2016 GLPS - Group LP Selfies
Your Team - Your Pride - Our Industry
One Team at a Time

Home Depot Week!

Home Depot's 2016 Supply Chain Asset Protection Team at their Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA

South Team

Left to right: Michael Neagle, Jeff Jenkins, Tony Rengel, Christopher Schact, Roy Harding, Jeremy Fincher, Michael Muehlbauer, Brad Sansom, Doug Schuckman, Maurice Harrell, Peter Nwankwo, Mike Newsam, James Osbourne, Alex Aguirre

 

Cliff Rodriguez was named Director of Loss Prevention Operations and Crisis Management for David Yurman
Cliff was previously the Associate Director of Loss Prevention - U.S. Retail & Events for Chanel for over five years before taking this new role. Cliff's 20+ years of loss prevention experience cover a variety of stores and managerial roles such as Loss Prevention Manager for U.S. Fashion/Watch & Fine Jewelry and Director of Loss Prevention for Chanel, Assistant Director of Loss Prevention for Bogopa/Food Bazaar Supermarkets, Asset Protection District Specialist for The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, and East Coast Regional LP Manager for Donna Karan. Congratualtions Cliff!

The D&D Daily's Q3 ORC Report: A data-driven, detailed audit of publicly reported ORC crimes in the U.S. After each of the first two quarters in 2016, the D&D Daily released exclusive reports about ORC trends in the United States and in which direction these crimes were moving for the remainder of the year. With 441 ORC cases in the third quarter, an increase over the 395 reported in Q2 and 368 in Q1, the number of ORC cases in 2016 is still on track to surpass last year's figures. There were a total of 1,204 cases reported through the third quarter of 2016. As the table below shows, this total easily surpasses the number reported in the same time period in each of the last four years. Year # of Cases thru Q3 $ Amount Reported # of Suspects 2012 359  $129,930,222 1,435  2013 662  $474,124,072 2,341  2014 850  $655,603,048 2,214  2015 1,092  $459,953,014 2,564  2016 1,204  $464,950,823 2,584  Of the hundreds of incidents reported last quarter, the highest dollar cases involved everything from credit card cybercrime to food stamp fraud to jewelry theft. The top five cases by dollar amount reported by the Daily in the third quarter were: Man admits running $9M global credit card cybercrime ring Six member fraud gang busted for $9M scheme - Hit Home Depot & Target Stores "Operation Pandora" sends 3 to prison for $800,000 jewelry theft Victoria's Secret 'precision shoplifters' indicted after $750K in theft from stores in 9 states Phoenix, AZ: Store Owner busted in $600,000 Food Stamp Fraud Of the 441 total reported incidents, the most popular method used was shoplifting/theft (313 incidents), which represented nearly three-quarters of all cases. Credit card fraud (6% with 28 incidents) was also commonly used in Q3 cases. The chart below shows these and other various methods used in ORC cases reported by the D&D Daily in the third quarter.   Q3 ORC Cases By Type   There were a total of 918 suspects involved in these cases during the third quarter and, as is common, the vast majority of them were men. Of all third-quarter suspects, 464 were male, 280 were female and 174 had no reported gender. When combined with the first two quarters of the year, the number of suspects surpassed 2015 but the same gender breakdown is still evident, as the table below indicates. Year # of Suspects (thru Q3) Male Female Unreported Gender % of Male % of Female 2012 1,435 565 326 544 63.4% 36.6% 2013 2,341 854 556 931 60.5% 39.5% 2014 2,214 1,323 789 102 62.6% 37.4% 2015 2,564 1,369 788 407 63.5% 36.5% 2016 2,584 1,328 781  475  62.9%  37.1%  While it's important to understand the "what," "how," and "who" when it comes to ORC cases in the United States, it's also useful to know where these crimes are taking place. The map below shows which states were the hottest ORC spots, according to the Daily's third-quarter reporting. The five states with the highest number of cases were: 1. Pennsylvania (35) 2. Texas (31) 3. Florida (29) 4. Illinois (29) 5. California (28) Three of these states - Pennsylvania, Florida and California - made the top five list in the second quarter as well, while Illinois and Texas are new additions in the third quarter. Ultimately, it's clear that ORC, whether it's the number of cases or suspects, continues to be on the rise in the United States.

