Adam Stokes, CFI named Lead Supply Chain Loss Prevention Manager for ULTA Beauty
Most recently, Adam worked at Dollar General for over 8 years where he was a Regional Loss Prevention Manager and Interim Divisional Loss Prevention Director. Adam has over 16 years of Loss Prevention experience spanning small, large and specialty retail formats. "ULTA is extremely fortunate to benefit from Adam's experience with hyper-growth companies. His LP knowledge, professional demeanor and his service oriented leadership makes him perfectly suited to lead our Supply Chain LP team" - Brian Flannery-Director of Loss Prevention. Adam achieved his Bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Administration of Justice. Congratulations Adam!

NEW FIGURES REVEAL WAVE OF CYBER-THREATS AND RISING VIOLENCE AGAINST STAFF
Violence Up 40% Against Retail Employees
More Than Half Of Retail Fraud Is 'Cyber-Enabled'
The British Retail Consortium's Retail Crime Survey has today laid bare a growing new frontier of retail crime, driven by rising cyber-enabled incidents with fifty-three percent of retail fraud is now 'cyber-enabled'. It also reports a 40 per cent increase in violence and other forms of abuse against retail workers in the past year.

The findings reveal that ever more sophisticated forms of crime are being perpetrated against retailers and their customers. Examples of cyber-enabled crimes being committed include phishing, theft of consumer data, doxing and social engineering, as well as a host of other increasingly elaborate scams.

The BRC's report highlights concerns among retailers that existing deterrence is not effective enough, and a growing sense among those working in the retail industry that offenders are able to act with impunity.

The overall number of retail crimes committed has risen to 3.6 million, with the direct financial cost of crime to the retail industry reaching £660m = $828M U.S. in 2015-16.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the BRC, said:

"These figures reflect a deeply concerning trend. Attacks on retail workers are intolerable, as are attempts to defraud customers. A significant aspect of the cyber security challenge for retailers is the attractiveness of customer data from the point of view of criminals, many of whom operate outside UK borders but can nevertheless gain relatively easy access to UK digital networks.

"Retailers are doing everything possible to ensure that staff members and customers are safe and protected. But this rising tide should be stemmed through even stronger cooperation between industry, the government, law enforcement and the private security industry. There is work to do to further improve collaboration between the UK retail industry and its partners, and raise standards of security and policing of these threats across the country."

(The BRC Retail Crime Survey sample covered 37% per cent of the retail industry by turnover and 35% by staff, accounting for 1.1 million employees.)

Editor's Note: What's happening across the pond is usually a direct mirror of North America. Let's see if the other surveys coming this year point to the same numbers and violence trends, as every indication is that it's almost exactly the same here. brc.org.uk  esmmagazine.com

Former QVC manager sent to prison, ordered to pay back $1.8M
A former manager for television shopping channel QVC was sent to prison Tuesday and ordered to pay back the $1.8 million he bilked from the company. Douglas Rae issued bogus invoices to scam the West Chester, Pa., company out of $1.8 million from 2006 through 2013, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Wolf. U.S. District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter sentenced the 60-year-old Lower Saucon Township man to six-and-a-half years in federal prison. lehighvalleylive.com

Report: A decade later, 96% of retailers deploying RFID tags on apparel
Since the turn of the century and possibly with only industry experts watching, RFID has quietly ascended the retail supply chain, growing from 3 billion to 8 billion apparel RFID tags sold since 2014.

In fact, according to Auburn University's 2016 State of RFID Adoption Among U.S. Apparel Retailers, 96% of retailers had plans to deploy the tags on their apparel products.

Sometimes technology takes a while to catch on, but with 96% of surveyed retailers finally deploying the technology, the question that arises is, why now?

First, the early hype of the technology led to a potentially overpriced tag.

Second, while the tags have been around for over a decade alongside other must-haves like Big Data, only recently with the rise of the cloud and fully-integrated platforms has the promise of data analytics and mass-implementation of the Internet of Things become evident across various industries. The value of storing and monitoring product data on RFID tags rises when the infrastructure is in place to understand it.

Lastly, as department stores and big box retailers struggle to retain revenues in the age of online shopping, companies are looking for new ways to drive down operational costs - and supply chain management has been put on the spotlight. RFID tags promise more efficient inventory management and replenishment, both which have increased in importance as retailers lean their stocks and engage omnichannel strategies.

