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Moving Up
Sponsored by Agilence
 

Joe Guzzone promoted to Senior Regional LP Director for J Crew
Joe was previously a Regional LP Manager for the retailer and has been working for them since 2003 when he started as a Store Manager. He's held a variety of positions throughout his 14 years there, including LP Analyst and District LP Manager. Congratulations Joe!

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions
or New Position
 


News Brief
Sponsored by WG Security Products, Inc.
 

Finalists Announced: 2018 (R)Tech Asset Protection Innovation Awards

Nine Companies Recognized for Innovative Solutions to Total Retail Loss

​The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the trade association for the world's largest and most innovative retail companies, announced 9 finalists for the 2018 (R)Tech Asset Protection Innovation Awards. The Awards showcase game-changing technologies that mitigate total retail loss and recognizes visionary companies that are developing these solutions.

Finalists were identified by a group of AP technology experts and the winners, including first, second and third place, and retailers' choice, will be announced live from the main stage at the 2018 Retail Asset Protection Conference, April 29 – May 2 in Orlando, Florida.

"Like asset protection executives, solution providers are looking for ways to be relevant in today's retail environment and influence how the industry solves its most pressing problems. Innovation inspires progress," said Lisa LaBruno, RILA's senior vice president of retail operations. "The Innovation Awards are a chance for retailers to single out cutting-edge technology and recognize those companies spurring innovation for the benefit of the retail AP industry. We look forward to showcasing these technologies in Orlando."

2018 (R)Tech Asset Protection: Innovation Awards finalists are:

ALTO T+Ink
Axis Communications Verkada
Deep Science Iovation
LiveSafe Genetec
Profitect  

Last year's winners can be found here. For more information, visit the awards homepage.
 


RICO Class Action Filed Against Walmart, Bloomingdales, and Other Leading Retailers By Block & Leviton LLP
Block & Leviton LLP announced today that it has filed a nationwide class action lawsuit against Walmart, Bloomingdales, DSW, Burlington, and other leading retailers (the "Retailer Defendants") asserting, on behalf of its clients, claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO"). The suit alleges that the Retailer Defendants have participated in a long-running racketeering scheme with a Utah company, Corrective Education Company ("CEC"), which operates a program that a California court recently described as "textbook extortion." The case was filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of California and is captioned Doe v. Walmart, et al., No. 5:18-cv-02125 (N.D. Cal.).

The lawsuit alleges that the Retailer Defendants have been detaining people at their stores, accusing them of shoplifting, and then offering a choice: pay $400 to $500 to CEC or be reported to criminal authorities.

"This case is intended to prove that we are all equal under the law," said Block & Leviton partner, Jason Leviton. "Our country's racketeering and extortion laws apply with equal force whether you're a common street hoodlum or one of the Harvard MBAs who founded CEC. We're trying to stop these illegal shakedowns and get compensation for victims."

For more information or to view a copy of the complaint, please visit http://www.blockesq.com/cec. digitaljournal.com
 

Walmart, Other Retailers Face Class Action From Accused Shoplifters
Retailers across the nation are being sued for using a “corrective education” program that is tantamount to extortion, a class of accused shoplifters claim in federal court.

The Utah-based Corrective Education Company calls it restorative justice. But the three lead plaintiffs, anonymously named in the complaint, call it a shakedown.

“Defendants are not small-time Mafia thugs,” the lawsuit says. “They do not break kneecaps; they do not torch storefronts. Many of the nation’s leading corporations number are among the Retailer Defendants. The individual defendants include graduates of the Harvard Business School, the University of Oxford, and Brigham Young University. But despite their glittering credentials, Defendants are all participants in a long-running, highly profitable extortion scheme that has extracted millions of dollars from thousands of poor, desperate people across the country. And RICO applies, with equal force, to street hoodlums and Harvard MBAs alike.”

The class action complaint lists Bloomingdale’s, DSW, Walmart Inc., Kroger, Abercrombie & Fitch, and CEC founders Darrell Huntsman, Glen Bingham, Brian Ashton, and executives Jeffrey Mitchell, Jeff Powers, Chris Cotrell, Richard Haddrill, Tim Hickey and Jeff Stringer as defendants.

About 20,000 people are known to have gone through the CEC program since 2015.

While Fleming noted that this is the first class action of its kind, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued to block the company from contracting with retailers, seeking civil penalties and restitution for extortion and false imprisonment. In 2017, the city won an injunction, with state court Judge Harold Kahn finding the CEC program runs afoul of California extortion laws.