McD's keeping Ronald under wraps as creepy clown reports increase
McDonald's says Ronald McDonald laying low amid 'creepy clown' hysteria
McDonald's Corp. announced Tuesday that its iconic clown Ronald McDonald is laying low amid numerous reports across the U.S. of "creepy clown" sightings.

"McDonald's and franchisees in local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events for the time being," McDonald's spokeswoman Terri Hickey said in a statement.

McDonald's might have a legitimate concern about their image. The Sun reports a man dressed as a blood-stained Ronald McDonald was allegedly filmed at a McDonald's restaurant in Lancashire, England.

Meanwhile, law enforcement across the U.S. has been plagued with reports of clown sightings, most of which have been unconfirmed or identified as pranks. Some cases have resulted in arrests; a 13-year-old boy in Upstate New York was charged with making a terroristic threat against his school with a fake clown profile on Facebook.

But why clowns? Why now? Some have suggested it's part of a viral marketing stunt for an upcoming remake of Stephen King's "It," but the horror author said on Twitter last week it's "time to cool the clown hysteria... Most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh." syracuse.com

Is it time for retailers to stop the Thanksgiving madness?
hhgregg, is the latest retail chain to announce it is giving store employees the day off on Thanksgiving. As the company's president and chief executive, Bob Riesbeck, tells it, the decision was the right thing to do for the company and its employees. "It's time," he told The Associated Press, "to stop the madness."

The website BlackFriday.com recently published a list of retailers who have chosen to stay closed on Thanksgiving. retailwire.com

Fraud Losses Soaring 25% in UK first half of 2016
Financial fraud losses in the first six months of 2016 increased by a quarter on last year to touch 400million pounds, according to new figures by Financial Fraud Action UK. The giant figure has been largely driven by credit and debit card fraud, which makes up the large majority of the losses, according the data.

Some 321.5million pounds was lost on remote purchase fraud, which was up 31 per cent on the same period of 2015 - this includes lost and stolen cards, cards not received, counterfeit cards and ID theft.

FFA UK intelligence suggests fraudsters are using card details obtained with malware and data breaches, while there are more opportunities to commit such crimes because of the growing number of e-commerce sites.

Online losses were up nine per cent to 55.3million pounds while mobile losses were up 120 per cent to 2.2million pounds, suggesting this is a new avenue scammers are now starting to exploit. thisismoney.co.uk

Credit Card Theft "Running Rampant in Tampa Bay & the rest of Florida"
Credit card companies rolled out cards embedded with chips to better protect consumers nearly a year ago. But we found credit card theft continues to run rampant here in Tampa Bay and the rest of Florida.

According to Experian, Florida ranks first in online related billing fraud which normally involves stolen card numbers.

The Federal Trade Commission states that credit card fraud complaints this year hit the highest reported numbers in a decade.

Sgt. Kennedy says all 7 of the economic crimes detectives in his unit are buried in these types of cases in Tampa Bay. abcactionnews.com

Blue Apron's busy New Jersey facility a real fight club
Blue Apron - the gourmet meal-kit delivery service whose rapid growth has spurred chatter that it could go public as soon as next year - has been struggling not only to keep up with demand but with a troubling spate of violence among workers at its Jersey City, NJ, distribution warehouse, an investigation by The Post has found.

Just three weeks ago, on Sept. 20, bedlam erupted inside the facility as three fights broke out during a single evening shift - prompting a frightened team of corporate supervisors to flee the premises, according to eyewitnesses.

It got so bad a while ago that some employees regularly brought knives and razor blades to work, adds Saquina Johnson, a 20-year-old former employee who worked at the Jersey City fulfillment center for most of last year. 'It was like one of those videos in jail, where a fight breaks out and everyone stops what they're doing and gets rowdy.