The steady success of RFID technology demonstrates that technology implementations are often multi-faceted and long, but with due diligence can drive great value to early and late adopters alike. retaildive.com
 
Five Types of People in Organizational Change
Knowing the five types of people that exist throughout your company will be the differentiator with your next organizational change effort. In most businesses today, change is the only constant, and not everyone adapts well.

The model below, Five Types of People in Organizational Change, has been successfully used both with pilot projects and team-based top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up initiatives to help categorize where people are, when and how best to involve them, or the decision not to involve them. Keep in mind people will fit in different groups, depending on the type and target of change.

1. Pioneers - These are the individuals who like and embrace new things or initiatives. First in line.

2. "Yes" People - These are individuals who feel obligated to do it.

3. Crowd Followers - These are individuals who tend to take a wait-and-see approach.

4. Skeptics - These are individuals who trust data and have a low opinion of opinions. Once they have come to the conclusion this is the way to go, they become strong advocates and valuable allies. Winning over a skeptic often also means winning over their followers.

5. CAVE People - CAVE is an acronym for Citizens Against Virtually Everything. These individuals won't join and don't care if you succeed.

Ideally, begin with influential Pioneers who already want to be involved. When more are needed, approach the "Yes" People for their commitment. Shortly after, the Crowd Followers will begin to recognize the momentum, demonstrate interest, and join the cause. Once results become visible and Skeptics have completed their painful analysis, determining the initiative makes sense and deserves their help, they will join as, will their followers.

You don't win over CAVE People and almost no initiative wins over 100 percent of the organizational population. The vast majority is enough for success. ohsonline.com

Ex-Dealer Avoids Prison For $33 Million Fine-Art Scam
Forgeries roiled New York's art world & Sotheby's
NY federal judge sentenced former art dealer Glafira Rosales to time served for $33 million scheme to sell at least 50 pieces of phony fine art dating back to the 80's.

Rosales apologized and said her former partner and co-conspirator, Jose Carlos Dias Bergantinos Diaz, abused her.

Diaz, his brother Jesus Angel Bergantinos Diaz and Chinese painter Pei-Shen Qian all are charged in the sophisticated forgery scheme. The brothers are in Spain, which has refused to extradite the Diaz brothers citing health grounds. Qian is in China and is considered a fugitive.

The forgeries roiled New York's art world, generating civil litigation including a 2016 trial in which Sotheby's chairman Domenico De Sole sought to hold the now-defunct Knoedler & Co. gallery liable for $25 million for selling him a fake Rothko it got from Rosales. law360.com

What Employers Need to Consider in the Era of Legalized Marijuana
Now, a grand total of 28 states - plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico - allow some (or all) of their populations to legally ingest marijuana.

Most companies are opting to continue drug testing employees and prohibit marijuana use. However, they may soon be forced to reevaluate those policies in order to stay fully staffed.

Given the ongoing changes in state drug laws, it's a good time for companies everywhere to revisit their testing policies, specifically as they relate to marijuana use. Clarifying expectations around safety, impairment, usage, and termination standards will help business leaders avoid legal trouble. Updated drug testing policies should be comprehensive and include the following information:

1. Program goals: Defining goals and parameters for drug testing policies allows leaders to shape these programs to achieve the best results. Do they aim to continue to prohibit marijuana use? Or do they want to support workers who rely on the drug as medicine? Whatever the goal, it should be documented and shared with all employees.

2. Specifics on how policies will be enforced: As new laws impact increasing numbers of businesses, leaders should revisit who they target with drug testing policies, why someone might qualify for testing, and how often tests occur. What rights do employees have? Will they be subject to random searches and tests? Who will administer these programs, and do these appointees need special qualifications? Answering these questions will bring focus and clarity to revised policies.

Employees who handle money also might come under increased scrutiny.

3. Consequences for violating company policies: Disciplinary action must be outlined in the drug testing regulations. Leaders must decide whether they will enforce zero-tolerance policies even for employees who use marijuana medicinally. They'll also need to consider how to approach workers who are repeat offenders in legal states. Will they offer rehabilitation for drug abuse or simply fire them outright? In light of changing regulations, companies may shift from strictly punitive policies to encouraging employees to disclose drug problems and seek treatment.

