Brian Broadus named National Account Manager for Protection 1 Security Solutions
Brian has been a long time senior executive in the loss prevention industry. His most recent role was as Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management for Mattress Firm, a company he had been with since 2015. Brian also held director level positions for Sears Holdings Corporation as their Senior Director of Asset and Profit Protection, Bed Bath & Beyond as their Director of Loss Prevention and Ecommerce Fraud, and Walmart as Director of Loss Prevention. Congratulations Brian!

'Live in NYC' Keynote Speaker
NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill
Arriving Early For Pictures & Staying For Dinner
In addition to delivering a keynote address at the Daily's "Live in NYC" dinner event next Monday - which we will also be filming for those who can't attend - Commissioner O'Neill will be arriving early to take group photos with LP teams and vendors, and staying after his speech for dinner. (See pictures from last year's event with former Commissioner Bratton here.)

Many thanks to his team for coordinating his attendance and taking the time to recognize the retail LP leaders and industry!

Petco restructures - cuts 180 positions including LP Field Director & an RLPM - more cuts coming?
Last year the VP LP job was eliminated along with trimming the LP field team from 16 RLPM's, to a Field Director and 4 RLPD's and 8 RLPM's. So far today they've eliminated the Field Director and one RLPM. However the cutting hasn't finished today.

The FBI's Geek Squad Informants
Is Best Buy a Branch of the FBI?
At a Best Buy repair shop in Brooks, Ky., Geek Squad technicians work on computers owned by people across the country. Over several years, a handful of those workers have notified the FBI when they see signs of child pornography, earning payments from the agency.

The existence of the small cadre of informants was revealed in the case of a California doctor who is facing federal charges after his hard drive was flagged by a technician. The FBI had cultivated eight "confidential human sources" in the Geek Squad over a four-year period with all of them receiving some payment.

Best Buy searching a computer is legal - the customer authorized it, and the law does not prohibit private searches. But if Best Buy serves as an arm of the government, then a warrant or specific consent is needed. And a federal judge in the child pornography case against Mark Rettenmaier is going to allow defense attorneys to probe the relationship between Best Buy and the FBI at a hearing in Los Angeles starting Wednesday.

"If they're going to set up that network between Best Buy supervisors and FBI agents, you run the risk that Best Buy is a branch of the FBI," said defense attorney James D. Riddet.

"Best Buy and Geek Squad have no relationship with the FBI," Best Buy spokesman Jeff Shelman said. "From time to time, our repair agents discover material that may be child pornography and we have a legal and moral obligation to turn that material over to law enforcement. We are proud of our policy and share it with our customers before we begin any repair."

Shelman added, "Any circumstances in which an employee received payment from the FBI is the result of extremely poor individual judgment, is not something we tolerate and is certainly not a part of our normal business behavior." Court records did not detail how often or how much the technicians were paid, other than one $500 payment to one supervisor.

But emails between Geek Squad technicians and FBI agents in the Louisville field office indicate a long-running relationship. washingtonpost.com

Theme Park Crime:
Counterfeiters prefer Disneyland; shoplifters like Universal Studios Hollywood
Police reports show that crime rates at Southern California theme parks are extremely low, but each park wrestles with unique crime problems such as shoplifting at Universal Studios Hollywood and car burglary at Knott's Berry Farm.

At Disneyland, reports of counterfeit money are more common than incidents of grand theft or credit card fraud. The problem with bogus money at Disneyland is among several findings that came from a Los Angeles Times analysis of more than 3,700 police reports for four Southern California theme parks from 2014 through the first six months of 2016.

The analysis found that crime rates at Southern California theme parks are dramatically lower than in their surrounding cities. At the Disneyland Resort - composed of Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, the Downtown Disney shopping district and three hotels - the rate of violent crime was about one crime (1.41 to be exact) for every 1 million visitors in 2015. That figure is a tiny fraction of the crime rate in the city of Anaheim, according to FBI crime statistics. 