Rising concerns over weapons and violence prompted management last fall to post a sign, "No Firearms," next to the main entry gate. Today, all workers pass through a metal detector and are subject to having their bags checked as they report for their shifts

The fights are even starting to frighten supervisors.

If Blue Apron's 33-year-old founder and chief executive, Matt Salzburg and his co-founders can't improve their warehouse management skills, it could complicate the company's reported ambitions to take itself public in a 2017 deal that could value the firm as high as $3 billion.

On Oct. 2, BuzzFeed reported incidents of violence were also commonplace at Blue Apron's West Coast facility in Richmond, Calif. It's more than just growing pains as the company has grown more than 10-fold over the past two years.

While the Jersey City dustups have been discussed among the workers, management has not publicly discussed the problems - until now. On Monday, Blue Apron officials confirmed them.

The Blue Apron building has drawn more than half a dozen police calls since it was opened less than two years ago, according to records reviewed by The Post.

Other police calls to the fulfillment center involved accusations of petty theft, as well as seizures of suspected drugs including marijuana and heroin, according to reports.  nypost.com
 
How One Association Helps Track and Recover Stolen Antique Books
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America takes the theft of antique books seriously. How seriously? It alerts members whenever an incident is reported.

When the antique book industry learns that a rare book has been stolen, bibliophiles from around the country spring into action.

That hard work-done on websites, on email threads, and in databases-makes those fragile pilfered novels almost impossible to sell. And at the center of that work is the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), which takes an active role in informing librarians, sellers of rare books, and others when a hard-to-find tome goes missing.

The group, founded in 1949, requires its members to do everything in their power to protect antique books. As stated in their code of ethics:

An Association member shall make every effort to prevent the theft or distribution of stolen antiquarian books and related materials. An Association member shall cooperate with law enforcement authorities and the Association's Board of Governors in the effort to recover and return stolen materials, and apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the theft, including, but not limited to, providing the names of persons involved.

On ABAA's New Antiquarian blog, it frequently highlights new reports of stolen antique books, wherever in the country the thefts happen. Additionally, the association's security committee works to keep members abreast of  thefts.

One of the most recent prominent incidents, reported on by The New York Times, involved the theft of two 16th-century books, together valued at more than $20,000, from the Manhattan bookseller PRPH Books.

Near the end of September-not long after ABAA posted about the theft-the books were recovered after they were delivered to a police station. However, the culprit has not been found.

Although ABAA has played an active role in reporting thefts, it's not alone. The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, of which ABAA is a part, makes available a searchable database of stolen books for both its members and the public. associationsnow.com
 
After multiple shootings Monroeville Mall, in Pittsburgh suburb, adds more surveillance cameras

Cybercrime law: Fighting the new criminals
In 2001, the FBI described cybercrime as "one of the most critical challenges" facing the agency and law enforcement in general. With the annual global cost of cybercrime in the following decade and a half soaring past $400 billion, the crime epidemic forced Congress and the White House to act to give law enforcement new tools.

The idea they ultimately came up with - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 - was to offer legal incentives to companies that shared information with the relevant government agencies about cyber threats. In return, the companies would be absolved of any legal liability.

But even though government is supposed to clarify the types of information that will qualify as cyber threat indicators - the deadline is this June - that hasn't satisfied critics.

Digital privacy groups contend that the bill provides weak protections and may allow law enforcement authorities to directly access customer data unrelated to cybersecurity investigations. They also fault the wording of the new law, which extends until 2025. Great article to read to clarify exactly where we are right now.  cso.com

Vera Bradley Reveals Payment-Card Hack at Retail Stores
Payment cards used at its retail stores were potentially hacked over a two-month period this summer between July 25th and Sept. 23rd. Vera Bradley, which said it has stopped the data breach, said law enforcement notified it of a potential data-security issue Sept. 15 and the company immediately launched an investigation with a computer-security firm. The investigation revealed unauthorized access to Vera Bradley's payment-processing system and the installation of a program that sought data from cards' magnetic stripes-which could contain the card number, cardholder name, expiration date and verification code. wsj.com

Facebook, Twitter cut access to monitoring tool used by police
Geofeedia has been marketing itself as a surveillance tool for law enforcement
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were handing over data to a monitoring tool that law enforcement agencies were using to track protesters, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The social media analysis tool, called Geofeedia, had been harvesting posts from the social media networks for surveillance purposes, and more than 500 law enforcement and public safety agencies have been using it, the ACLU said in a Tuesday report.