Employers must keep a constant watch on the legal landscape as more states address the question of marijuana legalization. Businesses that update their drug testing policies protect themselves against lawsuits and gain access to a wider pool of eligible job candidates. The question of how companies should respond to marijuana legalization isn't going away, so it's best to be proactive. ohsonline.com

Mississippi House panel advances stiff punishment for cargo theft
One bill on the move at the Mississippi statehouse would deter the theft of truck, rail or container cargo through stiff punishment.

The House Judiciary B Committee voted to advance a bill to establish cargo theft as a specific offense and to impose felony charges with escalating fines and punishment based on the value of goods.

Mississippi ranks in the top 20 of states in the number of cargo thefts. Florida, California, Texas, New Jersey and Georgia are in the top five.

The bill that calls for offenders to face prison in addition to monetary penalties. Specifically, thieves who steal cargo from trucks loaded with controlled substances, or pharmaceuticals, valued at less than $10,000 would face fines up to $100,000 and/or up to 10 years in prison.

Violators of other property heists valued as much as $1,000 would face misdemeanor charges. Theft of cargo valued as high as $10,000 would include fines up to $100,000 and/or 10 years behind bars. Stolen loads valued in excess of $10,000 could result in 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $1 million. landlinemag.com

A Day of Reckoning for American Department Stores?
2017 could bring a final judgment for some of America's biggest department store players, which have long faced serious headwinds.

The decline of the American Department Store has been well documented, but the start of 2017 seemed to edge some of America's biggest players one step closer to a final reckoning.

To be sure, apparel retailers across the board are struggling to succeed in an increasingly fragmented market where the customer makes the rules and Amazon makes the best offers. But department stores face unique challenges.

Some will likely face bankruptcy. "There's just a lot more competition for what is at best a flat pie or, you could argue, a shrinking pie," explained Steven P. Dennis, a retail consultant and former Neiman Marcus executive. businessoffashion.com

Commentary: Ralph Lauren brand is 'lost'
CEO Laruen Hired Last Year Leaves Company Abruptly
Editor's Note: Is it really lost? Or is it that the new consumer - the Millennial, who's in full control now and, quite frankly, doesn't care about brand - is absolutely mobile and doesn't care about preppy, cool, or anything else clothing-wise almost. The story is the same at so many of yesterday's brands. Like J Crew, Abercrombie, Wet Seal, the department stores, etc. etc. etc. As long as they have their phone, their car, tablet, laptop, coffee shops, and a cause to fight for, then they're good to go.

Yes, online is also killing everything and most everyone in mainstream retail, but the Millennial is the one driving the car and, by the way, it's the cyber crook that's in the back seat.

Because the same thing is happening in LP in a bizarre way. What worked 5 or 10 years ago doesn't work now, and cybercrime is driving the criminal empire worldwide. They've shifted too and, like the shoppers, it's the Millennial who's driving that as well. Just a thought, Gus Downing

Fitch: Claire's, Sears among retailers in danger of default this year
Other retailers on the list include: Nine West Holdings, 99 Cents Only Stores, rue 21, and Gymboree. retaildive.com

Lowe's hiring 45,000 Customer-Facing Roles

185 million to watch Super Bowl & Spend $14.1 Billion

Macy's sale rumored as long-time CEO steps down

Target cuts robot store and secret e-commerce start-up


Coming Monday - The 2016 Retail Violent Death Report
First ever published of publicly reported violent deaths in retail


January Comp's
L Brands comp's down 4%, sales down 1%
   Bath & Body Works comp's up 12%
   Victoria's Secret comp's down 10%
Fred's comp's down 4.8%, sales down 5.6%
Cato comp's down 14%
The Buckle comp's down 17.2%
 
Quarterly Same Store Sales Results
Ingles Markets Q1 comp's up 1..8%, total sales up 3.3%
Sally Beauty Q4 comp's up 0.4%, net sales up 0.2%
L Brands Q4 comp's flat, sales up 2%
   Bath & Body Works comp's up 5%
   Victoria's Secret comp's down 3%
Fred's Q4 comp's down 3.6%, sales down 4.3%
Ralph Lauren Q3 retail comp's down 5%, revenue down 12%, North America down 15%, Wholesale down 26%

Who's Recruiting Your People?
Dark Web Recruiters Target Insiders and Employees
The cyber-risk from insiders - employees and contractors who have valid access to enterprise networks, a la Edward Snowden-is on the rise, in part due to cybercriminals recruiting them to help steal data, make illegal trades or otherwise profit.

