2017 GLPS - Group LP Selfies
Your Team - Your Pride - Our Industry
Building Industry Pride - One Team Selfie at a Time

Bealls & Burkes Outlet LP West Division Team "We are #Relentless on our pathway to GR8!"

Pictured, left to right: R.I. James Browning, RLPD James McLemore, LPMM Canaan Peacock, LPMM Josh Schmidt, LPMM Robert Jenkins, RLPM Ryan Barthel, LPMM David Branum, T.A.C James Alexander, LPMM Jorge Palma, R.I. Tora Harris, LPMM David Land, LPMM William Savage, RLPM Brett Thacker

Retail Industry Pioneer Robert Thompson Passes Away
Founder of Thompson Lock & Supply Corp.

Robert L. Thompson Jr., 67, a life-long resident of White Plains, died October 13, 2017. He was born March 29, 1950 to the late Risabetta and Robert L. Thompson. Robert and Susan (née Berger) were married on June 23, 1979 in Millbrook, NY. He was President of Thompson Lock & Supply Corp. for 40 years. Robert had a great love for music and animals and also took interest in boats and planes.

Robert is predeceased by his parents, Robert L. Thompson and Risabetta Thompson, and by one brother, Charles Thompson. He is survived by his loving wife Susan Thompson, and their two children Christine Flynn and Robert L. Thompson, III all of White Plains, NY. He is also survived by a brother, Steve Thompson.

Robert was a pioneer in the retail industry that provided his expertise and products to many national retailers.

CONTROLTEK's Systems Deployment Difference

CONTROLTEK's nimble, quick-to-listen and quick-to-act approach to its work sets it apart from the massive organizations in the inventory protection industry. This differentiation is displayed in the CONTROLCare Support Services which are tailored to meet installation and service requirements of organizations of any size.

Structured Delivery
In order to ensure consistency and uniformity of every installation, CONTROLTEK uses centralized scheduling and program management. The company's project managers ensure on-time delivery of materials to each work site, coordinate with store staff, manage field technicians and provide updates to the centralized project management system. All CONTROLTEK's field technicians are network-certified, and understand not just hardware installation, but network connectivity and common IT protocols as well.

Full Transparency
With CONTROLTEK's Client Data Repository Portal retail partners see everything the project managers see. With one simple login LP leadership teams can check on the status of each store: location map, site survey, installation date, equipment delivered and installed, technician's time of arrival and departure, and before and after photos. LP departments have full visibility to the project so there are no surprises.

Robust Infrastructure
In order to ensure scalability, CONTROLTEK has built an infrastructure that can support roll-outs of any size. The company's smallest project to date has been one location; the largest - 1,800 stores in nine months. And what CONTROLTEK prides itself on is its consistency in delivery and quality. All processes and documentation are systematized, including scope of work preparation, planning, diagrams, contact lists, support lists, as wells as training and quality control. CONTROLTEK's ultimate goal is that when it finishes installing at multiple locations, you can't tell one store from the other. High quality, high consistency, everywhere.

To learn more about CONTROLTEK, click here.

Credential Theft the Most Common Element Across Cyberattacks
Preventing Credential Theft: A Security Checklist for Boards
Within any organization, certain employees have access to information that could tip the scales of risk for the business. If a cybercriminal were to gain access to a company's most sensitive information through stealing credentials from one of these employees, the business could face serious financial and reputational repercussions. Board members, though typically not employees, are included in this group of vulnerable targets for two key reasons:

They possess materially important data. Board members have access to information that is materially important to the business; yet because they typically aren't employees of the business, they don't go through the same security training or have company-issued devices.

They have an ability to influence. Often a hacker will impersonate an executive when sending a phishing lure to intended victims.

Credential Theft Prevention Checklist

According to the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Report, 81% of hacking-related breaches leveraged either stolen and/or weak passwords, up from 63% reported in prior years. Given that credential theft is the most common element across cyberattacks, it's no longer an option to delay conversations with security leaders on the topic. To be proactive, board members should reference this checklist:

Understand how data is accessed. As a first step, boards should ask themselves the following questions:

● What is the value of the information to which we have access?

● How are we getting access to that information?

● How is that information protected?

● Given the sensitivity of the information, do we think it is protected enough?

Ask about multifactor authentication. Passwords alone are never enough. ● How does the company ensure that, when someone authenticates, it authenticates who they really are?

Be familiar with the company's overarching information security strategy. Credential theft is one tactic cybercriminals use, and how a company addresses this is part of its overarching cybersecurity strategy.
What kind of technology is the company investing in to prevent not only credential theft-based attacks but also other types of cyberattacks? 