Through a public records request, the ACLU found that Geofeedia had entered into agreements with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for their users' data.

In uncovered emails, Geofeedia said the tool was useful for monitoring protests in Ferguson, Missouri, involving the 2014 police shooting death of Mike Brown.

The ACLU is concerned that the tool can "disproportionately impact communities of color," through its monitoring of activists and their neighborhoods. Among Geofeedia's features is an interactive map of real-time Instagram posts showing user locations.

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have all severed access to Geofeedia after learning about the tool's activities.  csoonline.com

LCBO looks to cut down on theft with bottle locks
The LCBO is hoping its purchase of 125,000 new bottle locks will help cut down on theft.

The company is currently shipping the locks - plastic caps that can be removed at checkout, but make it difficult to open or resell stolen liquor bottles - to regions across Ontario.

The locks themselves have another feature designed to deter thefts, as well.

"Each of the bottle locks have a chip installed in them," Tomney said. "That chip will set off an alarm when it goes by the pedestals that you sometimes see at the front of a retail store."

The locks were tested by the LCBO as a pilot project in 10 stores last fall.

"We found that pilot program to be very successful, and a very good return on investment for the LCBO," Tomney said.

The lock program could be expanded further in the future, as well, depending on how effective it is, she said.

"We sell a product that can be problematic if it gets into the wrong hands," Tomney said. "We want to make sure we're doing whatever we can to prevent that from happening, and we take it really seriously." cbc.ca

British Columbia: Fire tears through strip mall
Several businesses have been destroyed after a massive fire tore through a Port Coquitlam strip mall Sunday night. Firefighters say the flames first tore through Martha's Bakery and Cafe, fanned by a gas line inside.

"It had spread right into the laminated beam supporting the whole block," said Chief Nick Delmonico, Port Coquitlam fire department. "As you can see we're down a couple of businesses now."

Martha's Bakery and Cafe, a health clinic, sushi restaurant, Curves, and a Heart and Stroke Foundation office were all destroyed before crews could knock down the blaze. Some businesses in the building next door experienced flooding. This is the second major fire in Port Coquitlam in the last year. Last July fire tore through another strip mall, leaving several businesses in ruins. ctvnews.com

Sask. small town loses pharmacy to fire
Bengough, Sask., lost its main general store and pharmacy to a fire on Sunday. The town of Bengough, Sask., watched its long-standing pharmacy and general store, Bengough Drugs, burn to the ground on Sunday evening. "It's a pretty big shocker to the community."

An initial investigation shows the fire started in the attic of the building and it is not suspicious. Gossen added no one was inside the building and no injuries came from the fire. cbc.ca


How will legal pot be sold? Three things that might happen, and one that won't
$10B Industry with $5B in Expected Taxes
Some time after next spring, Canadians will be able to legally buy marijuana for use purely for pleasure.

How will it be sold? That hasn't been decided, and there's a lot at stake for the potential players: a CIBC report earlier this year estimated the size of the national recreational cannabis market at up to $10 billion.

Everybody from existing licenced growers to public-sector unions, who would add members if provincial liquor store networks also sold pot, has weighed in. Revenue-hungry governments are hoping for the anticipated $5 billion in pot taxes.

There are four main options (one's a non-starter, so really there are three):

• Mail-order from licenced growers
• Private sector storefronts, maybe based on existing dispensaries
• Stores run by provincial liquor store systems, maybe or maybe not in the same locations
• Probably not pharmacies globalnews.ca

Halifax Votes 2016: Making food security an election issue
The Ecology Action Centre is hoping to make food security an election issue in Halifax, where one in five households is food insecure.

