Industry Leader Jeff Powers Partners with USS in Exclusive Advisory Role
California-based major retail security solution and technology provider, USS, announced the addition of well-known loss prevention industry leader Jeff Powers, in an exclusive advisor role, last week.

Powers, who has more than 33 years of experience within the retail security business sector, 15 of which saw him working in a global capacity, will serve as an advisor to USS' executive leadership team as they strive to bring innovative solutions and technology offerings to the forefront.

Read more in today's Vendor Spotlight column below.

U.K. Steps Up Security Following Manchester Arena Terror Attack
Security is being stepped up across the U.K. following the terror attack at the Manchester Arena on Monday night that killed 22, including many children, and injured 59.

As a result, the British Transport Police are increasing security at big railway stations and on trains around the country. "Throughout the day, commuters can expect to see additional officers on their journey. This will include both armed and unarmed officers," said a spokesman from the British Transport Police.

Editor's Note: This may keep shoppers away from stores for a bit. wwd.com

Panic at the Arndale Shopping Center: Screaming and in tears
Hundreds flee Manchester shopping centre after "big bang"
Witnesses have described how people have fled the shopping centre in panic over rumors of a bomb threat.

Manchester's Arndale shopping centre has been evacuated with video footage showing armed police escorting a man from the building.

It comes after last night's devastating terror attack at the Manchester Arena which left 22 people dead. One eyewitness described the scene as "mass hysteria" with hundreds running from the building. Some inside the shopping centre said they heard a "big bang".

Helicopters circled overhead as crowds lined the streets of the complex. One man said: "Security guards started shouting "run, run" and we all fled.

"I ran out the centre and across the street. Someone said there was a package left in there but it could just be rumours. Another man said he heard what may have been a gun shot. People were running. Some were screaming and crying.

"It's an eerie feeling in Manchester today. It's going to take a while to get back to any sort of reality."  mirror.co.uk

 
Visual Search Technology - Game Changing Technology
Separating the Good Guys From the Bad Guys
Using AI To Stop Store Robberies In Real Time
While the world is busy helping retailers stop cybercrooks from stealing them blind online, every year 75,000 small retailers are being robbed at their physical locations.

Curtailing or even stopping it, Sean Huver, CEO and founder of Deep Science AI, told Karen Webster in the latest Topic TBD, is a matter of using the same visual search techniques that Google is using to enable a person snapping a picture of a cool blue bike to find out where to buy it.

Huver's firm - "a humble startup" ready to open its closed beta to some fairly big names in the retail space - uses deep learning to identify what might be crimes in progress or on the cusp thereof, scanning and finding and pinpointing those who may be doing anything from concealing their faces to bringing out weapons to even menacing individuals at ATMs.

Deep Science AI has said that its platform allows for the monitoring of hundreds of security camera data feeds from retail stores and banks, in real time, alongside human analysis to identify a crime in progress, which alerts a human analyst to zero in on that feed and then dispatch the authorities in the hope of catching the criminal before they flee the premises.

This is possible, Huver said, because there is finally the match of technology advances that enables the serving of massive databases of images and finding and producing a match in real time. Over the last year, he said, much of the hardware that runs these sophisticated algorithms have become fast enough to enable real-time image searching.

And - now good enough to apply to physical crime against physical retailers - it begs the question posed by Webster: How do you build a data set that can separate the good guys from the bad guys?

Though Huver stated that high-definition surveillance cameras are pretty much everywhere, most of them don't actually help the retailer the moment a crime is committed - or remain useful for evidence after the fact. pymnts.com

A Must Listen To

Using cameras to identify incidents that compromise security in real time
 

Data Protection
How Valuable are your trade secrets, customer lists & pricing lists
Stolen Trade Secrets Cost Pharmacy $2M Per Month, Suit Says
New Jersey-based pharmacy is unlawfully using trade secrets and confidential information provided by the former employees of one of its competitors, costing the competitor more than $2 million per month in lost patients and physician referral sources, according to a suit filed Monday in federal court.

Empire Specialty Pharmacy Corp. said its former employees Eva Lichonczak and Raul Pena gave their current employer Curexa Specialty Pharmacy confidential information in violation of their employment agreements with Empire.