According to a report from RedOwl and IntSights, the recruitment of insiders within the Dark Web is active and growing, with forum discussions and insider outreach nearly doubling from 2015 to 2016.

Sophisticated threat actors use the Dark Web to find and engage insiders to help place malware behind an organization's perimeter security. Insiders then use these underground forums to "cash out" on their services through insider trading and payment for stolen credit card information.

Editor's Note: One would imagine the most susceptible would be the IT employees and virtually anyone if they really target an organization. infosecurity-magazine.com

The Interconnected Nature Of International Cybercrime
How burgeoning hackers are honing their craft across language barriers from top tier cybercriminal ecosystems and forums of the Deep and Dark Web.

The proliferation of open-source learning and translation tools has allowed burgeoning hackers and cybercriminals to communicate across language barriers into Deep and Dark Web forums from which more advanced malware development and tools have been known to emerge.

Flashpoint defines "connectors" as individuals who interact on Deep & Dark Web forums maintained outside of their country of residence. These individuals make efforts to communicate outside their native language in order to obtain and import knowledge and tools back to their native communities.

For those seeking to combat cybercrime, the rising prevalence of connectors is problematic in many ways. First, connectors appear to be contributing to an increase in the number of sophisticated malware samples surfacing from regions that have historically not been prone to cybercrime of this nature. In addition, connectors have also been known to perpetuate fraud schemes across international borders. Although these crimes may not necessarily require technical expertise, many do require physical or privileged access to the targeted institutions and can include insider threats, ATM skimmer installations, and bank drops. darkreading.com

Why 2017 will be the worst year ever for security
High-profile breaches are just the tip of the iceberg. Many have never been detected or disclosed--and without a major infrastructure changes it's only going to get worse.

Security experts have long warned that most organizations don't even know they've been breached. Attackers rely on stealth to learn about the network, find valuable information and systems, and steal what they want. Only recently have organizations improved their detection efforts and started investing the time, capital, and people needed to uncover vulnerabilities. When they do, the results are often alarming.

"I think we are going to find more, not less, breaches in 2017," says Ray Rothrock, CEO of RedSeal, a security analytics firm. csoonline.com

8th Circ. Remands $10M Target Corp. Data Breach Deal
Settlement Not Adequate for Large Number of Consumers
The Eighth Circuit decided Wednesday to send back to lower court the $10 million deal that let Target Corp. out of multidistrict litigation over its notorious 2013 data breach, after two men raised concerns about inadequate class representation and compensation.

The appeals panel called out the district court's certification of the settlement class as not meeting the court's standards, saying "the lack of legal analysis in both the preliminary and final orders suggests that class certification was the product of summary conclusion rather than rigor."

Certified class member Leif Olson had asked the appeal panel in May to vacate the deal, saying the single settlement class did not adequately represent a large number of consumers. law360.com

B&N Says 'Word Games' Can't Save Data Breach Suit

Platt Retail Institute Finds RFID-Based Inventory Accuracy, Sales and Satisfaction Gains at Macy's - Part 2
Case one of the four-case study found that when it comes to display compliance in women's footwear, the use of RFID brought the rate of errors (incidents of available shoes not being displayed on shelves) down. Macy's carries more than 250,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) of women's shoes, and a typical shoe department features about 800 different styles. The high volume of styles can lead to a lack of compliance in terms of displaying each style for customers.

Prior to the RFID deployment, the rate of errors (non-displayed shoes) was 30 percent. With the RFID system in place, the research indicates, that noncompliance was reduced to between 4 and 6 percent. Customer satisfaction was also higher than in other store departments, presumably due to the women's shoes department's greater display compliance-more products are on the shelf where customers can see them.  rfidjournal.com
 
A New Mantra For Cybersecurity: 'Simulate, Simulate, Simulate!'
What security teams can learn from the Apollo 13 space program, a global pandemic, and major infrastructure disruptions to identify their best responses to attacks.