Food security means ensuring everyone has access to "healthy, sustainable, culturally appropriate food" that's been produced, procured and distributed "in ways that are environmentally sound and socially just."

A 2015 report by the Halifax Food Policy Alliance found that Halifax was the most food insecure among 33 of the country's largest cities, and one in five Haligonian households is food insecure.

MacLeod wants to hear more candidates talking about the issue, and wants to see action once a new council is sworn in. metronews.ca

Take the 2016 Canadian Security Salary Survey for a chance to win a $100 Best Buy gift card
Canadian Security magazine has partnered with Commissionaires to conduct a national online workplace survey for the Canadian security sector. By taking the survey, you'll share important insight on issues that deeply affect the security industry and its employees, from work/life balance and skills development to technology trends and new security roles.

Take the survey now for a chance to win a $100 Best Buy gift card! surveymonkey.com

Delta, BC: Tsawwassen Mills Opens to Massive Crowds

Creepy clown phenomenon strikes Canada: Boy chased out of shop by two clowns carrying fake weapons

Time to end holiday shopping ban, say Ottawa BIAs

Toronto, ON: Toronto police looking for suspect in $1M diamond fraud investigation
Police are asking for the public's help in finding a suspect after a man was allegedly defrauded of $1 million worth of diamonds.

According to Toronto police, a 61-year-old man invested and collected several loose, coloured diamonds. He made arrangements to sell the diamonds to the suspect, who said he was a doctor, Wednesday evening.

The two men met at a restaurant in the Keele Street and Wilson Avenue area. The suspect gave a cheque to the man for the diamonds, but the cheque was later determined to be fake. globalnews.ca

Shamwattawa, MB: Boy, 12, charged with arson in devastating
First Nation fire
A 12-year-old boy has been charged with arson in the fire that destroyed the band office and only grocery store on the Shamattawa First Nation in northern Manitoba.

Six youngsters are believed to have been involved in setting the Sept. 22 blaze, but five of them are under the age of 12, so they can't face charges.

The fire prompted a state of emergency on the remote reserve, leaving the 1,500 residents without supplies or emergency services. Band officials and many other community members were at a funeral at the time the blaze broke out.

The community's fire truck, less than two years old, was not functioning so firefighters had to battle the blaze using water from three nearby hydrants and a truck normally used to distribute water to homes. torontosun.com

Cobourg, ON: Police find large quantity of stolen merchandise in traffic stop
Two men from North York are facing theft charges after a traffic stop in Cobourg this week. Cobourg Police say Officers pulled over a vehicle for a minor traffic offence on Burnham Street on Tuesday, October 4th. An investigation revealed the two occupants of the vehicle had allegedly stolen a large quantity of products from a Cobourg retail store. Police say a 24 year old and 48 year old, both from North York, were arrested and charged with Theft and Possession under $5000. 1079thebreeze.com

York, ON: Man arrested linked to GTA theft ring; Found with multiple stolen, fraudulant credit cards
York Regional Police arrested a man suspected to be part of car theft ring stealing vehicles in Vaughan and Toronto after responding to a report of an impaired driver in Newmarket. Investigators determined the vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen and had stolen licence plates.

Found inside the stolen vehicle were keys to 30 other vehicles, tools that could be used for stealing cars, multiple debit and credit cards with different names on them and a pellet gun. Investigators determined the credit and debit cards the accused had in his possession were either stolen or fraudulent. simcoe.com

Kawartha Lakes, ON: Alleged credit card fraud leads to charges
against four Toronto men
Kawartha Lakes Police arrested four Toronto men after a Lindsay Square Mall merchant became suspicious of multiple credit card purchases on Tuesday (Oct. 11). Police were called to the Kent Street West mall at 3:30 p.m. where it was alleged a group of men were going 'store to store' with a number of fraudulent credit cards.
Police say the men were located in the mall parking lot with a 2010 Lexus automobile full of clothing, jewelry, cigarettes and gift cards purchased from local businesses. mykawartha.com

Chatham-Kent, ON: Police say man tried to hide crowbar, paint in his pants

Update: Four more men charged in connection with Grande Prairie mall shooting

Tensions are Bubbling.
Are You Ready?