“This is textbook extortion under California law, and has been so declared for at least 125 years,” Kahn wrote in his ruling last year. courthousenews.com

STANLEY Security Announces Partnership with Shooter Detection Systems
STANLEY Security, a leading global manufacturer and integrator of comprehensive security solutions for a wide range of industries, announces a partnership with Shooter Detection Systems LLC (SDS), the industry’s leading gunshot detection solutions provider. As an authorized dealer, STANLEY Security is now certified to sell, install and service SDS products and services.

The SDS Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System combines acoustic gunshot identification software with infrared gunfire flash detection for a fully automated gunshot detection and alerting solution. The Guardian System immediately detects gunshots and simultaneously alerts building occupants and first responders within one second and with zero false alerts.

“We understand the importance of having a fully comprehensive security system, including gunshot detection, and we are committed to this technology and all the individuals, campuses and businesses it can help to keep safe,” said Brad McMullen, Vice President Marketing and Product Solutions, STANLEY Security. “Being able to activate an alert and notify emergency personnel in near real-time during a crisis situation is critical. Additionally, integrating this technology with video management and access control systems can provide our customers with more robust incident response plans.” Read more here.

OpenEye Announces High Definition Analog Hybrid Recorder
OpenEye will release their new hybrid network video recorder this month at the ISC West tradeshow for users who want to migrate existing analog installations to OpenEye Web Services (OWS) without the labor or expense of upgrading their existing infrastructure to IP. The new OpenEye MA-Series Hybrid NVR allows users to use the existing coaxial cable and cameras in place at a customer site, drastically reducing the cost to move legacy installs to the OWS platform and adding the ability to add IP cameras over time. openeye.net

Checkpoint Systems’ Mini NeedleLok Theft Solution Tag Widens Range of Retail Shrink Applications
Checkpoint Systems, a leading global supplier of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), RFID solutions and Alpha High-Theft Solutions for the retail industry, today added a new member to the NeedleLok high-theft solution family that protects fine garments without leaving a pin hole – Mini NeedleLok.

NeedleLok protects delicate fabric clothing, such as intimates as well as light and thin fabric garments, where a normal hard-tag and pin would leave a damaging hole in the merchandise. As a single-piece solution, the NeedleLok provides easier application and removal and improves the overall safety by covering the needle when not in use.

According to Stuart Rosenthal, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Checkpoint’s Alpha High-Theft Solutions, “The Mini NeedleLok widens the range of applications to also include protection for merchandise with straps, such as dresses, bathing suits, lingerie, handbags and backpacks, which were previously difficult to tag without damaging.”

The Mini NeedleLok is available in either AM or RF technology. businesswire.com

The Unstoppable Convergence Between Physical and Cybersecurity
A combination of cyber and physical defense is not only inevitable, but can make enterprise security stronger
The issue has been around for more than a decade. But it has only been in the last few years that the networked enablement of everyday business functions has forced enterprises to embrace the fact that physical security and cybersecurity must be treated in a unified manner.

But why haven’t companies been able to converge? The problem has been the actual implementation of a converged security solution. Because physical and logical security systems have had little in common on any level, integrating them was seen as a costly and complex proposition.

Due to the fast pace of technology in our personal and professional lives, convergence is an unstoppable reality, and a necessity for any enterprise to successfully mitigate security risks. IT departments at the end user level are getting more involved as the number of connected security devices expands and the rapid growth of video data and managing access control systems and video analytics continues to grow. In fact, at last year’s ISC West show, IT companies exhibited alongside physical security manufacturers.

The physical security world is becoming increasingly IP-enabled – IMS Research estimates that about 22 billion devices overall will be internet-connected by 2020 – it’s really just a matter of time before most companies consider convergence. But before any enterprise can realize the potential gains – like cost savings and efficiency – it must sort out any power struggles and turf wars. Because the modern design of IP networks means that they can encompass business critical systems alongside security video and other security systems that enable physical access to a facility. securitymagazine.com

Customer service centers as fraud resource
Customer service centers can be very valuable resources for fraud prevention and detection, if they are accepted and recognised as such.

Understanding how call centers are involved in fraud will help to develop a better set-up of fraud prevention and detection measurement. While customer service centers will not provide all answers for the complex fraud problem, they can provide some answers as they are a part of long, diverse and multi-dimensional fraud chain.
 