After signing an employment contract that included nondisclosure and noncompete agreements, Lichonczak and Pena gained access to Empire's confidential information including patient identities and personnel details, according to the filing.

"The patient information compiled in Empire's patient database is valuable information that Empire has invested millions of dollars in developing and maintaining," the complaint said.

Lichonczak and Pena left Empire on Jan. 30 without providing the required 30 days' notice, and around Feb. 6 joined Curexa, where they used confidential information from Empire to solicit physician referral sources and patients for Curexa, the filing said. law360.com

Trade Secret Theft
T-Mobile wins $4.8M ruling against Huawei over alleged theft of smartphone-testing robot 'Tappy'
A jury awarded $4.8 million to T-Mobile, finding that Huawei misappropriated T-Mobile's trade secrets. The case centered on allegations that Huawei employees took pictures of and pieces from a smartphone-testing robot called "Tappy" that was developed by T-Mobile.

Although the jury ruled in T-Mobile's favor, they did not find that Huawei's misappropriation was "willful and malicious." T-Mobile had sought $500 million in damages, a figure the carrier said covered lost profits, possible revenues from licensing Tappy and punitive damages.

T-Mobile's lawsuit against Huawei emerged in 2014. The lawsuit claimed that two Huawei employees gained illicit access to T-Mobile's lab in Bellevue, Washington, photographed Tappy's robotic arm, tried to smuggle parts of it out of the lab, and then tried to sneak back in after they were banned from the facility. fiercewireless.com

NYPD Tweets City Alert - Please Inspect POS & ATMs Before Use for Skimmers

United States Saw Record Cargo Theft, Natural Disasters Impact Commercial Supply Chain
While global supply chains across the world saw many new threats and hardships in 2016, cargo theft remained among the most prevalent in North America, according to a study published by the British Standards Institute earlier today.

The Annual Global Supply Chain Intelligence Review, which monitored supply chain risks across the world last year, also reports that the issue of cargo theft and potential drug smuggling cases is expected to continue throughout 2017 in North America.

The data from the BSI report shows that cargo theft occurs in North America and South America more than anywhere else in the world. Between the two continents, South America has more documented incidents of cargo theft than North America.

The Annual Global Supply Chain Intelligence review noted that not every country in the Americas saw an increase in cargo theft, though the United States was among those that saw increased rates.

The BSI also reports that hurricanes and flooding were among the top ten most costly natural disasters last year. The report notes that the United States was the country that experienced the greatest monetary impact due to both of these occurrences.

Interested parties may request a copy of the 2016 report here. truckingindustry.news

OSHA Delays Workplace Injury Reporting Rule
The Trump administration has suspended an Obama-era rule requiring companies to post their worker injury and illness data on a government website, fueling concerns that it is trying to ignore the regulation.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced earlier this week that it is "not accepting electronic submissions of injury and illness logs at this time" and it intends to propose extending the July 1 deadline for roughly 450,000 companies to comply with the rule. cfo.com
 
20 Tons of Counterfeit Cosmetics Seized in Undercover Operation in Cambodia
30 & 38 Tons Seized in Previous Raids
At least 20 tons of allegedly counterfeit cosmetic products were confiscated on Monday after an undercover government officer infiltrated an illegal Phnom Penh business for more than a month, an official said.

The seizure of goods from a house in Chamkar Mon district follows a series of recent crackdowns on fake goods by the Interior Ministry, in which hauls of between 30 and 38 tons of products were seized by authorities in different raids.

Earlier this month, Interior Ministry officials displayed a combined haul of nearly 70 tons of confiscated counterfeit beauty products, including fakes of some of the world's biggest brands, potentially worth millions of dollars.

Meach Sophana, president of the ministry's Counter Counterfeit Committee, called it "a historic bust of fake products." cambodiadaily.com
 
The top five breakout trends in shopping centers are...
Grocery Technology - Grocery delivery programs, "click and pick" options and prepared meals are examples of how traditional grocers like Kroger and Publix have adapted and responded to consumer needs and also help compete against concepts like Blue Apron, Plated and Hello Fresh. Grocerants and restaurants within grocery stores are also becoming more prevalent.

