Retail Theft: 'Significant Challenge to Public Safety & Economic Stability
COMMENTARY: A law-and-order approach could combat retail theft
Retail theft has surged to unprecedented levels in America, presenting a significant challenge to public safety and economic stability. As stores shutter and communities suffer, policymakers must urgently address the root causes fueling this troubling trend.

Understanding the causes of this crisis requires a closer examination of how certain legislative changes and prosecutorial philosophies have inadvertently fostered an environment conducive to criminal behavior. One notable cause behind escalating retail theft has been legislative decisions that unintentionally encourage criminal activity.

Since 2000, at least 39 states have increased the dollar threshold required to prosecute retail theft as a felony, significantly weakening deterrents. For example, California’s Proposition 47 raised the felony threshold from $450 to $950, emboldening shoplifters by dramatically reducing potential penalties. Similar policies in Illinois, where the felony threshold rose from $300 to $500, and Texas, where it increased from $1,500 to $2,500, have inadvertently created environments more favorable for theft.

Further complicating matters is the rise of organized retail crime, which involves sophisticated, coordinated groups that systematically steal large quantities of goods for resale through online marketplaces or illicit distribution channels.

Compounding this issue is the rise of progressive prosecutorial approaches in cities such as San Francisco, Chicago and New York. Prosecutors in these urban areas have often chosen to dismiss or downgrade theft charges, signaling to criminals that the justice system will not seriously challenge their illegal activities.

The policies of former prosecutors who openly advocated against prosecuting certain misdemeanors and supported eliminating cash bail exemplify a broader cultural shift that inadvertently fosters permissiveness toward retail theft.

Taking this into account and combining it with diminished law enforcement resources and restrictive policies that limit their effectiveness has created a landscape ripe for widespread theft. Stores are catching shoplifters only 2 percent of the time, and police make arrests in one out of 100 incidents. With limited deterrence, theft is increasingly normalized, leading to higher incidences of violence and intimidation faced by retail employees. Alarmingly, 50 percent of retail workers report having witnessed theft firsthand, while 33 percent have faced violence directly, and 40 percent now express concern for their daily safety.

The social and economic repercussions of this trend are profound, particularly affecting vulnerable communities. Across America, pharmacies and essential retailers are closing in record numbers because of theft-related losses, creating retail and pharmacy “deserts.”  reviewjournal.com


Crime is Changing Shopping Habits
Seattle Shoppers Worry About Retail Theft

Almost 60% say they prefer online shopping due to retail crime

Retail crime is clearly influencing shopping preferences in Seattle. State legislators, in fact, are considering lengthening sentences for organized retail theft (the bill is currently in a House committee), and the National Retail Federation has made retail crime a priority, both here and elsewhere.

Technology firm Flock Safety finds that Seattle consumers are significantly more concerned about retail crime compared to the national average: “In line with retailers’ concerns, Seattle consumers also perceive a growing threat of retail crime.”

Almost 60% of Seattle residents say they prefer online shopping because of concerns about retail crime. Slightly more than half say they consider shoplifting a serious problem — 21 percentage points above the national average.

Several retailers, including Bartell Drugs, Target and Goodwill, have cited retail theft the past few years as reasons for closing stores in Seattle. The National Retail Federation notes that theft cost Washington state retailers almost $3 billion in 2021.

Two separate studies released in the past 18 months also found that retail theft is worse in Washington than any other state. Even the city of Seattle admits there’s room for improvement. seattlemag.com


Property Crime Plummets 22% in Atlanta
Atlanta sees overall crime drop in 2025: Homicides drop 16%

The Atlanta Police Department's COBRA report shows an 18% overall decrease in citywide crime compared to the same period in 2024, with property crimes down 22%.

The Atlanta Police Department’s latest crime report shows an overall drop in citywide crime so far in 2025. However, the data reveals an increase in certain violent offenses, including rape and aggravated assault.

The Atlanta Police Department's latest COBRA report, released on March 22, indicates a significant overall drop in citywide crime, with an 18% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.

Crimes fell from 4,792 to 3,931, with property crimes experiencing the most substantial decline at 22% year-to-date. Homicides have decreased by 16%, from 25 to 21, and auto thefts have seen a remarkable 43% reduction, equating to nearly 400 fewer incidents.

While the report provides detailed statistics on crime trends, it does not offer specific reasons for the increase in certain violent crimes, such as rape and aggravated assault.

The underlying causes of these spikes remain unclear, and further investigation is needed to understand the factors contributing to these troubling trends. fox5atlanta.com


AI Fueling Global Organized Crime Operations
Europol warns of AIs growing role in organized crime operations
Reuters reports that Europol has raised concerns about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in organized crime, warning that the technology is enabling criminals to scale operations globally, evade detection, and automate illicit activities.