The structure and functionality of customer service centers make them a unique place that link a variety of people, organizations, companies and financial institutions and can be considered as a hub for information exchange between customer service representatives and others. The publicly available contact details and convenient ways of reaching out to the customer services are not only used by customers but also those who look for a first contact regarding fraud.

As a result of customer service infrastructure and roles of customer service representatives, they get indirectly involved into many fraud-related issues and develop knowledge that can be fairly useful in understanding fraud in a better way. However, to do so, there needs to be a stronger cooperation between customer service centers and fraud-related departments or key decision-makers. professionalsecurity.co.uk

Ethical Values Trump Compliance Checklists
A survey of around 400 ethics, compliance and legal professionals by ethics and compliance services firm LRN Corp. found 38% said their organization's leaders sanction or penalize senior-level top performers who engage in misconduct. Forty-three percent said their leaders consider ethics and compliance factors when making business and planning decisions, while 49% said senior leaders take responsibility and action following a compliance failure.

"A year ago, the [U.S.] Department of Justice refocused ethics and compliance programs on outcomes, not procedures. Our new research demonstrates clearly that, when it comes to meeting the 2017 DOJ criteria, programs focused on values outperform those based primarily on checklists and rules," said Susan Divers, a senior advisor at LRN. "The new emphasis on results is especially timely as sexual harassment scandals continue to erupt in companies with programs that may well have codes of conduct and reporting procedures, but apparently lack traction in preventing and dealing with actual misconduct." wsj.com

How Video Management Systems Can Open the Door to Bigger Budgets
As surveillance cameras’ chipsets become more advanced and high-end systems become more affordable, security leaders have access to wider ranges of effective analytics within their surveillance systems. “Effective” is a key word here. While analytics have been in play for several years now, they have not always been reliable and they were often difficult to use. Due to improvements at the camera level and the video management level, whole enterprises – not just security – can find value in video surveillance investments. securitymagazine.com

YouTube Shooting Puts a Focus on Workplace Security
The shooting last week at the headquarters of YouTube, a Google-owned company, has highlighted the security risks of Silicon Valley's relatively open corporate campuses - particularly as tech companies' expanding influence angers more people online.

But the risk is not confined to the tech sector. Many companies across the country are similarly exposed, reflecting an open-door policy that for generations has pervaded corporate America, where safety training has long focused on fire drills, earthquake-sheltering procedures and accident cleanup.

A sharp increase in mass shootings over the past two decades has made companies increasingly nervous about gun violence from disgruntled workers and customers. nytimes.com
 
Okla. Tribe Says Retailers, Drug Companies Played Major Role In Opioid Abuse
Walmart, Purdue Pharma LP, McKesson Corp., CVS Health Corp. and other drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies have played a major role in worsening opioid abuse among tribe members, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation alleged in a complaint filed in Oklahoma federal court Tuesday.

The federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which is one of the largest in the United States, said Purdue and Endo Health Solutions Inc., as the manufacturers of opioids, "have engaged, and continue to engage, in a massive marketing campaign to misstate and conceal the risks of treating chronic pain with opioids."

Meanwhile, opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. and pharmacies CVS, Walmart and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. have "routinely and continuously violated" their legal obligations to fight the diversion of opioids, the tribe said in its complaint.

There are now hundreds of suits making allegations against drug manufacturers and distributors over opioids, which have since been consolidated into multidistrict litigation in Ohio. law360.com

“A crime wave that is systemically sweeping across the country”
New Iowa law intended to combat 'skimming' at fuel pumps

Specifically, HF2199 clarifies it is a felony offense to obtain information encoded on a payment card without permission. Offenders would face up to five years in prison and a fine from $750 to $7,500. “In the last two years in Iowa there has been a fivefold increase in the amount of skimmers being placed at gas pumps, convenience stores and ATMs."

The new law also creates a criminal offense to cover instances when a person possesses a scanning device with the intent to obtain information encoded on a payment car without permission from the user, the issuer, or a merchant. Violators would face up to two years behind bars and a fine of $650 to $6,250. landlinemag.com

Dallas, TX: Army & Air Force Exchange Service Salutes Vietnam Veterans with Custom Truck Design
To thank Vietnam Veterans for their selfless sacrifices, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor Veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war. dvidshub.net

 

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Solutions Spotlight
 

Cash management technology helps deter internal cash theft

Part 2 of 2 - Read Part 1 here

By Dave Lunn, Group Sales & Marketing Director, Tellermate


It’s sad but true: Retailers worldwide lose millions of dollars in cash profits each year because of employee theft. Stealing cash is potentially the perfect crime because you’ve trained employees to know the ins and outs of – and inadvertently the holes in – your cash handling processes.