Clicks to Bricks - Showrooms like Bonobos, Rent the Runway and BaubleBar will continue to emerge as online retailers find it as a way to achieve growth through brick and mortar locations. Even online power players like Google and Amazon are jumping on this trend with the opening of bookstores and grocery stores in metro areas.

Personal Fitness - As the trend of group fitness continues to grow, more studios like CycleBar, Soul Cycle, Core Power Yoga, Orange Theory Fitness, Pure Barre and Club Pilates will continue to add to tenant mixes and infiltrate shopping centers as an experiential retailer.

Health Conscious Fast Casual Restaurants - Quick service restaurant options are getting healthier and trendier with salad concepts like Grabbagreen, Chopt and organic/fresh ingredients options like Core Life Eatery, sweetgreen, BibibBob, Taziki's and Newks.

Food Halls - By 2020, it is expected that there will be 200 food halls in the U.S., which is more than double the number open today. Millennials and the foodie culture have fueled this concept, so we will continue to see the planning and development of these projects. chainstoreage.com





Don't miss these LPRC Webinars
• Triangulation Fraud, presented by Hawken Averett, LPQ at eBay is May 24.
• Methods of Theft and Solutions presented by Product Protection Working Group coming in June
• Current methods/trends in Cyber security affecting retailers presented by Allen Atamer, CEO, LTAS Technologies coming in July. Stay tuned for more webinars to be announced!





Amazon Prime Air Pilots Protesting at Shareholders Meeting Today

Walmart to remodel 400-600 stores this year

A New Era of Surveillance Under the Current Administration?

TJX Importing Canada's Home Sense into U.S.

Macy's Bluemercury to open 40 stores this year

Quarterly Same Store Sales Results
Cracker Barrel Q3 comp's down 0.4%, revenue flat
DSW Q1 comp's down 3%, sales up 1.4%
Kirkland's Q1 comp's down 3.8%, sales up 2.3%

Industry Leader Jeff Powers Partners with USS in Exclusive Advisory Role

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (May 16, 2017) - California-based major retail security solution and technology provider, USS, announced the addition of well-known loss prevention industry leader Jeff Powers, in an exclusive advisor role, last week.

Powers, who has more than 33 years of experience within the retail security business sector, 15 of which saw him working in a global capacity, will serve as an advisor to USS' executive leadership team as they strive to bring innovative solutions and technology offerings to the forefront.

Powers, who has enjoyed a long-standing, working relationship with USS Chief Operating Officer Claude Verville, described his impression with the organization and it potential within the industry.

"I was impressed with USS' people, their innovative product differentiators, and, most importantly, the customer service," began Powers. "I believe USS deserves a place as an innovation leader in electronic article surveillance (EAS) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, and I want to help them get there," he said.

Verville expressed his excitement for the opportunity to use Powers' insights and expertise as a resource and voiced his expectations for USS' performance in the coming weeks and months.

"Jeff is a true, proven leader within our industry," said Verville. "We could not be more grateful or eager to have Jeff act as a reliable sounding board for our strategies, ideas and partnerships, as we drive innovation through new technologies, services and offerings."

"We are committed to nothing short of the success and elevation of our industry," Verville continued. "I'm confident that by combining our innovations with tried and true resources, like Jeff, USS will become synonymous with the latest and most comprehensive retail security solutions and technology available."

About USS
USS is a U.S.-based, privately-held global leader in product protection and security solutions. USS is a leading integrator of video surveillance systems, access control, EAS tags and RFID and EAS systems. USS is dedicated to innovation and has more than 100 patents issued and pending. For more information, visit www.ussinnovate.com.

Precedent Setting & Largest Multistate Data Breach Deal Ever
Target Pays $18.5M To Settle States' Probe Over 2013 Breach
Target has reached an $18.5 million settlement with 47 states and the District of Columbia to resolve the states' investigation into the company's 2013 data breach - the largest multistate data breach deal ever reached, according to a statement by multiple states' attorneys general on Tuesday.

Under the terms of the deal, Target Corp. will be required to adopt advanced measures to secure customers' information, including employing an executive to oversee a comprehensive information security program, and hiring an independent third-party to conduct a security assessment. The retailer must also update and maintain appropriate data encryption policies, the statements said.