According to the European Serious Organised Crime Threat Assessment report, AI-powered scams and payment systems allow gangs to craft highly realistic impersonation schemes, generate blackmail content, and operate in multiple languages. The agency also highlighted the use of AI in creating child sexual abuse material, noting that a recent Europol-led operation in February resulted in the arrest of 24 individuals for distributing AI-generated abuse images.

However, national legislation remains inadequate in addressing AI-driven criminal activities. Europol warned that criminal networks are rapidly moving online, leveraging digital platforms for recruitment, communication, and illicit financial transactions.

The report further cautioned that fully autonomous AI systems could lead to AI-controlled criminal networks, marking a new phase in organized crime. Europol also identified cyberattacks, drug and arms trafficking, migrant smuggling, and environmental crimes as some of the fastest-growing threats in Europe. scworld.com


Sarasota crime rate drops 40% in two years

Canada Crime & Politics: Compare crime rates under the Liberals and Conservatives
 

Automated Credential-Stuffing Attacks
Hackers Use Atlantis AIO Tool to Automate Account Takeover Attacks
Threat actors are using a tool available on the dark web to automate credential-stuffing attacks, allowing them to rapidly scale their malicious efforts by testing millions of stolen credentials in rapid succession.

The e-crime tool, Atlantis AIO, is the latest example of how automation technologies, including AI and machine learning, are giving cybercriminals significantly greater capabilities to more easily run their attacks at scale.

“By offering pre-configured modules for targeting a range of platforms and cloud-based services – particularly email providers – it allows cybercriminals to launch credential stuffing attacks at scale with minimal effort,” threat researchers with Abnormal Security wrote in a report this week. “This automation facilitates large-scale fraud, data theft and account takeovers.”

In credential-stuffing attacks, hackers armed with lists of stolen credentials try to gain access to various online accounts, such as email, banking, e-commerce and social media, that use the same usernames and passwords. They take advantage of users’ habits of using the same credentials for multiple accounts, a practice that organizations try to guard against but is used by people who often have more 100 password-protected accounts.

Often, the credentials are stolen during data breaches or phishing attacks and made available for sale on underground forums. Bad actors can use the access gained from the stolen credentials to take over accounts. securityboulevard.com


We're All At Risk!
If you think you’re immune to phishing attempts, you’re wrong!
Security consultant Troy Hunt, the creator of the Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) service, has revealed that he got tricked by a clever phishing email, and that the attacker gained access to his Mailchimp account and stole a list of email addresses of his newsletter subscribers.

Commendably, he added the compromised data – email and IP addresses, rough geolocation data – to HIBP, so that users may check whether theirs is included or get notified if they subscribed to the notification service.

The phishing email, which some of the Help Net Security staff also received, employs Mailchimp branding, and urges recipients to review their recent activity because their “account’s sending privileges have been restricted due to a spam complaint.”

Even though Hunt realized something was wrong almost immediately after he entered the login/authentication into the phishing site, logged onto the official Mailchimp site and changed his account password, the attacker managed to export his mailing list, which means that the attack was highly automated.

That’s an unfortunate reality we all need to deal with, but it’s unfortunate that online services are slow to implement protective measures – in this case, controls to prevent replay attacks – to counter known attack trends.

The public disclosure of Hunt’s failure should be used as proof that no amount of helpful tips and training can result in users being completely immune to phishers’ tricks. helpnetsecurity.com


Russian threat actor weaponized Microsoft Management Console flaw

A threat actor known as “EncryptHub” began exploiting the vulnerability before it was patched earlier this month.

A prolific Russian threat actor is exploiting a zero-day flaw in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) framework to execute malicious code on targeted systems in an ongoing cyberattack campaign that puts unpatched systems at risk.

The attacks, by a group that Trend Micro tracks as Water Gamayun, uses the CVE-2025-26633 vulnerability, also known as MSC Evil Twin, to manipulate .msc files and the MCC console’s Multilingual User Interface Path (MUIPath). From there the attacker, better known as EncryptHub, downloads and executes malicious payloads, maintains persistence and steals sensitive data from infected systems. cybersecuritydive.com
 

Why It's So Hard to Stop Rising Malicious TDS Traffic

Cameron County, TX: $200,000 worth of missing packages found in home of Brownsville UPS employee
A UPS employee was arrested in connection with a high-value theft scheme at the UPS Brownsville Distribution Center, according to a news release. The news release said the Cameron County District Attorney's Office, in collaboration with UPS Security and Homeland Security Investigations, arrested 37-year-old Armando Garcia. Garcia was a UPS employee for five years and is facing charges of theft after authorities recovered more than $200,000 worth of stolen "luxury goods and electronics" from his home in San Benito, according to the news release. According to the news release, UPS security alerted the Cameron County DA of the missing high-value parcels. Investigators were able to track the stolen electronics to Garcia's residence, leading to law enforcement to obtain and execute a search warrant with HSI assistance. The news release said the search led authorities to a stockpile of stolen merchandise including luxury designer handbags, wallets and accessories, Apple iPhones, Apple iPads, various smartwatches, high-end jewelry, designer clothing, power tools and electronic accessories. Authorities also discovered numerous UPS shipping bags containing discarded parcel boxes with original shipping labels.  krgv.com