Violent crimes are defined by the FBI as aggravated assault, rape, robbery and murder. At Universal Studios Hollywood, the violent crime rate in 2015 was also about one (1.27) incident for every 1 million visitors, small by comparison with the surrounding city of Los Angeles, which had 6,348 violent crimes per 1 million residents last year, according to FBI crime statistics.

Experts on security at large public venues say theme park managers keep crime low by giving all employees, including janitors and food vendors, the responsibility of keeping an eye out for suspicious behavior.

Also, theme parks rely heavily on technology, such as closed-circuit cameras and two-way radios, to spot and alert security officers about crimes that take place. The challenge becomes more daunting during the holidays and peak travel periods when crowd numbers surge. latimes.com

Sacramento, CA: Mall owner stands by holiday teen ban despite controversy
Arden Fair mall owner Mark Friedman doesn't mind teenagers. But he could do without the ones that come to his mall to fight and steal. So his management team came up with a solution: Ban unaccompanied minors during peak times when they cause the most trouble.

On Dec. 26, 50 Sacramento police officers and more than 30 security guards implemented that new policy for the first time. Stationed at Arden Fair doors and inside its newly refurbished public spaces, they checked to see that kids were with an adult before they entered, and tracked down the ones who managed to sneak through.

Arden Fair is not alone in its struggles with teens. This year, about a dozen teen-instigated fights broke out inside shopping malls on Dec. 26, said Stephanie Cegielski of the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New-York based trade organization.

Cegielski said 104 of the 1,222 shopping malls in the United States have some kind of curfew or accompaniment rule, though most are year-round and not specific to the holidays. sacbee.com

H-E-B Deploys Emergency Communication System
H-E-B has deployed AlertMedia's notification technology to enhance and improve critical communications with its employees. H-E-B is initially using the AlertMedia platform to communicate with employees at its 400 locations about product recalls, severe weather, system and power outages and more.

AlertMedia says it has modernized emergency communications for enterprise organizations by delivering an easy-to-use software platform that combines multi-channel, two-way messaging and 24/7 monitoring services to keep people informed and safe. AlertMedia enables organizations to interact with their audience from any mobile device, consolidating unlimited communication channels - such as voice, text, email, social media and Slack - into one user experience. theshelbyreport.com

Diebold Nixdorf unveils small-footprint self-checkout system
Diebold Nixdorf, a provider of self-service solutions to merchants, has introduced an ultra-thin self-checkout device for the retail market that it says can be deployed as a self-checkout machine, point-of-sale terminal or ATM machine in any environment. The Extreme Self-Checkout Concept is less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) wide, supports cash card and contactless payments, and integrates an EMV chip reader to help mitigate card fraud. retaildive.com

Retailers Say U.S. Supreme Court Should Rule in Favor of Free Speech on Credit Card Fees
The National Retail Federation today called on the U.S. Supreme Court to allow merchants to freely and accurately show customers the added costs that come with paying by credit card rather than cash.

Justices are hearing arguments today in a case challenging laws in 10 states that prohibit merchants from imposing a surcharge when customers use a credit card. The laws, which were passed at the urging of the card industry, can be traps for merchants who give a cash discount. The lawsuit before the court argues that the laws violate merchants' free speech rights under the First Amendment and are unconstitutionally vague under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. nrf.com

Canadian apparel maker Gildan wins American Apparel auction, will pay $88M

Minimum Wages Set to Increase in 19 States in 2017

FBI Arrests Volkswagen Compliance Executive at Miami International

NYC council hears from businesses frustrated by Trump Tower security

Alibaba to Reinvent Bricks & Mortar in China
Bids $2.6B for Department Store Chain - Intime Retail Group


Holiday Same Store Sales Results (Nov/Dec)

Hudson's Bay Co. comp's down 0.7%
     DSG (Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor and Home Outfitters) comp's up 1.2%
     Saks Fifth Avenue comp's down 0.5%
     HBC Off Price (Saks OFF 5TH and Gilt) comp's down 5.2%
     HBC Europe (GALERIA Kaufhof, Galeria INNO and Sportarena) comp's down 0.6%
Shoe Carnival comp's down 1.1%
ascena retail group comp's down 3.1%
     Justice up 2.7%
     Ann Taylor down 8.2%
     LOFT down 1.8%
     maurices down 7.1%
     dressbarn down 4.6%
     Lane Bryant down 5.1%
     Catherines up 1.6%

'If you connect it to the Internet, someone will try to hack it'
Cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs provides a list of immutable truths about data breaches, cybersecurity and the consequences of inaction:

-If you connect it to the Internet, someone will try to hack it.