Jon Grander, VP, Asset and Revenue Management, Caleres

Ferguson, Missouri. Baltimore, Maryland. Taylor, Michigan. New York City -- all were sites of civil unrest and riots in the last two years, and restaurants, drug stores, grocery and convenience stores and related retailers were hit hard. Civil unrest or civil disobedience may be a new issue for retailers to contend with, but there are ways to make sure your organization is prepared. Jon Grander, VP, Asset and Revenue Management, Caleres, shares how his company managed business continuity and employee safety amid the volatile 2014 Ferguson protests.

Episode Sponsored By:

LPNN Quick Take #12

Joe and Amber catch up with Nicholas Khalil, President of Iverify and originator of the famous industry saying "Take care of the customer first, and the rest will take care of itself." Learn how Iverify recently doubled their capability and resources to enhance employee safety and reduce retail shrink.

Episode Sponsored By:

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

Leaky IoT devices help hackers attack e-commerce sites
Millions of IoT devices are misconfigured so that they can forward messages -- which, combined with default admin settings, allows them to be used to attack e-commerce and other websites, a new report says. The problem is well known and has been around for a more than a decade, said Ryan Barnett, principal security researcher at Cambridge, Mass.-based Akamai Technologies Inc., which produced the report. cio.com

The returns process: Where retailers fall short
Returns of online orders are a real hassle for consumers.

That was one of the principal findings of a recently released Internet Retailer report entitled, "Click, Ship & Return," in which researchers tracked shipping speed, order processing and returns capabilities for 30 of the top online retailers in North America.

While most of the 30 retailers delivered orders fairly quickly, few did nearly as well when it came to handling returns. Only three merchants-Amazon.com Inc., No. 1 in the Internet Retailer 2016 Top 500 Guide. Gap Inc. (No. 20) and Nordstrom Inc. (No. 18)-made the process relatively painless, as they supplied return shipping labels, charged no restocking fees, and credited the buyer's account promptly.

Most credits were refunded in seven to 10 business days, but some took much longer, and one retailer, Sears Hometown Outlet (No. 111), took more than two months to post a credit for a product returned on July 12.

Apart from Sears Hometown, the longest refund time goes to The Home Depot Inc. (No. 7 in the Top 500), which took 51 days to process a credit, followed by Williams-Sonoma Inc. (No. 21) at 44 days. internetretailer.com

Grocery e-retailers may soon be able to process food stamps online 

Watertown, NY: Five years Probation in $166,000 employee theft from Walgreens; restitution order for $165,690
Joseph R. Doriety was sentenced Tuesday to five years' probation after admitting in Jefferson County Court that he stole nearly $166,000 worth of goods from Walgreens. Doriety, 32, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny. He admitted that stole more than $3,000 worth of merchandise from Walgreens, 929 Arsenal St., while working there between March 2010 and October 2015. Police said at the time of his arrest that he stole primarily ink jet cartridges and diabetes test kits, which he resold. Following his plea, he was ordered to pay $165,690 in restitution in the form of a civil judgment. His probation supervision will be transferred to Ohio. watertowndailytimes.com

Garland, TX: Kohl's Shoplifting suspect leads police on high-speed; Taser Takedown
Police say the Garland chase suspect they stopped when he ran across a freeway put a lot of people in danger. SKY 4 captured the final moments of the chase and the taser takedown on I-30 after the driver had been going the wrong way on a highway at high-speed. The Tuesday afternoon chases lasted about 30 minutes and topped speeds at 90-100 miles per hour as the suspect made his way through several cities. Police say Clinton Lang ditched his truck after leading police on a chase and ran across westbound lanes of I-30, almost getting hit by oncoming traffic. While Lang was watching for more traffic, a Rockwall County Sheriff's Deputy was able to taser him and take him down before he crossed the eastbound lane. The chase began at the Kohl's Shopping Center on the Bush Turnpike in Rockwall County. Police say Land and another man, Jimmy Wheeler, tried to shoplift from the store. Police say Wheeler stole almost got away with $2,000 worth of items from Kohl's and say it's something he and Lang have done at least two other times at Kohl's locations in Plano and Arlington. fox4news.com