In the wake of the 2013 breach that affected more than 41 million customer payment card accounts and contact information for more than 60 million customers, the states' attorneys general launched an investigation which found that cyberattackers accessed Target's server by using stolen credentials and exploiting weaknesses in its security systems, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Tuesday.

"Today's settlement with Target establishes industry standards for companies that process payment cards and maintain secure information about their customers," Madigan said in a statement. "People must remain vigilant about activity on their credit and debit cards as it's not a matter of if but when you are going to be a victim of identity theft or a security breach." law360.com

Ransomware damages rise 15X in 2 years to hit $5 billion in 2017
Ransom payouts are overblown. The real ransomware damages are downtime, lost productivity and other overlooked costs.

The massive WannaCry outbreak caused an estimated $1 billion in damage costs in just its first four days.
The costs include damage and destruction (or loss) of data, downtime, lost productivity, post-attack disruption to the normal course of business, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hostage data and systems, reputational harm, and employee training in direct response to the ransomware attacks.

While the percentage of ransom victims who pay Bitcoin to hackers in hopes of reclaiming their data appears to be on the decline, the total damage costs in connection to ransomware attacks is skyrocketing. Ransom payouts are the least of all damage cost contributors.

Cybersecurity experts have been urging ransomware victims not to pay ransoms. csoonline.com

Emerging Threats to Add to Your Security Radar Screen
The cybersecurity threat landscape is poised to grow in size and complexity - what to look out for.

At last week's Interop ITX conference in Las Vegas, security experts discussed the implications of current and future threats. Here are what they identified as the next big threats for enterprises:

The Internet of Things
IoT poses a tremendous security threat as users and devices become increasingly connected. The problem is, it's so new that many people haven't begun to worry about it.

The pressure to build for the IoT has already started. Companies rushing to cash in on the demand for connected products are churning out "smart" appliances, accessories, and other gadgets faster than they can secure them. Most people don't bother to take precautions like changing default passwords, an oversight that's leaving them vulnerable.

The competition is driving an influx of Internet-connected devices built without basic security measures, and businesses and consumers will be at risk as flaws are discovered and exploited. The implications of poor IoT securitywere underscored with last year's Mirai botnet attacks and the Persirai botnet discovered earlier this month.

"With wearable devices, all will be cloud-based, as we'll all have physiology combined with technology, combined with the Internet," Mandia continues. "Money, identity, everything will be part of the devices that you carry."

Machine Learning

Today's criminals may find success with quick-and-easy attacks, but look for them to experiment with advanced techniques as machine learning and artificial intelligence as these technologies slowly pervade our everyday lives through Alexa, Amazon Echo, search results, and other instances.

The information that machine learning systems derive from rules, heuristics, signatures, and people will soar into the billions of pieces of information, according to Mandia. If the good guys are using it, we can bet the bad guys will use it, too.

The rise of "adversarial machine learning," where attackers enter false information into systems to generate bad results. This could be used to disrupt services like facial recognition, as well as to misdirect people and conduct other attacks that abuse user trust in machine learning to target victims.

What to do about it

Businesses adopting IoT take the time to conduct risk assessments before implementing products. Ask the questions: What data is being captured, and via what sensors? Where is it sent? How is it stored?

Those who use machine learning should not accept that a "magic algorithm" is producing good results, says Aragues. Take the time to understand how these systems work and interpret data so you can recognize and respond when something is suspicious.

On a consumer level, we need to emphasize basic security steps and explain the risks to users. Cyberattacks will become more disruptive as we depend more on software and connectivity. "The key is making security accessible," she says. "We need to help people help themselves." darkreading.com

Managing conflict at the point of impact for retailers

According to Bob Moraca, VP Loss Prevention NRF, he has constantly heard from members and non-members alike that retail criminals are becoming increasingly more aggressive and menacing. As a result, we asked retailers in our latest ORC survey and sure enough, the data from the most recent NRF ORC survey released last October, further documents that reality. Almost every retail respondent, 96.5 percent, reported that in the past 12 months, shoplifters and ORC criminals have become more aggressive.

While it's clear that there is no way to totally prevent violence, Moraca believes that with the proper tools and training, security officers, Loss Prevention professionals and store level employees may be able to defuse a potentially fierce encounter before it builds to a peak and that they may even be able to de-escalate a potentially violent encounter even if it starts to achieve momentum.

