employers. New York state — already at $15 in New York City and for fast-food workers statewide — will extend that benchmark to Long Island and Westchester County on New Year’s Eve.

All told, by 2026, about 40% of the U.S. workforce will be covered by $15 minimum wage mandates, NELP figures show.

Separately, at least 100 or so mostly large companies already have raised their pay floors to $15 or higher, including Best Buy, Costco, Wayfair, The Container Store and Southwest Airlines, according to the NELP study. usatoday.com

Feds increase scrutiny of buy now, pay later

Regional Hy-Vee appears to be preparing to expand nationally

Sears owner reportedly plans to sell its corporate HQ

California: Attorney General Bonta Sues Walmart Over Alleged Improper Hazardous Waste Disposal