Although most of your staff members don’t steal from you, one who does is one too many. And if this employee steals money, they likely steal merchandise, too. But let’s focus on cash loss and some common ways internal thieves can make your money disappear…

Building the bank is a catch-all phrase for “building up” the amount of cash in the drawer in order to steal the excess later. This is done in a number of ways:

Shortchanging a customer. This happens when a dishonest employee rings a discounted price but charges the full amount.

Coin stacking. An employee might have a smattering of loose coins near – but not in – the register. Seven pennies=seven unaccounted-for $1 bills; Five nickels=five $5 bills, and so on. This cashier might use coins or another kind of “marker,” such as paperclips, straws or even M&M’s.

Printing extra receipts. This happens when a restaurant, for example, offers a daily special. Let’s say it costs a customer $10. The first patron who pays in cash presents an opportunity for the employee to ring up this order, print the receipt along with numerous duplicate receipts. When subsequent customers pay with cash, they are given a receipt but the transaction is never entered into the register.

Excessive voids and no-sales. Either of these two should set off red flags. Perhaps real sales are being voided or the register is being opened – without a sale – several times during a shift.

Other methods of building the bank exist; but they all have at least one thing in common. The thief is storing but not recording cash intake in order to swipe it later.

Retail technology, in the form of an intelligent cash drawer system, can prevent building the bank and other forms of theft – and even honest cash-related mistakes.

Tellermate’s LiveDrawer solution includes the hardware: an intelligent cash drawer – LiveDrawer; as well as the software – LiveDrawer Manager to help you eliminate cash loss at the source. This count-by-weight solution reconciles cash in the drawer against your point of sale (POS) system in real-time – meaning you’ll get a real-time picture of the physical cash in your drawer. If a cash handling mistake occurs, or an employee pockets a $20 bill, you’ll get an instant alert allowing you to pinpoint this loss.

If a cashier places cash in the register with the intent to take it later, the system flags this discrepancy as well. In fact, it records each transaction down to the cashier, transaction time and even receipt, lane and store number. Regardless of whether you are on site or remote, you know where your cash is at all times.

The entire LiveDrawer suite can be integrated with an intelligent safe and your POS – giving you full visibility of the cash in your stores at all times and from anywhere.

Even if you think your manual, legacy cash management system works fine, think again. Chances are, your employees are savvy and could very well take advantage of old-school, lax, or even a lack of cash handling procedures. Right now. After all, you wouldn’t have hired them if you didn’t think they were smart.





How to Use Security to Drive Sales
The Value of Your Security Story

Security professionals are seen as technical risk managers tasked with prevention instead of growth, compliance in place of strategy, and technical point solutions instead of culture change. As a result, security is seen as a cost center; at best, it’s a necessary expense that needs to be minimized. That leaves most security teams undervalued, underutilized and misaligned with stakeholder vision.

If you think your job as the CISO or CSO is to be the guardian of your organization’s data or infrastructure, think again – that is just the beginning.

Your job is to be the curator and custodian of the organization’s security story. Your security story is the sum of all the ways your company defends assets, meets compliance and market criteria, implementing the right technologies that keep these said valuable assets safe.

The foundation of a strong security story emerges when a business can answer the following questions:

● How much revenue has our security team helped drive to close? How has the security story increased upfront sales or market access, or helped to defend annual recurring revenue (ARR)?
● How have other teams in your ecosystem worked more efficiently and more effectively with fewer security defects at source?
● Which of our stakeholders know how our security story satisfies their specific requirements and criteria?
● Can you show how each and every tooling decision aligns to either market requirement, client specification, contract commitment or insurability criteria (or all four)?

A good security story is built with input from multiple internal departments, so it is relevant for all potential stakeholders.

