America's LP Teams

From the D&D Daily 2016 GLPS's - Helping Build Team Pride

Pictured Left to Right: James Pac - North Florida RLPM, Eric Shultz - Carolinas RLPM, Chad McManus - Georgia RLPM, Danny Rodriguez - South Florida RLPM, Kyle Pearson - Carolinas RLPM, Terry Murphy - Senior LP Manager - Southeast

Bill Gropper promoted to Associate Vice President International Asset Protection for L Brands
Bill previously held the role of Director Loss Prevention/Safety Services for the retailer for over five years before earning this promotion. He's held a variety of loss prevention and security leadership positions over his twenty years in this industry including Area LP Manager for L Brands, Corporate Loss Prevention Manager for Lacoste, Director of Security for Macy's, District LP Manager for Kohl's, Regional LP Manager for  Odd Job Stores and Market Investigator/ORC Manager for TJX Companies. Bill earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History/Education from State University of New York College at Fredonia. Congratulations Bill!



Matt Robertson promoted to Acting DVP of Retail Operations
for Sears Canada
Matt is currently taking on a project position role of Acting DVP for the retailer. He held the role of Director of Loss Prevention - Inventory, Investigations and ORC for over two years prior. Matt has held a variety of loss prevention roles for Sears Canada including District Loss Prevention Manager, LP Internal Investigator/ORC, Loss Prevention Lead and LP Investigator. Congratulations Matt!

2016 Retail Violent Death Report - 374 Deaths 
OSHA's Workplace Homicides
In this first ever published report on retail violent deaths, the Daily compiled all of the publicly reported deaths during 2016 on which we reported.

According to OSHA homicide is currently the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), of the 4,679 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the United States in 2014, 403 were workplace homicides. Workplace homicides rose by 2 percent to 417 cases in 2015 with shootings increasing by 15 percent, the first increase since 2012.

In the retail industry, OSHA shows 272 fatal injuries in 2014 and 269 in 2015. Combining our study's categories shows in 2016 that was publicly reported. 90 in robberies & burglaries and 5 LP and security employees. Or 35% of retail workplace fatalities take place in the commission off a crime.

Of the 15 classified as 'workplace violence' in our study, OSHA shows assailants in workplace homicides differed greatly depending on the gender of the decedent. Approximately 43 percent of female decedents were fatally assaulted by a relative or domestic partner; the corresponding figure for male decedents was 2 percent.

Of interesting note was the close parallel of the 90 associate deaths and 91 suspects deaths that occurred during the commission of a robbery, with the numbers being virtually duplicate.

One of the most difficult columns was that of the 103 deaths, 27% of the total, that occurred in the parking lots, as the various news reporting agencies rarely go into any detail, or circumstances that would lead you to think they were customers of the retail establishments. With drive-by shootings, gang violence, escalated arguments being the leading causes.

Certainly the report is not all-inclusive and is merely that which was publicly reported through the various news agencies, however it does establish a base line and gives us a view never seen before.

Lastly, we've expanded our record keeping methodologies as a direct result and hope to provide even more data on a quarterly basis moving forward.

UK: Association of Convenience Stores; $281 Million in loss in 2016
Crime against Convenience Retailers cost an estimated $281 Million in 2016 - an average of over $5,600 a store - according to new figures from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). Shop theft totaled $158M-plus - equivalent to $3,159 a store - with the most commonly stolen items being alcohol, meat and confectionery. The organization's Crime Report 2017 revealed fraud costs convenience stores more than $10M last year, while incidents of staff theft amounted to $74M and there were more than 9,400 incidents of violence against retailers and employees. It also showed that retailers spend $4740-plus a year on crime prevention measures including CCTV, more secure cash storage and external security staff. talkingretail.com

President of 130 location restaurant chain Cora Group - kidnapped,
found tied up in Montreal ditch
A man found tied up in a ditch in Laval is 44-year-old Nicholas Tsouflidis, the president of the Cora chain of breakfast restaurants.

Mirabel police received a 911 call reporting a kidnapping at around 10 p.m. Wednesday from Tsouflidis's Mirabel home. Tsouflidis was found around 6 a.m. in a ditch at the side of Montée Champagne, in Laval's Sainte-Dorothée neighbourhood. He was brought to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Tsouflidis has been the president of the restaurant chain since 2008. His mother, Cora Tsouflidou, opened the first Cora location in 1987. Investigators from the Sûreté du Québec, assisted by Mirabel municipal police, are looking into the incident. Provincial police say investigators believe at least two suspects were involved.