Pasadena, CA: Bike shop targeted for 3rd time in last 3 months; thieves take $100k worth of bikes
A Pasadena bike shop was once again targeted by thieves Tuesday and it was all caught on camera. Velo Pasadena, a bike shop located at 2562 Colorado Boulevard, has been broken into three times in the last three months. The latest occurred Tuesday at around 3:30 a.m. when a crew of at least six thieves stole $100,000 worth of bikes. They have been open for 37 years and said they don't know how much more of this they can take. Surveillance footage shows the masked suspects gathered outside the bike shop moments before breaking in. One of the suspects is seen using a crowbar to open the back door. They then bust in a second interior door before racing inside. All of the suspects grabbed a bike or two and ran out of the shop. The robbery took less than a minute, but it cost the store tens of thousands of dollars. The suspects were all seen wearing hoodies and masks. They got away with multiple expensive bikes, including a rare Time VXRS Ulteam road bike.  abc7.com


San Francisco, CA: San Francisco woman charged with Organized Retail Theft involving over $56K in stolen goods
Yesterday, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office charged 22-year-old Jayla Glaser with thefts at local beauty and eyewear stores totaling over $56,000 in stolen goods. The thefts, carried out between August last year and February 2025, have led to several charges against Glaser, including one count of organized retail theft with intent to resell and multiple counts of burglary and grand theft. The SF District Attorney's Office detailed the accusations, noting that Glaser and an unnamed accomplice hit up Sephora and Veo Optics on Union Street, among other locations. Allegations pin Glaser and her accomplice at the scene of five thefts. These incidents include a substantial heist on February 20, where the duo is accused of stealing more than $40,000 worth of luxury eyewear from Veo Optics. Court documents reveal that Glaser, at the time of the thefts, was under supervised release, a fact that hasn't appeared to deter her alleged spree. During her arraignment, which took place on March 24, Glaser pleaded not guilty to all charges.   hoodline.com


San Diego, CA: Retail theft bust at Las Americas outlet mall leads to 80 arrests
Authorities made dozens of arrests during a five-day retail theft operation at the Las Americas Premium Outlets, California Highway Patrol stated in a news release Monday. Between March 17 and March 21, CHP officers made 80 arrests, 13 of which were felony level, and recovered 391 stolen items. The stolen goods, including clothing and shoes, were estimated to have a total value of $36,422, authorities said. The shopping center is located in San Diego near the border between the U.S. and Mexico. CHP said its officers worked in partnership with local retailers on the operation.  fox5sandiego.com


Alameda, CA: Alameda Police uncover alleged Fencing Operation after retail thefts
An operation involving the resale of stolen merchandise was uncovered last week following an investigation into thefts from two Alameda businesses, police announced Wednesday. The Alameda Police Department responded to a reported retail theft at South Shore Shopping Center on the morning of March 17. Officers learned two individuals stole more than $4,500 worth of merchandise from a business before fleeing in an awaiting vehicle. Authorities said they were able to identify the suspect vehicle and one of the suspects while conducting an investigation. At 9:30 p.m. on the same day, an Alameda officer on patrol saw a person leaving a Webster Street business while carrying large trash bags “that appeared to be filled with merchandise,” police said. The person, according to authorities, was the suspect identified to be involved in the shopping center theft. Detectives learned that the stolen merchandise was allegedly being brought to other businesses “that facilitate the resale of these items,” police said, otherwise known as a fencing operation.On March 18, Alameda officers served search warrants to recover “numerous stolen items being resold at a Bay Area business,” according to the police department. No criminal action was announced in connection to the unnamed business.  kron4.com


Lower Paxton Township, PA: Retail Theft Ring Arrested at The Home Depot
On March 25, 2025 at approximately 11:50 am, the Lower Paxton Bureau of Police were dispatched to the Home Depot - 5101 Jonestown Rd for a report of an active retail theft. When Officers arrived on scene, they were advised by Home Depot personnel that there were (3) three suspects inside who were responsible for stealing nearly $30,000 worth of tools and merchandise from various Home Depots throughout Pennsylvania. Officers observed the (3) suspects conceal over $2600 worth of merchandise in a large tote trash can and stopped each suspect as they were attempting to leave the store. Officers further observed each of the males speaking with each other over the phone while attempting to commit the theft. The suspects were identified as Jhon Cardona-Alviz, Juan Mancera and Christian Sanchez - each from New Jersey.   dauphin.crimewatchpa.com


Lakewood, CO: Burglary ring targets high-end fragrances in Colorado Ulta stores; 2023 totaling a loss of more than $28,000

Daleville, AL: ‘Assault Gear’ store $3000 burglary; 2nd time targeted by thieves