The security story has a major impact on sales operations. A good security story breeds trust in the supply chain, opens up new market opportunities, shortens sales cycles, increases upstream and downstream assurance, and ensures that the sales team doesn’t get road blocked by concerns around how data and assets will be protected. A company could get by with a good operations story in the past – or a good marketing story, or even a good finance story – nobody today gets by without a good security story. securitymagazine.com

Organized Crime Gangs Behind 50% of Cyber Attacks
Verizon 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report: Ransomware still a Top Cybersecurity Threat

Ransomware attacks are a key cybersecurity threat for global organizations, warns Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). Ransomware is the most common type of malware, found in 39 percent of malware-related data breaches – double that of last year’s DBIR – and accounts for more than 700 incidents. What’s more, Verizon’s analysis show that attacks are now moving into business critical systems, which encrypt file servers or databases, inflicting more damage and commanding bigger ransom requests.

DBIR analysis also flags a shift in how social attacks, such as financial pretexting and phishing, are used. Attacks such as these, which continue to infiltrate organizations via employees, are now increasingly a departmental issue. Analysis shows that Human Resource (HR) departments across multiple verticals are now being targeted in a bid to extract employee wage and tax data, so criminals can commit tax fraud and divert tax rebates.

The human factor continues to be a key weakness: Employees are still falling victim to social attacks.

Financial pretexting targets HR: Pretexting incidents have increased over five times since the 2017 DBIR, with 170 incidents analyzed this year (compared to just 61 incidents in the 2017 DBIR).

Phishing attacks cannot be ignored: While on average 78 percent of people did not fail a phishing test last year, 4 percent of people do for any given phishing campaign.

DDoS attacks are everywhere: DDoS attacks can impact anyone and are often used as camouflage, often being started, stopped and restarted to hide other breaches in progress.

Most attackers are outsiders: One breach can have multiple attackers and we found the following: 72 percent of attacks were perpetrated by outsiders, 27 percent involved internal actors, 2 percent involved partners and 2 percent feature multiple partners. Organized crime groups still account for 50 percent of the attacks analyzed. securitymagazine.com

Companies hit by payments data breaches step up security efforts
Customer Friction Concerns Decreases 23%

Payments security is becoming a priority among companies, especially those that have been victimized by a data breach.

More than 70% of organizations that experienced payments data theft intend to increase their payments technology investments in 2018, according to the “2018 Global Payments Insight Survey: Bill Pay Services,” from ACI Worldwide.

According to the study, one in five organizations has experienced payments data theft over the past 12 months, and 36% of organizations across all industries believe they are at a greater risk of data breach than a year ago. Meanwhile, 44% agreed with the view that: “My company would not invest in fraud solutions that add friction to the customer experience.” This sentiment is down from 57% a year ago.

The good news is that more than 80% of organizations that have been impacted by a data breach have introduced a new security framework, especially those related to protecting digital payments. For example, 79% of companies have reduced employee access to customer data.

Another way that companies are fighting back is with real-time payments. In fact, 80% of organizations believe real-time payments will bring cost savings, a jump from 48% the prior year. Meanwhile, 77% believe that real-time will bring improvements in their customer service.

Seventy two percent of respondents expect to move more of their organizations’ payment software into the cloud in the future, an increase of nearly 20% from last year. This reinforces a strong uplift in the popularity of cloud.

Mobile-optimized electronic bills are the biggest current development area, with just under half (49%) of all organizations currently adding new capabilities. Payments from a mobile-optimized website (46%) and text message (42%) are also popular payment methods in development.

Nearly 30% of organizations are developing voice payment features for consumers to trigger payments, with a further 19% are interested in exploring this area in the future, according to the study.

“Security has clearly become a focus for organizations as it relates to billing and payments, and with good reason,” said Steve Kramer, VP, ACI Worldwide.

“The potential reputational and financial costs that could be incurred because of a breach are a major concern,” he added. “Organizations must protect themselves with advanced technologies, such as point-to-point encryption, tokenization and a private cloud.” chainstoreage.com

Unpatched Vulnerabilities the Source of Most Data Breaches
Nearly 60% of organizations that suffered a data breach in the past two years cite as the culprit a known vulnerability for which they had not yet patched.

Half of organizations in a new Ponemon Institute study conducted on behalf of ServiceNow say they were hit with one or more data breaches in the past two years, and 34% say they knew their systems were vulnerable prior to the attack. The study surveyed nearly 3,000 IT professionals worldwide on their patching practices.

Patching software security flaws by now should seem like a no-brainer for organizations, yet most organizations still struggle to keep up with and manage the process of applying software updates. "Detecting and prioritizing and getting vulnerabilities solved seems to be the most significant thing an organization can do [to prevent] getting breached," says Piero DePaoli, senior director of marketing at ServiceNow, of the report. darkreading.com

Ransomware Up for Businesses, Down for Consumers in Q1
Ransomware, spyware, and cryptomining were the biggest enterprise threats during an otherwise quiet quarter for malware, researchers report.