Asked if there was any known motive for the incident, Lucie Normandin, vice-president of Cora Group, was categoric. "No, not at all," she said. Authorities have not released any information about a possible suspect. ctvnews.ca cbc.ca

Chatsworth, CA: Burglars steal nearly $5 Million of Anastasia Beverly Hills make-up products
Information leading to the arrest of burglars who pilfered nearly $5 million in Anastasia Beverly Hills eye shadow from a Chatsworth warehouse, Los Angeles police said Thursday. Detectives were asking for the public's help in nabbing the thieves who stole enough makeup to dab thousands of faces, according to the Los Angeles Police Department Commercial Crimes Division Cargo-Hijack Unit. Between Jan. 28 and Jan. 30, LAPD detectives said unknown suspects cut a hole in the roof and broke into a warehouse located within the LAPD Devonshire Division, where Anastasia Beverly Hills Inc. stored the cosmetics. The thieves got away with more than 100,000 "Modern Renaissance" eye shadow kits valued at $4.5 million. dailynews.com

Quebec, ON, CN: Over 100 Police Officers sweep in New Brunswick and Quebec led to the recovery of $3.2 Million of stolen merchandise
Millions of dollars worth of stolen goods were recovered in a massive police sweep in New Brunswick and Quebec. Sûreté du Québec- Quebec's provincial police - and New Brunswick RCMP carried out Operation Oblige on Wednesday, arresting 14 suspects between the ages of 20 and 56. The thieves targeted trailers, swiping everything from luxury vehicles to food, lumber and machinery. The total value of the stolen goods was $5.3 million. Three of the heists took place in New Brunswick. Chicken was stolen in Saint Francois-de-Madawaska, lobster in Caraquet, and diapers in Moncton. Officers were able to recover almost $3.2 million worth of the stolen cargo. Jean-Marc Picard of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association says these heists are really a drop in the bucket. He says in Canada, cargo theft is a $5 billion-industry. ctvnews.ca


Ex-Wal-Mart Market Asset Protection Manager Gets $5.5M Verdict
In Retaliation Suit
A Connecticut federal jury on Wednesday found that Wal-Mart retaliated against a former employee after he complained about race discrimination and awarded punitive and noneconomic damages of $5.5 million, a figure the worker's attorney estimates is a record in the state.

An eight-person jury rejected Michael Barham's claim that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. had discriminated against him when it fired him in April 2010 as part of a downsizing but agreed that, when he later tried a dozen times to apply for newly created positions that were the same he'd been laid off from, the company retaliated against him for complaining about alleged discrimination by not rehiring him for the job, according to the verdict form.

The jury on Wednesday handed him $550,000 in noneconomic damages and another $5 million in punitive damages, a figure the retailer says will be capped at $300,000 under state law.

"We have had strong policies against discrimination and retaliation for many years," the Wal-Mart spokesman said. "We continue to believe that Mr. Barham was treated fairly, and we disagree with the jury's finding regarding retaliation."

Barham had worked as a market asset protection manager in Waterford, Connecticut, until the company let him go as part of a plan to eliminate certain jobs during the economic downturn, according to the complaint.

He alleged the company's supposed need to cut those jobs was a sham and a pretext, first, because the company performed better in the economic downturn as shoppers sought out discounted prices, and second, because the company laid off many African-American workers, according to the suit.

When the company opened similar positions as part of its restructuring, rather than hiring back Barham, who applied more than 12 times for open equivalent jobs, Wal-Mart hired only non-African-American workers, Barham said in the suit.

Because he and other employees had complained they were fired because of their race, the company had deemed them "unhirable" and retaliated by refusing to bring them back on board, he alleged.

Barham wasn't alone in bringing his suit. Two human resources employees, Kim Hannah and Tom Irving, alleged similar claims. law360.com
 
Heavy hits in retail
Retail continues to lead all sectors in job cuts, with 11,889 job terminations last month.

The largest in that sector came from JC Penney, which is closing 140 stores and cutting 5,500 jobs. Family Christian Stores is shuttering 240 stores in 36 states, eliminating 1,300 workers, and L.L. Bean is offering buyouts to over 900 staffers in an effort to cut its workforce by 10%.