-If what you put on the Internet has value, someone will invest time and effort to steal it.

-Even if what is stolen does not have immediate value to the thief, he can easily find buyers for it.

-The price he secures for it will almost certainly be a tiny slice of its true worth to the victim.

-Organizations and individuals unwilling to spend a small fraction of what those assets are worth to secure them against cybercrooks can expect to eventually be relieved of said assets. krebsonsecurity.com

Customers Challenge B&N Dismissal Bid In Data Breach Suit
Shoppers fought Barnes & Noble Inc.'s bid to shake their proposed class action over a data breach Friday, blasting the bookseller for asking an Illinois federal court to overlook the significant harm they have suffered and leave them to fend for themselves.

The retailer urged the court to toss the suit once and for all in November, contending that the book buyers had failed to allege a sufficient injury stemming from a 2012 breach that compromised credit and debit cards swiped at PIN pad terminals at 63 stores in nine states, despite revamping their claims several times.

But the book buyers countered Friday that their second amended complaint alleges cognizable injuries that can be attributed to the security breach, contending that Barnes & Noble's "cavalier attitude contravenes law and public policy." law360.com

7 tips for better security awareness training sessions
At their worst, security awareness training sessions are boring wastes of time, both for employees and the IT people responsible for them. At their best, however, they are interactive, discussion-driven, and genuinely helpful opportunities to raise security issues and lay the groundwork for better habits.

How do you steer your own training sessions closer to the latter? Here are seven straightforward tips that can help.

1. Keep training sessions small
2. Keep sessions short
3. Stay focused
4. Make training a regular thing
5. Keep your material fresh
6. Make it actionable
7. Get executives involved, too   csoonline.com

1 million cybersecurity job openings in 2017

Cyber Security Market to Reach $170 Billion by 2022

Video: What a Locky Ransomware attack looks like

The Perfect Answer to An Imperfect World
 

Cam Connections, Inc. a division of Protection 1 has been providing loss prevention solutions to regional and national retail organizations since our inception. CCI recognizes that your security needs are unique and require a personalized touch; security solutions which are carefully planned and executed, not forced. Our depth of experience with electronic security systems in retail loss prevention applications, makes us a solid choice to help you protect your business from loss. We have experience in various systems including: ●  Analog and IP Video Surveillance Systems ●  Video Analytics ●  Intrusion and Fire Alarm Systems ●  Integration to Electronic Article Surveillance Systems ●  Access Control Systems CCI is a custom systems provider, not a manufacturer. We are free to select the most appropriate products available in the marketplace and, thereby, we can offer you the highest quality security solutions that demonstrate exceptional value. We partner with each client in performing a comprehensive facilities, financial, human, and overall security risk assessment. Our team of dedicated professionals then design, install, and service electronic security systems that are custom tailored to fulfill each individual client's needs.

CAM CONNECTIONS, INC. a division of Protection 1
3970 S. Pipkin Road - Lakeland, FL 33811-1422
Tel. 863.583.3343 - Fax. 863.583.3349 - Toll Free. 888.544.1085
www.camconn.com

With more than 40 years of global experience, Nedap's intelligent article surveillance solutions bridge the gap between high-performance loss prevention and a pleasant customer experience with smart features such as metal detectors, dashboarding, customer counting and much more. Wouter Ubbels, Director of Channel Sales Americas, and Pat O'Leary, VP and General Manager for Nedap North America, tell us about the cutting-edge features of Nedap's open-platform iSense technology, which can be rolled out quickly and cost-effectively thanks to their strong partner network throughout the United States and beyond. 
 