Acting on that belief, NRF has partnered with Milwaukee, Wisc.-based Vistelar, a provider of training programs designed to prevent and manage conflict by using non-escalatory and de-escalatory verbalization skills.

That program, created with feedback from the NRF is a version of Vistelar's Verbal Defense & Influence Training (VD&I) program customized to meet the specific needs of retailers and their loss prevention department.

Two training directors from Vistelar will be running a workshop from noon to 4:00 PM on June 26th, 2017 at this year's NRF PROTECT 17, at the Gaylord National Harbor in Washington DC.

This workshop will focus on managing conflict at the point of impact - the short period of time when disagreements, insults or gateway behaviors (e.g., swearing, aggressive posturing, verbal threats) can escalate to conflict and on to emotional and/or physical violence.

Read more here

Cybercrooks Look For Bitcoin Alternative
A new report from Reuters suggests that bitcoin's dominance in the dark corners of the web has lasted as long as it has, despite the number of extra steps required to ensure anonymity, is mostly related to its size and circulation volume.

A single bitcoin payment is enough to expose user identities and transaction histories. While bitcoin's lack of total anonymity may not be a major issue for regulators, banks and proponents of its underlying blockchain tech, it could still put a dent in its overall use by cybercriminals who want to keep transactions private.

Especially since there are a number of digital currencies with actual anonymity built in - including Z-Cash, along with Dash and Monero. For now, these cryptocurrencies are much more difficult to access, acquire and exchange for fiat than bitcoin.

But it turns out, experts reported earlier this week that a computer virus, exploiting the same vulnerability as the WannaCry attack, had infected over 200,000 computers. Instead of demanding ransom, this virus used the computers to begin mining Monero - similar to bitcoin-based viruses released in bitcoin's early days.

This is reportedly leading some to believe that, if Monero moves to become as adopted and accessible as bitcoin, cybercriminals would turn to this cryptocurrency for the purpose of cyberextortion. pymnts.com

Orlando Welcomes the 2017 CNP Expo
For merchants that accept card-not-present payments, every day is like a game of cops and robbers. This year's CNP Expo, which opened its doors yesterday at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla., is bringing that theme to life on stage in the form of two keynote speakers. Headlining Tuesday is former U.S. Most Wanted criminal Brett Johnson, who spent much of his life developing the techniques merchants struggle with every day. Wednesday's featured speaker is law enforcement officer and certified fraud examiner John Pizzuro. Johnson and Pizzuro will give their takes on the same issue from two very different perspectives. cardnotpresent.com

Chinese online retailer developing one-ton delivery drones

BehavioSec Partners With Kount To Deliver Behavioral Biometrics To Customers Globally

Amazon Preparing To Bring Checkout-Free Grocery Store To Europe

40% of Pet Owners Purchase Pet Products From Online Retailers

Wyomissing, PA: Group suspected in Victoria's Secret thefts along East Coast; over $300K in merchandise stolen
A brazen crime spree that spread up and down the East Coast of the United States may have come to an end in Berks County. Police on Monday identified the five people they arrested following the theft of more than $3,000 worth of merchandise from the Victoria's Secret store at the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing last Friday. But, according to police, those same suspects could be responsible for stealing 100 times that amount. The alleged thieves, all from the Baltimore area, are suspected of stealing more than $300,000 worth of merchandise from Victoria's Secret stores along the East Coast. wfmz.com

Wallingford, CT: Suspected Identity Thief Stole More Than $100,000 In Jewelry
A drifter suspected of using the identity of a dead person to steal some $100,000 worth of jewelry in Connecticut is wanted in two other states for similar thefts, police said. Anthony Ranko, also known as Anthony Spencer or Rocky Franco, 29, was arrested Monday by Wallingford police and charged with credit card fraud, second-degree forgery and criminal impersonation. The states of Louisiana and Texas have warrants for his arrest on similar charges, police said. Both states have expressed an interest in extraditing him. According to police, Ranko - who they said "appears to be a transient" - was making purchases at local jewelry stores with the credit card of a deceased man. He also used a fake identification card in the dead man's name. courant.com