Breach simulations may not help you address the thousands of alerts your SOC team has to resolve every day, but you'll be able to strategically simulate what can occur in your environment, and identify the best option to respond to potential attackers. The benefit is that you can then choose the best possible compensating control to break the kill chain or stop the attackers in their tracks (just like NISAC and the flu pandemic). darkreading.com

Spam Now Makes Up Nearly Two-Thirds Of All Email

S-Tron wins PSA Security Network's
prestigious President's Award

We never work for recognition here at S-Tron, but believe that when we dedicate every moment to giving our best, our effort will speak for itself and people will notice.

Again, we are humbled to share that someone has taken notice. PSA Security Network, the world's largest electronic security cooperative, owned by the most progressive security integrators throughout North America, has awarded S-Tron with the prestigious President's Award for the Northeast Region.

Director of Sales, Everett Cope, explains "It's a great honor to be recognized for all the hard work everyone at S-TRON puts in every day. PSA is a fantastic partner that assists with S-TRON's growth and we are glad to have them as a solid resource".

S-TRON President, Pete Mattschull, was in attendance to receive the award from Tim Brooks (PSA) while at the PSA Convention in Grand Cayman.

"Recognition like this only fuels our determination to work harder and always with the highest levels of integrity," Cope continued, "And that is exactly what we plan to do."

PSA members are responsible for over $2 billion annually in security, fire, and life safety installations. In addition to exceptional equipment selection, PSA offers industry leading education and training as well as vetted solutions and services that can enhance any security company's operations.

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

Amazon accounts for 43% of all US online sales in 2016
It also accounted for more than half of all 2016 growth in U.S. online retail.

Amazon.com Inc. continues to gobble up market share in online retail. In advance of the merchant's closely watched full-year earnings report due out Thursday, a new study released today suggests that 43% of all U.S. online retail purchases last year occurred on Amazon-owned sites, including sales Amazon processes for the company's marketplace partners. In addition, the merchant accounted for more than half of all e-commerce growth in the U.S. last year, according to the study.

One company with market share north of 40% is nearly unheard of in any segment of retailing. For example, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer in terms of total revenue and Amazon's principal competitor, has slightly more than 9% market share of total U.S. retail sales, when factoring out the sale of goods not normally purchased online like automobiles and fuel. Wal-Mart is No. 4 in the Top 500.

Much of Amazon's gains comes from the electronics, home and apparel categories, Slice says. "Electronics account for a significant portion of Amazon's growth.

Amazon.com is the leading starting point among shoppers, with 52.4% of consumers reporting that they go to the web-only giant first when shopping online. internetretailer.com

PCI Council Updates E-Commerce Guidance for Firms
Industry body the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has updated its best practice guidelines for securing e-commerce transactions, as more fraud migrates online.

The Best Practices for Securing E-commerce guidance replaces the previous PCI DSS E-commerce Guidelines, published back in 2013.

As such, there's new info in there for online merchants explaining SSL/TLS, how to select a certificate authority (CA), the different types of certificates out there and a list of questions merchants can ask service providers on digital certificates and encryption.  infosecurity-magazine.com

Burberry takes counterfeiters to court in TM claim
UK-based fashion brand Burberry has lashed out at online counterfeiters in a trademark infringement claim.

Filed at the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division on Monday, January 30, the lawsuit claimed that the defendants had sold counterfeit goods on online marketplaces.

"The defendants create the defendant internet stores by the hundreds or even thousands, and design them to appear to be selling genuine Burberry products while actually selling counterfeit Burberry products to unknowing consumers," said the suit.

According to the claim, the counterfeiters are based in China or other foreign jurisdictions.