Cybercriminals go where the money is, and these days the money is in cryptomining. Researchers detected a 28% increase in cryptomining malware among enterprise victims in the first quarter of 2018, during which "virtually all other malware was on the decline."

The data comes from Malwarebytes' Cybercrime Tactics and Techniques: Q1 2018 report, which pulls intel and statistics from consumer and business products between January and March 2018. Cryptomining, ransomware, and spyware were the biggest threats to business targets.

Ransomware dropped 35% among consumers but continued to be a problem for businesses, where detections are up but overall attack volume remains low. "It seems like there's been more and more activity pushing ransomware to businesses, where I believe the return on investment is worth it," says Kujawa.

Attacks on businesses, that's where the money really comes from," he says. "Businesses don't have the option to say, 'I can go without those pictures.' They have to protect customer data."

"Ransomware won't return to its former glory," Kujawa predicts. "But I don't think it's ever going to vanish completely." darkreading.com

More than one in 10 employees fall for social engineering attacks


Tom's Tek Tip
by Tom Meehan, CFI
Sponsored by Controltek
 

How to Make Text Easier to Read
on Your Computer

As laptops get smaller and lighter you may find that text is becoming harder to read. Here are two quick keyboard shortcuts to zoom in. To adjust the size of a web page simply do this on your keyboard: press CTRL and the + or - key to zoom in or out (on PC’s), or COMMAND and the + or - key (on the Mac).



Intelligent Video.
What's Your Store Showing You?

Network surveillance technologies continue to revolutionize the way retail professionals work with not just loss prevention, but also with store optimization, operational efficiencies, and enhancements to the overall customer experience. Hedgie Bartol, Retail Business Development Manager for Axis Communications, tells us how new advancements in intelligent devices and deep learning technology can provide business intelligence that helps LP/AP professionals drive results beyond shrink, safety, and security.
 


Learn about WG Security's
'Undefeatable' EAS Tags

Ed Wolfe, Vice President of Business Development for WG Security, tells us how WG has reduced shrink in some high-theft stores by up to 60% and why EAS technology is still a strong deterrent to shoplifting.  
 

Miss an episode? Catch all our "Live in NYC" 2018 videos here.

Get involved in our next broadcast in June at NRF Protect in Dallas.
Contact us!




e-commerce
Sponsored by The Zellman Group

Can Amazon and its marketplace rivals fix their fake stuff problem?
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Marketplaces Counterfeit Fight

Counterfeiting could soon be a $1 trillion criminal enterprise. As fakes proliferate online, the government is taking notice and brands are taking their arguments public — and to court.

Counterfeits are a booming business. Trade in pirated and counterfeited intellectual property accounted for $461 billion in 2013, or about 2.5% of all trade, according to the International Trademark Association. By 2020, the figure could reach nearly $1 trillion, the association said. (For comparison, the entire global apparel industry is currently worth about $3 trillion in sales, according to FashionUnited Group.) retaildive.com

Alibaba Invests in Chinese Facial-Recognition Startup
It underscores the e-commerce company’s move into businesses that use artificial intelligence.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba is leading a $600 million funding round in SenseTime Group Ltd.,
which makes surveillance systems using facial recognition for law enforcement and commercial applications.

Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial Services Group has developed a mobile-payment system based on facial recognition, and Alibaba is also using AI to develop so-called smart cities where technology is used to dispatch police, speed traffic flow and regulate other public services. wsj.com


Worried About Online Scammers? Robots Can Help
Shopping online at North Face is one thing, though, but trolling Craigslist for deals is another. Classified sites face unique challenges that other e-Commerce sites don’t, and AI just doesn’t work the same on one as it does on the other. A company selling its own products controls an item’s metadata from the beginning.

Classifieds, on the other hand, rely on unstructured, user-generated input. An AI algorithm looking to understand classifieds listings must be able to understand the natural language of users (read: full sentences, not preset tags) or identify and categorize items based on pictures alone. As classifieds platforms don’t have much control over who posts, AI must also filter out spam listings jam-packed with keywords put up by shady sellers. It’s a big task for any algorithm to take on, no matter how well-trained it is.