Board members are in a unique position as highly influential leaders - and as potential victims - to keep the scales of business risk steady. darkreading.com

Great Point Here - Why Employees Hide Getting Hit at Work
59% of Employees Hit with Ransomware at WORK - Personally Make Payment
Office workers pay an average ransom of $1,400, and a whopping 59% of employees who get hit at work personally paid the extortion money, according to a report released today by Intermedia.

The 2017 Data Vulnerability Report Part 2, a survey of 1,000 office workers at small-to midsized businesses, also found 68% of business owners and executives personally paid ransom payments. The average ransom paid was approximately $1,400, the study notes.

I think employees pay it because it's fast," speculates Jonathan Levine, Intermedia's CTO. "While everyone is trying to figure out the company's policy on paying ransom, the people still need to get the work done." He believes most employees do not back up their work, and adds it's not surprising a majority of the workers personally paid the ransom.

But Chris Hornick, president-elect of the Northern California Human Resources Association and CEO of HBSC Strategic Services, has a different view on why employees are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars of their own money.

If an employer learns that company equipment is used for non-work related activities, it could be a fireable offense, Hornick says.

For example, if an employee clicks on a bogus email attachment touting details for a free luxurious vacation to the Bahamas and it results in a ransomware attack, the employee may face termination.

"This could be why employees don't want to disclose it and pay the ransom themselves," Hornick says. "It's a double-edged sword because usually employees know their employer wants them to disclose ransomware attacks."

Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents note their employers paid the ransom. The Intermedia report advises companies to inform workers about the possible dangers of dealing with ransomware attackers directly.

The report also advises creating an environment where employees realize there is no shame in becoming a ransomware victim, and that personally paying ransom should never be an option. darkreading.com

Retailers dipping their toes in facial recognition for a better customer experience
Walmart is the latest retailer testing facial recognition technology in an effort to create a better customer experience. Customer experience (CX) expert Brennan Wilkie says that facial recognition will be a key technology moving forward in the personalization of shopping.

"Installing facial recognition monitors in stores has the potential to grant retailers insight into the in-store customer experience," Wilkie, the senior vice president of customer experience strategy at InMoment, told FierceRetail. "They can use it to determine, for example, whether customers are frustrated during self check-out and notify staff to respond with triage, pre-empting complaints and ultimately attrition."

Retailers can then pair the facial expression data with customer demographics, loyalty metrics and other product purchase information, a brand can gain a deep understanding of the consumer.

However, Wilkie warns that Walmart and other retailers will need to be cautious as they test and implement these new tools in order to avoid crossing the line of customer privacy with this new tool. To address this, brands must be transparent about where, when and why they're using this new technology, and of course, offer value in return for this privacy invasion.

There are several other challenges associated with using facial recognition. For example introducing new data when companies are already swimming in Big Data and struggling to derive value from it.

"Having a strong strategy for how to manage, access, analyze and action the information will is paramount," Wilkie said. "Practically, there may be pushback from customers who are uncomfortable with the idea of their in-store actions being not only recorded by facial recognition monitors (often already done for security purposes), but observed and analyzed for business strategy reasons. If retailers can communicate the overall benefits of the technology as they roll it out, any negative feedback should be outweighed by the positive. This strategy has worked well with newly introduced in-store technology, such as self-checkout lines and chip readers, in the past." fierceretail.com

How to Speed Up Your Work by Using Hotkeys

It seems that no one writes with a pen and paper any more. If you're like most, typing has become useful than writing. Here are a few hotkeys to make life easier.

For Windows computers use Ctr + C to copy highlight text. Use Crt + V paste past what's in the clipboard. Ctr + P is to print; Crt + A is to select all; and Ctr+ Z is to undo.

These are just a few hot keys to help make life easier. I will list more hot keys in upcoming Tek Tips.

Worldwide Sweep of Online Pharmacies Ends
With 400 Arrests - 3,500 Online Pharmacies Shut Down
The International Police Organization and regulators and law enforcement from around the world just conducted a major sweep of online pharmacies. Over the course of one week in mid-September, INTERPOL seized more than 25 million illicit and counterfeit medications, or $51 million worth, and made 400 arrests worldwide. It also shut down more than 3,500 illegal online pharmacies, including some selling pain pills laced with fentanyl. Illegal trafficking and abuse of this powerful opioid is killing tens of thousands of teenagers and adults in the United States each year.