Racine, WI: Man busted stealing $6,000 in Baby Formula from Walmart;
sold to C-Stores
A 25-year-old Racine man is facing an additional theft charge and is suspected of taking thousands of dollars of baby formula from Walmart, which he sold to a local convenience store. The man was arrested by the Mount Pleasant Police Department on Monday for two felony counts of bail jumping, a misdemeanor count of bail jumping, and misdemeanor retail theft. Charges have been filed with the Racine County District Attorney's Office, but the man has not had an initial appearance. If convicted, the man faces up to 13 1/2 years in prison and/or fined up to $40,000. racinecountyeye.com

Bluffs man pleads guilty to stealing $30,000 in fraudulent cellphone contracts
A former employee at a Council Bluffs cellphone store pleaded guilty Monday to stealing nearly $30,000 through fraudulent contracts in June 2015. Saying Moreno Padilla, 21, was sentenced to pay back the store what he stole and five years of probation. He is a Mexican national living in Omaha who was working at U.S. Cellular on a temporary work visa when the theft occurred. The act - referred to as "cell phone credit mulling" or serving as a "mule" - in court documents, is when a scammer targets people to provide a fake contract. The phone is unlocked, then the contract is cancelled and the phone is sold for a profit. nonpareilonline.com


Fairfield, NJ: Mother of three charged with $445 Target shoplifting; 3 children pushed out $115 of stolen merchandise

Easton, PA: Woman who stole nearly $1,000 of merchandise back in May, arrested when she returned to the store in October 

Shootings & Bomb Threat

Wyoming, MI: Justifiable shooting: Video shows man point gun at police officer
Witnesses provided police with crucial information in finding Sadie Bishara-Abaker Idris, the man who was shot and killed by police after stealing a handgun from Al & Bob's Sports. The help included a father and son who drove through the area, pulling in parking lots to keep an eye on Idris as he walked east on 32nd Street SE. They provided dispatchers with his location. Wyoming police Officer Chad Wells eventually shot Idris after Idris pulled a handgun from his back pocket and pointed it at the officer. mlive.com


Wayne, NJ: Man Charged With Fake Willowbrook Mall Bomb Note,
3 Sought In Evacuation Incident
Wayne Police who charged a man with fabricating a story that he'd found a note saying bombs were placed throughout the Willowbrook Mall were searching for three men who they said jumped up on tables shouting "Black lives matter!" during Monday night's evacuation. Anthony R Vigilante, 56, was charged with creating false public alarm and widespread panic after telling a mall security officer that he found a handwritten post-it note that "made threats of 'six bombs' placed throughout the mall, Capt. Laurence Martin said Tuesday morning. Vigilante, of East Hanover, said he threw the note away, Martin said. dailyvoice.com

Robberies & Thefts

Janesville, WI: Halloween Express owner struggles for control of a gun with an Armed Robber
Steve Thompson, owner of Halloween Express costume shop, said he suffered a bloody knee and elbow and a bump on head from falling to the ground as he struggled with the man, during an Armed Robbery last Thursday night. "He told everyone to get on the ground" and repeated that several times, like in a bank-robbery movie, Thompson said. Thompson advanced, got within arm's reach and grabbed the handgun, he said. The two wrestled for control of the weapon, and they continued doing that as they went out the door in front of the store. "Thirty seconds was all it took, and he took off running," Thompson said of the struggle. "I think I scared him." gazettextra.com

Mineola, NY: Man arrested, charged in 12 Long Island burglaries
Eric Barnett was arrested early Tuesday outside a supermarket in Hempstead by detectives who had been tailing him for days. The Elmont man has been arrested 13 other times for burglaries and other crimes. Police say he first hit a grocery store in North Merrick on July 8 and then burglarized several other businesses. Police say he used a crowbar and a sawing tool to gain entry by making holes in the roofs of businesses during several of the heists. theeagle.com