When it comes to shifty or fraudulent users, AI will be able to use the full extent of data that classifieds apps and sites have in order to study user behavior, not just the end result (the listing or article). To detect fraud, for instance, our company uses machine learning to study the way “good” users behave on our platform, from the start of the listing process all the way to the final listing, and detect anomalies that might indicate a user is “bad.” This is in contrast to the way many apps and sites are currently using large teams of offline content moderators to recategorize incorrect listings, remove duplicates and remove spam. retailtouchpoints.com

"Fraud is not a person - it is a dynamic grouping of statistics that deviate from the norm."
Stuart B. Levine, CFI, CFCI
CEO, The Zellman Group & Zelligent





ORC News

Monroe, WA: Police arrest pawn shop owner over purchases of stolen goods Hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise seized
Monroe Police estimate pawn shop owner Samvel Grigoryan took hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen goods, and he remains under investigation for first-degree attempted trafficking of stolen property, however, charges have not yet been filed.

Law enforcement raided NW Gold Buyers and found thousands of dollars worth of new tools, bottles and bottles of dietary supplements, gift cards, allergy medicines, pregnancy tests and hair loss treatments, according to the warrant.

A large cardboard box containing Allegra was valued at nearly $6,000 by itself. There were dozens more to be filled. The evidence is valued at around $70,000, and investigators believe Grigoryan took in thousands more in stolen merchandise during the two-year investigation. monroemonitor.com

Three apprehended in connection with Coventry Mall thefts; hitting nearly a dozen stores
Three women were taken into custody Saturday night at the Coventry Mall after police received information about a theft in progress. Authorities were responding to an alert for a vehicle with Virginia plates whose occupants reportedly stole thousands of dollars worth of goods from the Limerick Outlets. Five people were stopped by police while allegedly trying to flee. The three women were apprehended, and two others — a man and a woman — were questioned by police, then allowed to go on their way. Police said at least three “Booster Bags” were used by the trio to bypass security devices in the stores. A witness at the scene observed merchandise from approximately a dozen stores. pottsmerc.com

Moline, IL: Two suspects wanted after allegedly stealing $3,500 worth of merchandise from Moline Walmart
Two people are wanted out of Moline after officials say they stole over $3,500 worth of merchandise from a Walmart in Moline. On Saturday, February 10, three suspects entered the Walmart and left through an emergency exit with 3-4 stolen duffle bags full of electronics. kwqc.com

Champaign, IL: Wanted: Info on four women behind Kohl's theft
Champaign County Crime Stoppers is asking for the public's help finding the women responsible for stealing several thousand dollars worth of merchandise from a Champaign store. At about 9 p.m. March 29, four women entered Kohl's on Convenience Center Road, stole the items then left in what was believed to be a white, late model Ford sport utility vehicle. news-gazette.com

Upland, CA: 2 arrested on suspicion of stealing car and $1,500 of Walmart merchandise
A traffic stop by Claremont Police officers resulted in recovery of a vehicle that Riverside Police had reported stolen – plus merchandise including pet flea and tick treatments, memory cards and video games and controllers that a Walmart in Upland said had recently been stolen from the store. Both men had several prior convictions for theft-related crimes and two outstanding warrants. dailybulletin.com

Fort Lauderdale, FL: Man arrested for Orchestrating "Top-Shelf" Liquor thefts throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties; over $1,000
Curtis Plummer Jr., 39, was arrested Thursday on charges of organized fraud and aggravated grand retail theft. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said, Plummer stole more than $1,000 worth of liquor from various stores since January, including two thefts from the Total Wine in Wellington. In each of the thefts, the same man entered the store and walked out without paying for the booze. The man was accompanied by a different accomplice each time. local10.com

Logan, UT: Police seeking 2 suspects in multiple store thefts; over $1,000
Authorities said two people are accused of stealing $1,000 of merchandise from at least two stores in the Logan area. Police a third person may have been with the pair during the alleged theft. fox13now.com

UK: Dewsbury, England: Alcoholic used foil-lined bag to steal bottles of vodka from Asda; 68 prior charges



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Shootings, Stabbings & Deaths