LPNN Quick Take #6

Joe and Amber are joined by Frank Camerino, VP of Business Development for Metro One, which helped provide security for this year's NRF Big Show in NYC. In this LPNN Quick Take, hear Frank field a barrage of hot-seat questions, including what he would spend his money on if he won the lottery.

Solution Providers: Have a video or commercial you want to publish? Contact us

Fraud Trends 2017: What to Watch Out For
In 2017, watch for these types of online retail fraud. Most fraud is much more complex than those basic types. Based on our analysis of 2016 trends, we expect more of these newer fraud patterns in the year ahead:

Even more fraudulent bot transactions. Over the past year, there's been a dramatic rise in fraudsters' use of tools that randomly generate credit card numbers. They test those, along with randomly generated CVVs, at under protected merchant sites to find effective card-number-and-CVV combinations. They can also test randomly generated CVVs against known valid credit card numbers they've purchased on the dark web.

Online fraudsters exploit in-store pickup. Omnichannel retailers and customers like the convenience of online ordering with in-store pickup, but it's convenient for fraudsters, too. That's because fraud screenings of online orders rely on checking information like the customer's shipping address. If that address doesn't need to be correct for customers to get their merchandise, a thief can enter information that doesn't match the card, complete the order, and pick up the merchandise before the fraud is discovered.

Same-day shipping helps fraudsters beat the clock. Eighty percent of shoppers want same-day shipping from retailers, and fraudsters want it, too. Faster shipping means more successful fraud, because - as with in-store pickup - criminals can get their hands on the merchandise before their fraud is detected.

The post-EMV online fraud wave hasn't crested yet. Like every other country that's switched to EMV (chip) cards for in-store purchases, the US has seen a dramatic rise in online fraud as criminals move from point-of-sale fraud to easier targets. Experts warned about this expected rise since well before the EMV liability shift in October 2015, and fraud attacks have increased as predicted. However, as of this writing, only 29% of US retailers accept chip cards at their point-of-sale terminals. As more retailers convert their POS terminals in 2017 to comply with card company rules, expect even more fraud in the online space. edgl.com

Sources: Amazon quietly acquired AI security startup harvest.ai for around $20M
Amazon Web Services appears to be ramping up its security chops. TechCrunch has learned that the e-commerce giant's cloud services group quietly acquired cyber security firm harvest.ai.

The San Diego-based startup, co-founded by a team that includes two former NSA employees, uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze user behavior around a company's key IP to try to identify and stop targeted attacks before valuable customer data can be swiped.

We were alerted to the acquisition by a tipster, who said the purchase price for harvest.ai was $19 million - a good return, considering that the startup only raised $2.3 million. The tipster also said the team's 12 employees are relocating to Amazon's Seattle headquarters.

Amazon told TechCrunch, in response to our questions about the startup, that it does not comment on rumors and speculation. Co-founders for harvest.ai, contacted about this deal, did not respond to our questions. techcrunch.com

UPDATE: Macy's and Kohl's still struggling to come to grips with e-commerce and the Amazon effect

Knoxville, TN: Tennessee State Rep says Organized Retail Crime a big problem
14th District State Rep. Jason Zachary (R) is passing an "organized retail crime" bill, something he's crafted with local law enforcement, Home Depot and other lawmakers. "Most people don't realize that Knoxville is the No. 1 city in the nation for gift card theft and abuse," he said. "It's truly organized retail crime. You'll have two people go to a Home Depot. One person goes in and steals a blower and comes out, and the other person goes in and returns it. So, the state loses tax dollars." The person who returns the item will get a gift card from the store which can be sold on the secondary market. Zachary noted that arrests authorities made the week before Christmas netted roughly $50,000 in stolen merchandise. He said most of the retail crime happens in West Knox County, particularly the Turkey Creek shopping complex because of its easy access to the interstate. wbir.com