In fact, 96 percent of online pharmacies operate illegally, selling drugs without a prescription or distributing counterfeits. This puts the public's health at great risk.

Many of these counterfeit medications fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic. Counterfeiters will turn a few thousand dollars into $10 million by buying fentanyl powder - often purchased from Chinese labs - and a pill press online.

And now some members of Congress are proposing drug importation legislation that would allow Americans to purchase drugs from foreign, unregulated pharmacies. Though it may seem well-intentioned, this proposed legislation ignores the realities of the public health crisis America faces today. If enacted, it will also inevitably increase the number of lives that will be lost. thehill.com

Call Centers Leaving E-Commerce Companies Vulnerable to Breach, Fraud
A new study, aiming to draw attention to the vulnerabilities that exist in call centers, found that even the most fundamental data security best practices are not in force, exposing the companies that use them to an elevated risk of data breach. The survey from U.K.-based technology provider Semafone polled contact center agents around the world and found that 72 percent of those that accept card payments over the phone require customers to read payment card information or Social Security numbers aloud. Thirty percent said they have access to that information even when they are not on the phone with the customer.

Semafone CEO Tim Critchley pointed out that contact center agents are in a bad spot. Many work under conditions that lead to low morale (e.g., 80 percent can't have phones at their workstations, around a third can't have paper, pens, bags or personal items). At the same time, a not insignificant number of them have been contacted by someone that wants them to divulge payment card information. cardnotpresent.com

Mobile devices will account for 73% of internet consumption in 2018

Bringing its e-commerce platform in-house helps GNC grow its online sales by 20% in Q3

Online Sales Could Be Target's Best Bet

Large Scale Fencing Operator Pleads Guilty to Running $1.5M ORC Fencing Operation
A Shelby County, AL, business owner has agreed to plead guilty in the operation of a pawn-shop fencing ring.

The U.S. Attorney's Office filed charges on Monday against 59-year-old Steve Randall Scott. Authorities arrested Scott and more than a dozen of his employees in a sting operation last October.

"These defendants encouraged thieves to bring stolen retail merchandise to their pawn shops to fuel an illicit online business where they sold as much as $1.5 million in stolen goods

According to his plea agreement, Scott owned and operated multiple check-cashing, check advance, title loan, and traditional pawn businesses. The stores employed Sarah Vickers Morrow, 39, of Shelby County, who was arrested on one count of conspiring to transport stolen goods across state lines.

In 2015, Scott allegedly agreed to start taking in items from shoplifters and his employees at the time encouraged shoplifters to bring them new, in-box items from national retailers like Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and Home Depot.

Scott and Vickers would take the items, pay the shoplifters a portion of their value, resell items on Amazon and eBay, and then mail them to locations around the country, according to the release.

U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town tell CBS42 News that Scott's businesses sold as much as $1.5 million in stolen goods. wiat.com

Stolen Credit Card Gang - Walmart Assist - $500,000 Case
Two Cubans, One Nicaraguan Sentenced - Fraudulent Bank Cards
Four Others to Be Sentenced For Their Roles
Elvis Johanny Ortiz Reyes, 34, from Nicaragua, was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $408,596.46 in restitution.

Yaser Moreno, aka "Adrian Perez," 27, from Cuba, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $408,596.46 in restitution.

Norge Mayea, 45, also from Cuba, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $44,497.70 in restitution.

A federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment in August 2016 charging Reyes, Moreno and Mayea, along four others - Jesus Aldana Gutierrez, Roberto Carlos Puebla Saavedra, Ivania Ortiz, aka "Ivania Reyes" and "Lisset Oz," and Yokasta Garcia, aka "Kathy Garcia," for their roles in the scheme.

According to documents filed in the case, from at least August 2014 through July 2016, the defendants obtained lists of credit and debit card numbers belonging to other individuals online. They used the card information to create counterfeit bank cards using devices to encode the cards with the fraudulently obtained account information. The defendants went to various retail stores and purchased prepaid gift cards and shopping cards with the counterfeit cards. The defendants then took those purchased prepaid gift cards and shopping cards to other stores and purchased items, including other gift cards, to further launder the illegally obtained money.