Bismark, MO: Former High School Valedictorian busted for $2,000 theft
at JC Penney
Wilson, who is a high achieving student, worked at a JC Penney store in Farmington. He's been charged with felony stealing and the prosecutor said two accomplices have also been charged: Kayla Cheyanne Usher and Amanda Lee Yeager. The scheme revolved around making fraudulent returns. Court papers indicated a store employee told police Wilson stole more than $2,000 in seven fraudulent returns. Apparently, he thought he deserved the cash. "The reason he gave, his indication was that he felt like he was treated poorly by management and that he was entitled to or owed the items he took," Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin said. fox2now.com

Sioux Falls, SD: Two women face Federal charges for trying to buy computers with fake credit cards
A pair of Georgia women face federal charges for allegedly using counterfeit credit cards to buy thousands of dollars of computers from the bookstore of a South Dakota university. Kiana Diaz and Niquoya Standeven, both of Atlanta, were federally indicted on one count of conspiracy to possess counterfeit access devices. They both pleaded not guilty during a brief appearance before a federal judge in South Dakota. Brookings authorities were contacted on Wednesday after the women were detained for trying to buy laptop computers from the campus book store with credit cards that had stolen credit card information loaded on the magnetic strip. Two month earlier, the university bookstore lost about $10,000 in computer sales after a group of women used stolen credit card information to buy four laptops. Several Midwest law enforcement agencies, through the course of their investigations, learned that several groups of people were traveling campus bookstores and buying Apple computers with stolen credit card information. Authorities found 26 counterfeit credit cards in the women's possession. argusleader.com




Lynchburg, VA: Suspects stole $1.5K worth of merchandise from Foot Action
Lynchburg Police are looking for information into a theft from the Foot Action at the River Ridge Mall. Officials say two men entered the store on May 22 and stole approximately $1,500 worth of basketball apparel including jerseys and shorts. wsls.com



Willoughby, OH: Thief grabs $800 in tools from Sears Outlet
On Friday May 19, an unknown male walked into the Sears Outlet and stole $800 in tool sets. The Willoughby Police Department is attempting to identify the male. facebook.com

Eagle, CO: Turkish man gets 3 years in prison for nationwide cellphone theft spree

Shootings & Death

North Las Vegas, NV: Security Guard Shoots, Kills Gunman at 7-Eleven
Police are investigating a fatal shooting in North Las Vegas after a security guard apparently shot and killed a man who walked into a convenience store and started firing his gun. North Las Vegas Police say the shooting was reported at about 5 a.m. Monday at a 7-Eleven on the corner of Lake Mead Boulevard and Pecos Road. Police say the man who was shot was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was hurt. Investigators say they don't know if the gunman was shooting randomly or targeting a specific victim. They do not believe robbery was the motive. usnews.com

Robberies & Thefts

First Louis Vuitton, now Buccellati
Armed Thieves Attack Paris Jewelers Two Days in a Row
No clients or staff were injured in the robbery at the store on Rue de la Paix, the Italian jeweler said.

On Tuesday, the Italian jeweler's shop on Rue de la Paix was attacked by two armed individuals. This came on the heels of an attack by an armed man at the Vuitton flagship on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées at lunchtime on Monday.

"Thanks to the safety procedures adopted by the personnel, none of our clients or staff have been injured," Buccellati said in a statement. "It is difficult to quantify the value of the holdup, because it is under verification."

Following a string of violent robberies in 2013 and 2014, jewelers on Place Vendôme and the surrounding area stepped up their security efforts and the police presence in the district was increased, resulting in a noticeable drop in thefts targeting stores.