Burberry added that the products for sale "bear similar irregularities and indicia", which suggests that the counterfeits were manufactured by and come from a common source and that the defendants are interrelated. worldipreview.com

Orlando, FL: Two men arrested for stealing fuel with counterfeit credit cards;
over $2,500
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that investigators with his Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement made two separate arrests in the Orlando area for filling unlawful bladder trucks with fuel purchased with stolen financial information. A "bladder truck" is a vehicle that has been retrofitted with hidden tanks that hold high volumes of fuel. Law enforcement officers arrested Alain Michel Montenegro Perdomo, 34, of Orlando after he allegedly filled his bladder truck that was estimated to hold more than 800 gallons of fuel. Investigators also recovered 23 counterfeit credit cards from Montenegro's possession. Law enforcement officers also arrested Gustavo Diaz Correa, 40, of Orlando. Investigators observed Diaz allegedly filling an unlawful bladder truck that was estimated to hold over 200 gallons. Investigators recovered one counterfeit credit card from his possession. capitalsoup.com



Newark, DE: Women used duffel bag to steal $1800 worth of medication from Acme
The Newark Police is trying to identify two women who were seen on camera stuffing $1,800 worth of medication from Acme into a duffel bag. According to NPD the theft occurred at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the grocery store in the Suburban Plaza. Police said the women took $1,800 worth of items off the shelf - including antacids, allergy medication and pain relievers. newarkpostonline.com


Fredericksburg, VA: Lowe's shoplifter busted, search of get-a-way truck reveals a cache of stolen tools
Deputy Brown interviewed the male and identified him as Daniel Cook. Mr. Cook admitted to the incident and offered to pay for the merchandise. Deputy Brown then asked Mr. Cook how he arrived at the store. Mr. Cook stated that a friend had provided transportation and that his wife was to pick him up. Deputy Brown doubted that statement and asked to view available store video to confirm his suspicion. The video clearly showed Mr. Cook arriving in a black Ford Escape that was still parked in the lot. Deputy Brown inspected the vehicle and could easily view a wide variety of tools inside. Deputy Brown obtained permission to search the vehicle and recovered unopened merchandise that Lowe's routinely sells. potomaclocal.com

Shootings & Death

Update: Orange County, FL: Knife-wielding man accused of stalking Walmart employee charged with 2 counts of attempted of Attempted Murder
A 51-year-old man seriously injured in a deputy-involved shooting Tuesday afternoon outside an Orange County Walmart Market has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. The man, Abrahan Canaan, is accused of going to the store to stalk an employee armed with a 9-inch knife. Canaan had caused trouble in the store earlier in the day. When a deputy responded to the scene, they said they found Canaan outside the store holding a 9-inch knife in the air, and they said he wouldn't stop at the deputy's demands. Canaan ran to a car behind the store and tried to run down the Deputies with his car, so they opened fire. At least one bullet hit Canaan in the torso. Deputies said Canaan drove away and crashed where he was arrested. The two deputies involved in the shooting were not injured. wftv.com

Palmview, TX: UPDATE: H-E-B Shooter Enters 'Not Guilty' Plea; facing life for murder
Hidalgo County, Raul Lopez is facing murder charges. Lopez faces one count of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and one count of attempted capital murder of multiple persons. This stems from a fatal shooting at an H-E-B in Palmview that left 48-year-old, Mario Alberto Pulido dead, and three more injured. Surveillance video shows Lopez exited the grocery store, took a 9mm weapon from his vehicle, and shot approximately 15 rounds at the victims through a glass window, into the grocery store. Lopez claims he had a "paranoia episode." Lopez will return to court in March he could spend life in prison. foxrio2.com

Soldotna, AK: Man accidentally shoots himself in the Restroom at Fred Meyer
A man injured Wednesday afternoon when his gun accidentally discharged was in the process of trying to secure it. Officer Tobin Brennan responded to the bathroom in Fred Meyer in Soldotna at 12:35 p.m. for a man who had been wounded by a gunshot from his firearm. "He was trying to set it down and secure it on the toilet paper (dispenser) ... and it fell off of there," Brennan said. The man was shot in the calf, and was taken to the hospital. Brennan responded to the scene along with another Soldotna police officer and four Alaska State Troopers. peninsulaclarion.com

Robberies & Thefts

Houston, TX: Five gang members charged in Virginia pharmacy burglaries
Last Saturday, police said, security cameras captured images of Houston gang members breaking into two drug stores far from home. The pharmacies are located in the small town of Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, about 1300 miles from Houston. A few hours after the break-ins, Harrisonburg police spotted a SUV similar to the one used in the burglaries. The car led them to five suspects, all of whom call Houston home. Police said the group targeted the pharmacies to steal narcotics to be brought home to sell on Houston's streets. All of the suspects have extensive arrest records, racking up a total of 56 criminal charges between them in Harris County. click2houston.com