The scheme was discovered after an investigator from JPMorgan Chase observed a large volume of fraudulent transactions being made with unauthorized JPMorgan Chase debit card numbers at Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. JPMorgan Chase's investigator worked with Walmart investigators to collect surveillance footage and conduct surveillance of the defendants engaging in the fraudulent transactions.  justice.gov

Waco, TX: Two arrested, 1 sought in thefts of baby formula;
estimate loss at $30,000
A man and a woman have been arrested and police were looking for a third suspect Monday in connection with an investigation of the theft of tens of thousands of dollars' worth of baby formula from stores here and in North Texas. "It is believed the formula is used to cut various illegal drugs or is sold on the black market," Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said. Victoria Boone, 21, and Steve Young, 41, have been arrested, both on warrants charging engaging in Organized Crime. Javoa Dewayne Brewer, 21, is also wanted in connection with the thefts of Similac powdered baby formula from stores in Waco and other cities including Arlington, Sachse and Coppell. "At this point in the investigations, it is believed that the thefts have resulted in 25 to 30 thousand in property loss to the various store owners," Swanton said. "The amount of loss to our local Waco H-E-Bs alone was about $7,000," he said. kwtx.com

Pleasant Prairie, WI: 5 'Professional Shoplifter' arrested at Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets; hitting 16 stores, nearly $20K in merchandise recovered
Five people police believe are part of a professional shoplifting crew are expected to be charged Thursday after having allegedly hit more than a dozen stores on Saturday. Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana said his department received a call from security personnel at at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday that they believed a group of people were shoplifting at multiple stores. Smetana said police set up surveillance on the suspects' vehicle and stopped that car and another vehicle when they attempted to leave the mall. He said police recovered "booster bags" in the suspects' vehicle. Smetana said items taken from 16 stores at the outlet mall Saturday were "in excess of $19,000 in merchandise." While some shoplifting crews specialize in taking specific merchandise - for instance pricey perfumes - items recovered Saturday included "shoes, clothing and accessories," Smetana said. kenoshanews.com


Fairfield, CT: Bridgeport Shoplifter Caught On Tape At Kohl's; $1,600 in merchandise
A Bridgeport woman faces shoplifting charges after she was seen on surveillance video concealing more than $1,600 in merchandise in a baby stroller at Kohl's Saturday, police said. A loss prevention staffer said Tatiana Garcia, 30, was in the store for almost two hours, using pliers she said she brought from home to cut any security tags off clothing, jewelry and toys valued at $1,612.97, police said. Police said there was no child in the stroller. dailyvoice.com

Longview, WA: Walmart Shoplifter previously banned from store charged with Felony Burglary in repeat offence

Shootings & Deaths

Man Shoots at Girlfriend Inside Hair Cuttery Salon in Owing Mills, MD
Police said they believe the shooting began Sunday afternoon as a domestic dispute between a 42-year-old woman, who was a customer, and her boyfriend. Police said the argument escalated at the store at the Foundry Row Shopping Center. Police said the man returned to the store pointed the gun at an employee, and chased his girlfriend to the back of the store. As she fled through a back door, the man fired several rounds in her direction, police said. The woman was not injured.  wbaltv.com

Seven men accused of 9 armed pawn shop robberies & 1 death in 3 counties
The suspects in January's Little Havana pawn shop robbery that resulted in the fatal shooting of a 65-year-old customer won't face murder charges. Instead, they're three of the seven Miami residents staring at a total of 21 counts of robbery and weapons charges in federal court from nine armed robberies of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach pawn shops between Nov. 15, 2016 and June 20, 2017.  miamiherald.com

Midrand, South Africa: Gunman killed, police wounded in dramatic Kyalami Corner mall shootout
Two policemen were wounded, two suspects arrested and a third suspect was killed in a dramatic shootout at Kyalami Corner in Midrand on Tuesday morning. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said while police officers were conducting a crime prevention operation in Bramley, a group of men hijacked an unmarked police vehicle with the officer inside. They also kidnapped a woman that was walking on the street. The car was later abandoned at Kyalami Corner and the men ran into a Mall, Dlamini said. "When police responded to the incident at the mall, a shootout ensued. The police officer that had been hijacked was shot and a second one was shot in the hand. The woman who had been kidnapped did not sustain any injuries," Dlamini said. news24.com

Shreveport, LA: Catering Company Owner shoots suspect in head after being assaulted
 

Robberies & Thefts

Update: Chelsea, England: 1 of 9 suspects arrested in the Moped Gang Raid on Michael Kors Store
Nine suspects on five bikes were involved in the raid which took place at the Michael Kors store in Duke of York Square in Chelsea back in February. The shocking footage shows one suspect throwing a brick at the window, while another uses a stick to smash it. The remaining suspects kick the window in before running into the shop to remove handbags. Detectives from Kensington and Chelsea have made six arrests in connection with the investigation. A 23-year-old man was subsequently charged with burglary. The other five were released with no further action. Det Con Sam Weller, of Kensington & Chelsea CID, said: "We are appealing to the public to help us identify this gang. lbc.co.uk