"Retailers are experiencing a tremendous transformation from the traditional business model," said Andrew Challenger, vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "The cost of digitizing merchandise, moving sales to online, and downsizing physical stores will likely take a toll on employees in this field."

Firing and hiring

However, at the same time retail is cutting jobs, the sector is on a hiring binge. Through February, Challenger has tracked over 33,000 hiring plans announced by retailers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports retail experienced the most job gains in January -- 46,000.

Editor's Note: Exactly in line with our Two Month Update published last week, however they fail to capture that the vast majority of those gains are hourly positions as the customer facing trend doesn't build wealth or high paying jobs but in actuality reduces those and increases the battle cry for increased minimum wages across the country. Coupled with the fact that a significant number if not close to 40% of the jobs cut are middle and upper management, which are being used to fund the customer facing jobs.  consumeraffairs.com

Retailers Shed Jobs Despite Overall Gains
Specialty stores cut 5,500 positions, while department stores eliminated
4,700 jobs
Apparel and accessories specialty stores axed a seasonally 5,500 jobs from January to February, cutting employment in the sector to 1.4 million. Employment at general merchandise stores declined by 19,300 to 3.2 million, including a department store sector decline of 4,700, to 1.3 million.

More cuts are expected.

The migration to the web was also reflected in the employment figures with the nonstore retail category hiring 3,200 workers, supporting a total of 553,400 jobs. wwd.com
 
Sears just hinted at another round of store closures
Sears hasn't yet completed its latest round of store closures, but it looks like the company is already planning for more to come.

In a pre-recorded conference call to discuss quarterly earnings on Thursday, Sears chief financial officer Jason Hollar said the company is looking for ways to generate "liquidity" - in other words, cash - and he specifically highlighted the company's real estate. 

We have a valuable real estate portfolio, which at the end of the fourth quarter comprised 1,050 leases with significant optionality, as well as 380 owned stores, many in prominent locations," Hollar said. "We will continue to assess opportunities to right-size our store footprint and inventory levels aligned to our ongoing transformation to an asset-light integrated retail model." 

By highlighting the leases with optionality, Hollar seems to be suggesting the point that Sears can find ways to either partially or entirely get out of those leases before they expire.

Meanwhile, the owned stores can be sold for cash. 

Earlier this year, Sears announced it would close 150 Sears and Kmart stores by April. The company now has under 1,500 stores, which is down from 2,073 five years ago.

But finding buyers for Sears' owned stores could prove challenging, following an onslaught of store closure announcements over the last several weeks. businessinsider.com

Director Loss Prevention Field - Southern California
The Loss Prevention Director is responsible for all aspects of loss prevention fora specified market within CVS. In this role you will manage, develop, and recruit Region Loss Prevention Managers in the field.  cvshealth.com

NuTech National to Sponsor 2017 Group LP Selfies
For four years now the Group LP Selfies have just been absolutely a lot of fun for the industry and to see all the LP/AP teams submit their Team Selfies has given an identity to the industry and is helping to build team and industry Pride.

Now Drawing 8 LP teams to Win Pizza Parties in 2017
We're expanding it from 6 teams to 8 - two more LP Teams throughout the year
Having more fun & More Parties
Wanna Win One - Send in Your Group LP Selfie Today d-ddaily.net
 
 
Ulta Beauty continues aggressive store expansion - 100 stores in '17

Wegman's Food Markets - 2nd Spot on Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For
 
 
Quarterly Same Store Sales Results
Ulta Beauty Q4 comp's up 16.6%, net sales up 24.6%, full yr comp's up 15.8%, net sales up 23.7%
Citi Trends Q4 comp's up 3.4%, net sales up 5.4%, full yr comp's down 0.4%, net sales up 1.7%
Smart & Final Q4 comp's down 2%, net sales up 0.3%, full yr comp's down 0.5%, net sales up 9.3%
Party City Q4 comp's down 3.5%, retail sales down 3.3%, full yr. comp's down 0.4%, retail sales up 1.2%
Signet Jewelers Q4 comp's down 4.5%, sales down 5.1%, full yr comp's down 1.9%, sales down 2.2%
The Buckle Q4 comp's down 16.1%, net sales down 15.7%, full yr comp's down 13.5%, net sales down 12.9%

Chuck Miller, former VP of Loss Prevention for FMI, Passes Away

This week, the Loss Prevention industry lost another executive, Chuck Miller, a man whose forward thinking and lifelong commitment and achievements made a steady if not dramatic impact on moving the Loss Prevention Industry forward. In short, through his achievements and outstanding leadership, he elevated the loss prevention function, and advanced the professionalism in the loss prevention field, all to the benefit of the retail industry he loved to serve.