Bronx, NY: NYPD seek man threatening employees with hypodermic needles in 3 separate store robberies
Police say the thief last struck on Jan. 24 when he entered a Dollar Tree on Hunts Point Avenue and took items off the shelf. When he was confronted by a female employee, he displayed a hypodermic needle and threatened to stab her with it. He then ran away with $30 worth of merchandise. On Jan. 20, he walked in a Walgreens on Westchester Ave. and was seen taking products from the shelf once again. This time he was confronted by an employee before he took out a hypodermic needle and threatened her with it. More than a month earlier on Dec. 15, in the first reported incident, the man was robbing a Duane Reade on Southern Blvd. px11.com

Chicago, IL: Serial Robber Boasted He'd Never Get Caught;
arrested at Dollar General
Corey Vance, 41, is accused of stealing coffee, Pepsi and laundry detergent from the store. Vance was stealing two boxes of Starbucks coffee valued at $15.90 on Dec. 12 when he pushed an employee to the ground and said, "I'm going to keep stealing because I'm going to keep getting away with it. And if you call the police, I'll beat your a--," prosecutors said. He'd previously targeted the store at least twice in September, court records show. During one incident, police said, Vance threatened the same employee with a screwdriver. Vance has long history of criminal offenses. dnainfo.com


Milan, Italy: Dramatic video of Jewelry store robbery; Store employee assaulted
Police in Italy have released chilling CCTV footage of a shop assistant being tied up and assaulted in a dramatic jewelry store robbery. The video captures the moment two attackers, thought to be Serbian nationals aged 29 and 30, ransack the store safe while the petrified employee is gagged and restrained on the floor. The dramatic heist took place at the Eleuteri Jewellers in Milan where police are said to have identified one of the assailants who left finger prints at the scene. dailymail.co.uk



Summerville, GA: Truck Crashes Into Advance Auto
Lt. Fulmer of the Summerville Police Dept says he was following up on a complaint about a vehicle driving erratically. He saw a truck fitting the description, followed him into Advanced Auto Parts parking. The truck did stop, then accelerated, jumping the curb and plowing into the store. There are no injuries. The driver was an elderly gentleman. liveleak.com



Sterling Heights, MI: 2 people pass out on bathroom floor of Family Dollar after overdosing

Abilene, TX: Employee steals $3,000 in cash from GameStop; refund fraud

UK: Serial Shoplifter facing jail for perfume theft at Boots; 6th conviction

Kay Jewelers in the Westminster Mall, Westminster, CA reported a Grab & Run on 2/1, items valued at $25,000

Arson

Ascutney, VT: Burglars cut power, alarm, phone and internet connections before setting store on fire
Police say someone cut the power, internet and cable lines to the Circle K gas station off Exit 8 in Ascutney early Wednesday morning, broke in and set fire to the store. The suspect or suspects, who haven't been identified, also cut the utility lines to the Sunoco across the street on Route 131, but didn't burglarize the building, according to a Weathersfield Police Department news release. "We believe the person who gained access to Circle K to commit the burglary may have set the fire," Weathersfield Police Chief William Daniels said. "It is still under investigation." vnews.com

Gates, NY: 16-year-old arrested for lighting Walmart merchandise on fire

Bomb Threats

Long Island, NY: Police arrest man who called in bomb threat to Shop Rite

San Bruno, CA: Bomb threat leads to shopping center evacuation

Counterfeit Goods

'Operation Team Player' nets $20M in fake sports merchandise
More than 260,000 counterfeit sports-related items worth an estimated $20 million have been seized as part of a joint federal investigative operation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives announced Thursday that enforcement actions led by Homeland Security Investigations led to 56 arrests with 50 convictions. The results stem from Operation Team Player, a year-round effort developed by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center to crackdown on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and merchandise. khou.com

Houston, TX: ICE, HPD SEIZE $500,000 OF COUNTERFEIT SUPER BOWL MERCH

Skimming Thefts

San Antonio, TX: Police find 4 devices on pumps around the city

Columbus, OH: Man accused of using skimming device to steal card info

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