Santa Clara, CA: Police Break Up Teen Melee At Great America Halloween Haunt
A group of about 100 juveniles caused fights and stole cellphones from attendees of a Halloween Haunt event at the California's Great America theme park in Santa Clara on Saturday night, a police spokesman said. Police received calls around 10:45 p.m. Saturday reporting cellphone thefts and fights at the park, where more than 20,000 people had gone for haunted mazes and other Halloween-related activities, Santa Clara police Lt. Dan Moreno said. patch.com

Tangipahoa Parish, LA: C-Store employee steals $21K in lottery tickets, Cashing out only $3K in winnings

Clermont, FL: 4 arrested, 2 wanted in CVS Armed Robbery

Durban, South Africa: Armed Gunman again hit Gateway Mall; cash and 71 cell phones
 

Skimming Theft

Venezuelan Skimming Crew Busted in Clarkton, NC with 326 cloned cards and skimming devices
 

Sentencings & Arrests

Augusta, GA: Arrest made in connection with last month's Augusta Mall shooting
The brother of the man wanted in connection to the shooting at Augusta mall has been arrested. Travis Sloans Junior is being charged with harboring or concealing a fugitive. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office is still looking for 19 year old Travele Sloans. He is considered a suspect in the shooting that happened in the parking lot at Augusta Mall at the end of September. wjbf.com

Decatur Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Circle K & Murder of Co-Conspirator

Armed Robber Sentenced 33 Yr's in Newport News, Va., for 5 c-store robberies in a 10-hour period

Mobile, AL: Arrest made in gas station murder
 

Arson & Fire

Manchester, NJ: 2nd fire at shopping center in month deemed suspicious
 

Counterfeit

Oro Valley, AZ: Father and son plead Guilty to Pirating movies;
over 700 illegal downloads
A father and son pleaded guilty to numerous felony charges involving movie pirating in August. Oscar Rogelio Torres Sr. and Jr. were sentenced to probation and had to pay thousands of dollars in restitution. Police said the incident unfolded six months earlier when officers made a routine traffic stop. Police said 26-year old Oscar Rogelio Torres Jr. was driving on a suspended license, and also had multiple warrants for his arrest. Video from officer worn cameras showed OVPD talking to him, opening the trunk of his vehicle, and that's when they discovered over 700 illegally downloaded movies. Officers contacted Homeland Security Investigations and served a search warrant at the home where Torres was living. Agents found computers, and laptops, disc burning drives, and over 500 DVD's and ledgers of movies sold. kvoa.com
 

Cargo Theft

Up to 16 Attacks per day on Freight Train Cargo in Southern Mexico
A dramatic increase in the number of attacks on freight trains in southern Mexico and near the Port of Veracruz - from a handful of incidents each month to as many as 16 per day - are driving some customers away, Ferromex says. joc.com

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Mentorships: Making an Impact, Adding Value
 

First Time Mentor? Here are 4 Ways to Make an Impact on Your Mentees  Having a mentor is how most leaders got through the hard days and achieved their success, so when someone reaches out to you for mentorship, it's an opportunity to give back what was given to you. Here's how to make a difference as a first time mentor. Challenge through inspiration

7 Tips for Being a Good Mentor
Some may think that mentoring is all about the mentee, but mentors play a vital role in whether the relationship is successful or not. While mentees do most of the work, mentors lead them in the right directions, and without that goals wouldn't be met. Here's how to be a good mentor, in just 7 steps. Give more than you ask for

Why Finding a Mentor Will Be the Best Decision You Ever Make  Mentorships are essential if you want to grow quickly and navigate the career journey that's in front of you successfully. Don't over-think finding a mentor, just get out there, meet people and ask for introductions. It's easier than you think. Here are some tips to help make the process easier. Think differently

The Value of Mentorship in Building a Successful Career  The trusted advice of a mentor can often be key to helping lead us to a promised career or new role, allowing us to rise to our potential or learning valuable lessons. Mentorships don't just fall in place, especially for women, so check out what Johnson & Johnson is doing to change that, and the value of having a mentor. Ignite the power

Knowing the basic interview questions is one thing. Having the answers is another. What's more important is communicating openly and honestly in a professional manner that shows thought, vision and your business knowledge. Try to apply your background to the interviewer's business and how you can impact it and add value. The key to a successful interview is bridging the gap between your background and the prospective employer's company and needs. Preparation-preparation-preparation!

Just a Thought,
Gus

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