"Our entire industry and so many of my colleagues are deeply saddened to hear of our friend and mentors passing, as he touched so many of our lives both personally and professionally," said Dan Faketty, Vice President of Asset Protection for Southeastern Grocers. "He was truly on the cutting edge of building proactive Loss Prevention programs for not only the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) member companies, but all retailers - and these programs are used even today to positively impact retail stores."

Innovative and forward thinking, Chuck Miller got people talking and sharing, and served as a mentor to countless loss prevention executives over the years.

Visualization for Mr. Miller will be held at 1:30pm on Tuesday, March 14th at Andrew Chapel United Methodist church in Vienna, Virginia with service at 2:00pm and reception to follow.
 
Read the full In Memoriam

Technology Plays Role in Every Aspect of Crime, Europol Says
New and emerging technologies are being used by criminal gangs operating in nearly every aspect of crime, a new report from Europol has warned.

The 2017 Serious Organised Crime Threat Assessment (Socta) revealed that criminal gangs across Europe are adept at exploiting new technologies to help them arrange and carry out crimes. Cybercrime is now one of Europol's top priority crime threats.

"For almost all types of organized crime, criminals are deploying and adapting technology with ever greater skill and to ever greater effect. This is now, perhaps, the greatest challenge facing law enforcement authorities around the world, including in the EU," the report said.

"Cybercrime is a global phenomenon affecting all Member States and is as borderless as the internet itself. The attack surface continues to grow as society becomes increasingly digitised, with more citizens, businesses, public services and devices connecting to the internet," the report added.

Of particular concern is the rise of Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS), where people can buy goods and services on the dark net to help them carry out crimes, ranging from hacktivism to terrorism. The underground criminal marketplace is enabling crime that would otherwise be out of reach for criminals, the report said. "This allows even entry-level cyber-criminals to carry out attacks of a scale disproportionate to their technical capability," the report said. "Criminal forums and marketplaces within the deep web or darknet remain a crucial environment for cybercriminals to communicate and are a key component for CaaS."

Europol highlights malware and cyber-criminal services as one of the main elements of CaaS, alongside stolen goods, counterfeit medicines, illicit drugs, child sexual exploitation materials and the trafficking of firearms.

Ransomware is becoming the leading threat in terms of malware, the report said, having a greater impact on victims than other types of malware.

It's not just highly organized crime that is adopting technology though.

"Technology is a key component of most, if not all, criminal activities carried out by organised crime groups in the EU and has afforded organised crime with an unprecedented degree of flexibility. This flexibility is particularly apparent in the ease with which criminals adapt to changes in society," the report concludes.

"The internet, the multitude of online platforms and communication channels it hosts have had a huge impact on society, strengthening and transforming the economy, driving innovation and shaping social interaction. However, it is also a key enabler of criminal activity and plays a role in all types of criminality."  infosecurity-magazine.com

Scammers Sending Fake Emails Targets Corporate Finance Teams from SEC
In a blog post on Tuesday, cybersecurity vendor FireEye's threat research team said it had identified a spear phishing campaign that targets corporate finance teams involved in preparing Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The sender address of the fraudulent emails is spoofed as EDGAR <filings@sec.gov> and the attachment is named "Important_Changes_to_Form10_K.doc," according to FireEye. The emails contain a Microsoft Word document attachment.

FireEye said on Tuesday that it has identified 11 organizations that have been targeted by the spear phishing campaign. They are in the financial services, transportation, retail, education, IT services, and electronics industries.

FireEye said the perpetrator was mostly likely FIN7, a "financially motivated threat group" that "selectively targets victims and uses spear phishing to distribute its malware." cfo.com

Securing Today's 'Elastic Attack Surface'
The foundation of good cybersecurity is knowing your network. But as organizations embrace new technologies, that simple task has gotten incredibly difficult.