Ashland, KY: Investigators with Sprint and Ashland Police bust $13,000 theft ring
Two have been arrested and another man is being sought in connection with a cell phone theft ring of $13,000. The APD, working with Sprint, made the arrests after an investigation. Sprint employee Ryan Maynard admitted to stealing phones from story inventory and providing them to T.J. Sizemore to launder through "The Phone Store" in Ashland. The store's owner, Ed Edwards, sold some of the phones over the Internet. APD detectives discovered more than $10,000 in stolen merchandise. Maynard and Edwards have been arrested while Sizemore remains at large. dailyindependent.com

River Falls, WI: Four from St. Paul busted in ShopKo felony theft
ShopKo security called officers to the store for a group of possible shoplifters late Saturday afternoon, Jan. 7. Two suspicious women were going around loading their shopping cart with clothing items. In other part of the store, two suspicious men were doing the same with mostly electronic items. The women later paid for some toilet paper but allegedly walked out with their cart full of stolen merchandise. The men allegedly followed, though they removed their goods from the cart and put them in a plastic tub, covering it with a lid. One the way out, one man allegedly also grabbed a $450 hoverboard. The stolen merchandise totaled $1,247. riverfallsjournal.com

Shootings & Death

Mableton, GA: Gun Store Owner shoots and kills suspect: 'I had no other choice'
The owner of a gun shop who shot back against two armed suspects is speaking out after the incident, saying he had no choice but to fire at the men, killing one. Bullet holes are still visible on the front on the Dixie Gun and Pawn shot Monday night after what detectives describe as a gun battle broke out earlier in the day. Police said two armed men burst in Jimmy Groover's store in broad daylight Monday and held the gun store owner at gunpoint. Get down on the floor, get down on the floor or I'll kill you," Groover recalled the suspects telling him. "Then they shot at me." What the men weren't aware of is that Groover had a gun of his own. Feeling like his life was on the line, he pulled the trigger, shooting and killing one of the suspects. The other is still on the run. wcnc.com

Robberies & Thefts

UK: Asda gives response after Cash Office employee stole $560,000
without being noticed
Asda is yet to explain how a staff member managed to steal almost 460,000 pounds from a petrol kiosk over a four year period without being noticed. Wendy Clements managed to steal the incredible amount from the South Bank supermarket, where she worked in the cash office. Yet despite pocketing a total of 459,925 pounds from the supermarket over a four-year period, the retail giant failed to pick up on her audacious scam. Yesterday Teesside Crown Court heard how Clements had been able to pinch as much as 150,000 pounds a year due to a loophole in Asda's accounting procedure. The 47-year-old noticed that electronic records on the petrol station tills were not linked to the "smart record" that she would submit to Asda's head office. So she understated the amount of cash taken at the till and simply pocketed the rest. Asda had since changed its accounting procedure, but the supermarket chain has so far not responded to questions on how Clements was able to get away with her scam for so long. gazettelive.co.uk




Lakeland, FL: Polk Co. Sheriff blames gun store owner in burglary; wants an Armed Guard 24/7
Forty guns stolen in an overnight burglary, the Sheriff feels the responsibility of securing the store falls on the store's owner. yahoo.com






Waco, TX: Two men hid in Academy Sporting Goods, stole merchandise when store closed
Waco Police are looking to identify two men who stole merchandise from an Academy after the store closed down. The men concealed themselves in an area of the store not open to customers until the store closed, and the employees left. Police said this makes the offense a felony burglary case. kxxv.com




Gulfport, MS: Shoppers on edge after surge in dollar store robberies
The search is on for an armed and dangerous man Gulfport Police say is responsible for a rash of recent robberies. Investigators on Monday released several surveillance pictures from two different dollar store robberies. "These two particular ones appear to be the same individual," Sgt. Joshua Bromen said of the photos. "It feels like he's comfortable in this environment. They are about the same times, right before close." With the wanted man still on the loose, some customers are concerned for their safety. nbc12.com

Cherokee County, NC man nets 21-year sentence in drug store robbery

Carlisle, PA: Man arrested at Walmart for attempting to steal 16 video games

Two wanted in theft from the University of Toledo/ Rockets Bookstore; grabbing clothing, knocking down and injuring an employee

Payson, AZ: The Home Depot bust transient man for hiding in store and eating snack foods

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