Albany, NY: Rolex Armed Robber gets 15 years in Stuyvesant Plaza heist
A Federal Judge sentenced a three-time felon to 15 years in prison Tuesday for his role in an armed jewelry store robbery in Stuyvesant Plaza that left a 77-year-old woman pepper-sprayed in the eyes and fearing she was "going to die." Aristides Duartez, 37, who terrorized employees of Frank Adams jewelers in Guilderland on March 15, 2012, listened to the emotional devastation he caused the victims, who in show of strength and unity addressed Senior Judge Thomas McAvoy as a group. "Because our paths crossed that fateful night, I now live in fear," the pepper-spray victim, now 82, told Duartez. "I was victimized needlessly by people who live violent lives." timesunion.com



UK: Aberdeen, Scotland: Shoplifter tried to mow down security guard with car outside TK Maxx
Alan Bruce was pursued out of the shop by Adrian Morley after he was spotted stealing three designer handbags from TK Maxx. And when Mr Morley stood in front of Bruce's car to stop him driving off, the 44-year-old accelerated forward and knocked him to the ground. Bruce then sped off, leaving Mr Morley lying in the car park. Bruce appeared in court yesterday and admitted assaulting the security guard. pressandjournal.co.uk

Corbin, KY: Woman charged with shoplifting at Belk, parking in handicapped space and public intoxication

UK: Cambridge: Serial shoplifter brandished needle toward Mark & Spencer's security threatens to infect them with AIDS

Helzberg Diamonds in the Northridge Fashion Center, Northridge, CA reported a Grab & Run on 10/10, merchandise valued at $19,999

Credit Card Fraud/ID Theft

Orlando, FL: Police trace credit card fraud to Univ of Central Florida restaurant; 240 fraud cases
Investigators said they have found the source of a series of credit card fraud cases on the campus of UCF. Detectives said the fraud has been linked to a restaurant owner's computer system, which was infected with malware. Authorities said the malware was stealing credit card information from customers.
As a precaution, Asian Chao, Huey Magoo's and Corner Cafe in the Student Union are not accepting credit cards. Investigators said at least 240 fraud cases have been linked to malware. clickorlando.com



Southampton, NY: Riverhead woman who led police on wild chase indicted on 15 felonies
A Riverhead woman who reportedly escaped custody and led Riverhead and Southampton police on two high-speed chases last month has been indicted on a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges, including grand larceny, escaping custody, possession of stolen property, vehicle theft, and reckless endangerment, according to online court records. Rasheeda Brown, 30, allegedly stole two vehicles during her run from the cops on Sept. 17. After an intensive investigation, Ms. Brown was found to be in possession of numerous identification cards - including cards from banks, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club - that police believe were stolen. timesreview.com

Reading, PA: Five stolen Credit Cards discovered on passed out man in a vehicle

Loma Linda, CA: One in custody for Multiple Mail Thefts; checks, credit cards, id's seized

Skimming Reports

NYPD Takes Down 3 Skimming Crews
ATM skimming reports skyrocket as criminals cash in before global chip technology

Glenbrook, CT: Skimming device found on Wells Fargo ATM

Paoli, PA: Credit Card Skimming Device Found At Lukoil Station

Cargo Theft

Nairobi, Kenya: Inspector-General of Police has deployed 200 police officers to escort cargo on the Northern Corridor
The officers will work with the Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) to ensure goods transported on the corridor, mainly from the port of Mombasa, is secured. KTA Chief Executive Officer said transporters will next week meet with the security agencies to discuss how they will work together with the officers. "This follows rampart cases of cargo theft that sometimes led to loss of lives. This situation has seen some transporters rerouting to Tanzania," he said. The deployment follows President Uhuru Kenyatta's directive last month that a unit be set up to secure cargo on the corridor. The President, concerned about theft of cargo on the trade route, said his government would not tolerate theft of goods in transit. nation.co.ke

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