Security pros today feel overwhelmed by the current cyberthreat environment and the deluge of security solutions on the market. Given the rapid adoption of cloud, BYOD, IoT and DevOps, many lack confidence in their ability to accurately assess exposure and risk. What the world needs is a modern approach to understanding threats and exposures across the entire enterprise, based on visibility and driving understanding. I call that the "elastic attack surface."

Dynamic and borderless
The modern enterprise environment is dynamic and borderless with virtually unlimited connectivity. Employees bring personal devices to work, contractors use their tools on the corporate network, IoT devices and infrastructure abound, people connect to new cloud instances daily, IT teams spin up containers and manage on-site and legacy architectures. The result is an elastic attack surface, and it is constantly changing in consequential ways, creating gaps in security coverage and creating exposure.

1. Traditional assets: The tried and true assets within the corporate enterprise - such as servers and desktops - still exist but with a dynamic interconnectedness within the environment that results in an abundance of software changes and updates.

2. Cloud instances: Between commercial offerings and organizations' own software, the idea of a traditional network perimeter is gone forever. Most enterprises are connected to dozens of off-site server environments, making it harder to accurately assess exposure and risk.

3. Mobile/BYOD: It is now expected that employees, contractors, partners and others have access to your network when they bring their personal devices to work.

4. IoT devices: Devices such as consumer appliances, conference room utilities, cars parked in office lots, green-building technologies, and physical security systems are all connected to your network. These devices are growing in popularity and add scale and complexity to the corporate network.

5. DevOps/Containers: As organizations adopt DevOps practices to deliver applications and services faster, ownership of IT assets changes and security teams must work directly with developers.

6. Web applications: Vulnerabilities have become more common in self-supported code like web applications as enterprises look for new and innovative ways to improve business operations.

Securing Elastic IT
Security teams who want to see and protect the assets in their elastic attack surface need a modern approach to understanding their asset base, an approach that gives them visibility into what exists and how it is exposed, and insight to address the risks that matters most. Without this modern approach, businesses will never be able to answer the two most fundamental questions in security: How exposed am I? And what can I do today to reduce risk? darkreading.com

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 solutions ranging from Interactive Video Response, Video Verification, Intrusion Protection, Fire Protection, CCTV Systems, and Business Intelligence, Iverify has invested over $25 million in professionals, processes and technology to become the recognized industry leader in interactive remote video and audio protection solutions. Dave Heller, VP of Sales & Marketing for Iverify, shares how real-time solutions - like their new Vendor Defender - create a "Hawthorne Effect" environment that helps reduce shrink, improve productivity and even increase sales for retailers.
 

Quick Take #6

Amber uses investigative techniques to reveal Joe's possible connection to Russia in this fun, lighthearted LPNN Quick Take.

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

Google shutting down Trusted Stores certification program
Google Customer Reviews taking over
Like Google Trusted Stores, the new program is also free, but it is not a certification program. Google Customer Reviews collects reviews on behalf of advertisers from customers after they purchase and receive their orders.

Merchants can display a Google Customer Reviews website badge on their websites. The image can be customized and can show the merchants' star rating if Seller Ratings are available.

Like Google Customer Ratings, Google Trusted Stores gave merchants the ability to gather reviews for Seller Ratings. The certification and ratings program launched in beta in 2011 and rolled out to all US merchants in 2012.

Qualified merchants could display the Trusted Stores badge on their sites and offer customers up to $1,000 in purchase protection backed by Google. The program integrated with AdWords in 2013. That integration has enabled Trusted Stores to show seller ratings stars in search ads, display the Google Trusted Stores logo next to the merchant name in shopping ads and reference Google Trusted Store status in review extensions.

Google has relied on Consumer Surveys to collect ratings information on retailer attributes like shipping, product selection and pricing. That data currently powers the data provided in AdWords Customer Ratings Extensions. marketingland.com

Amazon's prices and Prime power the e-commerce giant's magnetic pull on shoppers
E-commerce technology provider Branding Brand conducted the survey which polled consumers who make the majority of purchases for their households. 31% of shoppers say their Prime memberships are the top reason they shop at the web giant, followed 29% who list low prices as the main reason. Of those surveyed, 58% were Amazon Prime members.

66% of Amazon shoppers, however, say they would buy from other retailers if they offered lower prices, 60% would buy somewhere else if other retailers offered free two-day shipping and 37% say they would switch retailers for loyalty rewards.