Robbers appeared to be focusing instead on high-net-worth individuals like Kim Kardashian, who was tied up and locked in a bathroom while armed thieves made off with several million dollars' worth of her jewelry during Paris Fashion Week last October. wwd.com



Huntsville, AL: ATM Smash and Grab target a CVS store
Police said someone drove a pickup truck through the front of the CVS Pharmacy on Providence Main Street around 4:20 a.m. and used a sledge hammer to break into an ATM. Police said the burglars were not able to get into the ATM and left empty-handed. No one else was in the building when the burglary happened. waaytv.com


Bloomington, IL: Human Resources employee at Nestle steals over $100,000
A former employee who repaid more than $100,000 he admitted stealing from Nestle was sentenced to Second Chance probation Monday on felony theft charges. Five charges accusing Charles Sauer of theft, money laundering and forgery were dismissed by the state in exchange for his guilty plea to theft of $500 to $10,000. Initial charges alleged that Sauer used a Nestle credit card for personal travel, including his wedding in Chicago and a new car for his wife. The theft took place between 2012 and 2014 when Sauer worked in the firm's human resources department. Sauer has repaid $113,000. pantagraph.com

Indianapolis, IN: Two IndyCar drivers robbed at gunpoint at Taco Bell
IndyCar drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti were robbed at gunpoint Sunday evening at a Taco Bell a few blocks away from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The two were at a Taco Bell in Indianapolis around 9 p.m. when two men robbed them at gunpoint and ran. Police responded to the robbery, found the suspects' vehicle. Two teenagers, ages 14 and 15 were arrested. abc15.com

Chicago, IL: Diamond-Encrusted Clock worth $425,000 Stolen
From Merchandise Mart
A trio of thieves stole a diamond-encrusted clock from the Merchandise Mart on Sunday, when they distracted employees working at an antiques show. cbslocal.com

Little Rock, AR: Teen robbed at gunpoint at Park Plaza Mall

Former Dollar Tree manager charged with taking $2,618

Salt Lake City, UT: 16-year-old charged as adult in string of armed robberies

Milford, DE: Police searching for women who paid with 8 counterfeit $50's at multiple stores

New York City, NY: MTA Worker Arrested After Refusing to Open Gate for NYPD Officers pursing a CVS shoplifter

Watchung, NJ: $300 Japanese Maple Tree Shoplifted From Pier 1 Imports

Credit Card Fraud

Update: Cincinnati, OH: Four suspects in massive credit card fraud case indicted by Federal Grand Jury
Four suspects in a massive card credit card fraud investigation were indicted by a federal grand jury Friday. Alex Souffrant, Ervins Joseph and Nelson Edmee, have all been indicted on one count of conspiracy to produce, use, or traffic in unauthorized access devices, one count of producing, using, or trafficking in an unauthorized access device, one count of possession of more than 15 unauthorized access devices and one count of possession of device-making equipment.

In August 2016, police arrested Laine at a Kroger after she attempted to buy gift cards using a fake credit card. Edmee, Joseph and Souffrant all possessed wire transfer receipts, a credit card encoder, card embossers, false government IDs, cash, and approximately 150 physical credit and gift cards, including 126 Visa cards. The trio also possessed a computer that had been used to download approximately 2,491 unique credit card account numbers from various online carding forums. wcpo.com

Fire & Arson

Huntersville, NC: Three injured in suspcious Target fire
Cause still under investigation, store considered a crime scene
Investigators in Huntersville are working to determine the cause of a fire that broke out at a Target store Monday afternoon.

Emergency crews responded to a reported fire in the Northcross Shopping Center a little after 5 p.m. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found large clouds of smoke billowing from the department store.

Quick actions by the store's employees made it possible for firefighters to do their job and helped get everyone to safety. Three shoppers and one employee were treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. They're expected to be okay, according to authorities.

The fire broke out in the grocery section of the store, but there is significant damage throughout the facility from smoke and water that was used to extinguish the flames. wcnc.com

Sunnyvale, CA: Fire damages multiple strip mall businesses

Steve Schwartz, CFI named Regional Loss Prevention Manager for Burlington Stores, Inc.

John Johnson named District Loss Prevention Manager for HomeGoods

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At the end of most interviews, candidates are given the opportunity to ask questions. Surprisingly enough, most candidates are unprepared for that question, itself. So take the time in your preparation to develop a few well thought out questions that reflect your knowledge of the company, their future plans and how you fit within them. Certainly your questions should also focus around the variables that increase the success of the specific position you're applying for and not deal with the benefits, salary, or work schedule, travel requirements, or expenses. As these questions will turn off an interviewer and are premature. Your questions should be a reflection of the type of executive you are and will be if they hire you and therefore should be designed to show how you'll be successful and valuable for their organization.

Just a Thought,
Gus