What's more, 37% of non-Prime customers surveyed think Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is cheaper than Amazon. Plus, 45% of non-Prime customers say the main reason they buy on Amazon is to find lower prices. digitalcommerce360.com

Chanel accuses online retailers of selling counterfeit products
Chanel alleges several online websites are selling counterfeit versions of its products.

Chanel Inc. filed a complaint on March 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against chanelbagt.com, 7buyperfectbag.net, 7perfectshoes.com, et al. alleging trademark infringement.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that it suffered damages to its business and reputation. The plaintiff holds chanelbagt.com, 7buyperfectbag.net, 7perfectshoes.com, et al. responsible because the defendant allegedly sells lesser-quality products that bear plaintiff's mark to consumers through their websites and unlawfully use the plaintiff's mark. flarecord.com

Ulta Beauty Q4 e-Commerce sales up 63.4%
 
Report: LVMH to Launch Multi-Brand E-Commerce Site

St Louis, MO: 76 iPhones, valued at $36,000 Stolen in less than a minute
Surveillance video shows a group of men take the phones moments before the items were to be shipped from West County Center. "Somebody was doing their homework. They were watching. They were studying the time frames when the trucks were loading and unloading, and when the workers were going inside and out," Det. Trent Koppel said. The incident happened in late February on a weekday morning. A man on the surveillance video can be seen waiting in the corner. Police said he was taking smoke breaks and likely acting as a watch for the other suspects. The video shows a white van pull up next to the delivery truck. When the coast was clear, two or three bins containing the phones were loaded into the van. fox2now.com

Saucier, MS: Man cuts a fence to steal $40,000 of Lawn Equipment
A Saucier man cut open a fence surrounding the property of a tractor retailer and stole four riding lawn mowers, a trailer, trailer tires and other items from Ranchland Tractor, ATV. Max Mitchell Benefield, 30, of Saucier, faces two counts of grand larceny. The stolen property is worth about $40,000. Detective say most of the merchandise has now been recovered. sunherald.com



Costa Mesa, CA: Optometrist burglarized for 3rd time; this time $12,000 in designer glasses stolen
For the third time in nine years, brazen smash-and-grab burglars early Thursday stole designer sunglasses from Custom Eyes Optometry. This time, the loss was estimated at $12,000, said Dr. Michael Bourgoin. It only took about a minute for thieves to break through a glass door, smash open a display case and escape with 40 pairs of glasses, he said. ocregister.com




Wellington, FL: Man in a tie wanted for stealing from Toys R Us
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man they say stole several items from a Toys R Us in Wellington Saturday. The unidentified man was seen inside the toy store on Southern Blvd. at 2:54 p.m. filling his shopping cart with items. The man left the store without paying for the items and drove off in a Ford Escort. palmbeachpost.com


Maitland, Australia: Best for Less, Big W and Target the focus of an Organized Retail Theft
Police have uncovered an alleged illegal clothing scam operating out of a Metford home. Police allege a woman shoplifted kids clothes, toys, pajamas and other items from several major retail chains. She then allegedly passed them on to another woman to sell on social media. Police raided a Metford home on Wednesday morning and have charged two women, aged 39 and 43. They allege the 39-year-old woman stole items from stores including Best and Less, Big W and Target. The operation stemmed from a tip-off from Best and Less loss prevention manager Graham Wilson. barossaherald.com.au

Shootings & Deaths

Clewiston, FL: Sheriff's Deputy injured in shooting outside Convenience store
A Hendry County deputy was shot late Thursday outside a Clewiston supermarket. Deputy Sheriff Jayson Moorehead was talking to someone at about 10 p.m. Thursday outside the M&M Supermarket. Someone fired four shots at Moorehead, at least one of which struck his left arm. Deputy Morehead is currently in stable condition. palmbeachpost.com


Pretoria, South Africa: Two dead after shooting at lingerie shop at the Glenfair Shopping Mall
Two people have died after a shooting incident at a shopping mall in the east of Pretoria on Friday morning. Earlier on Friday, police and paramedics responded in numbers to the shooting incident at the Glenfair shopping centre. Details were still unclear as police arrived on the scene, where one person was allegedly shot. The shop had since been closed off. A woman in the centre management office said no robbery had taken place, but there had been a shooting. citizen.co.za

Robberies & Thefts

Charlotte, NC: Macy's shoplifters believed to be Armed assaults LP and starts a Police manhunt
Police in north Charlotte say one person is in custody after a pair of shoplifters assaulted a loss prevention officer at Northlake Mall before leading authorities on a foot chase into some nearby woods. Officers responded to a report of an armed subject at the mall around 7 p.m. Thursday. Officers were informed that a person assaulted multiple people while shoplifting from at least one store. Investigators say that there were two people inside Macy's that were confronted by loss prevention officers and that when one of the suspects was detained, a struggle ensued. Detectives say the second suspect assaulted the officer to free his friend and that the suspect who was originally detained ran from the store and was not captured. wcnc.com

Broward County, FL: Men dressed as women rob jewelry store
The armed robbers' method of operation, as described by the Broward Sheriff's Office, sounds like a Bizarro World version of "Some Like It Hot." Two men put on wigs, makeup, purses and women's clothes to commit armed robbery Thursday at a Pompano Beach Check Cashing, Etc. BSO thinks the same duo robbed a Deerfield Beach Class Jewelers last Friday. Their attire got them buzzed into the jewelry store, 3756 W. Hillsboro Blvd. The guise of shopping for a wedding ring lured two employees from the back. Once the two employees emerged from the back room, surveillance video shows the robbers putting a pistol on the employees to return to the back room. After collecting as much jewelry as they could carry, they left, passing a male customer waiting to enter the jewelry store. bradenton.com

Eugene, OR: Multiple students arrested this term for Duck Store shoplifting
Most University of Oregon students know the dreaded feeling of buying expensive textbooks from the Duck Store. Facing an average textbook cost of $1125 annually, some students are attempting to obtain textbooks in a less traditional way. People attempt to steal from the Duck Store on a weekly basis, and textbooks are the most popular item, according to Casey Smith, the Duck Store's Loss Prevention Manager. But students who are considering saving money by slipping a textbook into their jacket next term may want to think twice. "The Duck Store has the biggest loss prevention team in the Eugene area," Smith said. "We have the best surveillance and camera system in town. It mimics most casinos." That surveillance system has led to the arrest of multiple UO students this term. dailyemerald.com



Pelham Bay, NY: Business Owner targeted as he leaves bank with $48,000 in cash
A bold and brazen robbery that happened in broad daylight was caught on camera in the Bronx. Cops say in his hand is a bag with $48,000 cash. And then out of nowhere, a masked man in a hoodie goes right for the money. But he trips as he's trying to get away, and all that cash splatters onto the sidewalk. abc7ny.com




Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong: Jewelry Store Smash & Grab, thief made off with $644,000 diamond ring in 6 seconds
In a daring smash-and grab operation that lasted exactly six seconds, a man used a hammer to break the window of a jewelry shop in Tsim Sha Tsui and vanished with a ring worth HK$5 million ($644,000 usd). Security camera images show the man wearing a cap and sunglasses approaching the shop and smashing the glass with a hammer. The incident happened around 11am. The shop said the stolen item was a 6.6-carat diamond ring. thestandard.com

Credit Card Fraud

Queens, NY: 30 charged in $3.5M Credit Card Fraud
As many as 16 Indian-origin people, including a woman, in the US have been charged for their alleged role in a massive stolen credit card and identity theft operation resulting in losses of over US$ 3.5 million to individuals, financial institutions and retail businesses. Muhammad Rana, 40, of Queens in New York, was the leader of the massive fraud scheme who was helped by his deputy Inderjeet Singh (24). In all 30 individuals have been charged as authorities cracked down on the extensive stolen credit card and identity theft ring. demerarawaves.com

Tampa, FL: Police search for suspect in $14,500 in credit card fraud

Skimming Thefts

Waynesboro, VA: Police Arrest 3 for Multi-State Card Skimming Scam
Three people are facing charges in a multi-state skimming operation that hit the Shenandoah Valley in 2016. The U.S. Secret Service and Maryland State Police arrested the Romanian nationals earlier this week. Anna Maria Caldararu, Francisco Dumitru and a 15-year-old boy face charges. The Waynesboro Police Department says the trio were behind skimming incidents in July and August at the DuPont Community Credit Union, as well as at the Union Bank and Trust in March. nbc29.com

Nashville, TN: 2 charged with placing credit card skimmer inside Publix

Santa Barbara Co., CA: Skimmers discovered on ATMs in Santa Maria, Orcutt

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