Albuquerque, NM: Arrest made in stabbing death inside Albertsons
An arrest has been made in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man at a South Valley grocery store on Saturday. Lucas Herron, 27, is charged with murder and tampering with evidence after deputies say he stabbed 48-year-old Daniel Sandoval to death during an altercation at the Albertsons at Rio Bravo and Isleta SW. The stabbing happened around 3 p.m. after Herron thought Sandoval was challenging him to a fight in the parking lot. Herron then allegedly waited for Sandoval inside the grocery store with a concealed knife. Herron confronted Sandoval when he entered the grocery store, and a fight broke out. During the fight, Herron allegedly pulled out the knife and stabbed Sandoval once in the chest before fleeing. abqjournal.com

National City, CA: Man shot and killed outside 7-Eleven, 2nd killing at that location in 2 weeks
A man was killed in an early-morning shooting outside a 7-Eleven in National City on Sunday. At 4:52 a.m., 911 calls began coming in reporting the sound of gunshots. Officers headed to the scene and found a 55-year-old man with a gunshot wound. Paramedics took the man to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he later died. It's the second killing outside the same 7-Eleven in two weeks. On March 27, a body was found near the store after gunfire was reported in the area. cbs8.com


Robberies & Thefts

Lawyer suspended for stealing from her employer while working retail at Kohl’s
A Florida lawyer has been suspended by the state Supreme Court until further order for stealing $760 while working as a Kohl’s employee. The suspension of Jacqueline Kinsella, a 2014 graduate of Barry University law school who lives in Central Florida, was announced in the latest Florida Bar discipline report and began March 17. Kinsella pleaded no contest to petit theft and received a year’s probation. miamiherald.com

Monroe, LA: JCPenney employee accused of stealing nearly $3K
An employee at JCPenney has been arrested after being accused of stealing nearly $3,000 in fraudulent transactions. Decarius Franklin, 20 of Monroe, was arrested Sunday. Monroe Police Officers responded to JCPenney at Pecanland Mall making contact with JC Penney Loss Prevention who said DeCarius Franklin, an employee at JCPenny, made 38 fraudulent transactions and received more than $2,968.00 in returned cash. Officers said Franklin admitted to the theft. myarklamiss.com

Fairfax, DE: Delaware State Police seek assistance in locating $2,300 Panera Bread embezzler
A Delaware State Police investigation has discovered that a Panera Bread employee from the Concord Pike restaurant in Fairfax has allegedly embezzled over $2,300. Yasser Wolf , 36, has been stealing from the location's register and conducted over 150 fraudulent refund transactions between October of 2017 and January of 2018, said state police. wdel.com

Champaign, IL: 53% spike in Property crime prompts for designated Police unit
In 2016, 2,981 property crimes were reported in Champaign, which increased by 53 percent from the previous year, according to the Champaign Police Department. In Illinois, 262,306 property crimes were reported in 2016, according to the Disaster Center, and 7,919,035 property crimes were reported in the U.S., according to the FBI. Both the Disaster Center and the FBI have not released the statistics for 2017. dailyillini.com

Star Valley, UT: Man wanted in pharmacy break-in arrested after crime spree in Utah; shooting out windows of an area High School

Las Vegas, NV: Police search for suspect in Metro PCS store robbery

Johnson County, MO: Man charged with hiding cellphone, taking photos in Forever 21 at Oak Park Mall


Skimming Thefts

Punta Gorda, FL: 2 juveniles arrested as part of $40,000 credit card skimming ring
A nationwide criminal investigation, involving the Secret Service, led to two arrests in Southwest Florida. The two young men arrested were part of an organized crime syndicate, specializing in card skimming, that's stolen nearly $40,000.

The fake card was dinged at the Circle K, where police found the two juveniles with cash, multiple gift cards, and a rental car. The two told police they were part of an organized crime syndicate that created fake credit cards, and gift cards, by using the card information they stole from ATMs where they installed card skimmers. In total, 288 bank accounts have been hacked, and $38,000 has been stolen. abc-7.com

Harvey, LA: Cuban skimming trio admits to credit card skimming scheme
Prosecutors in Louisiana say three Cuban nationals have admitted that they agreed together and with others to obtain credit and debit card numbers that had been skimmed from gas pumps. NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports the men, who had been residing in Texas before their arrest, traveled to locations in Louisiana, where skimmers were previously installed and returned to Texas. They would then return to Louisiana with counterfeit access devices, which they used to make purchases as a local merchant. tribtown.com

Tampa, FL: Police arrest man in major skimming operation

Madison, WI: Florida Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Fraud Scheme Involving Gas Pump Skimmers

Washington County, IL: Two KY men arrested for placing skimmer on gas pump

Dallas, TX: Man seen installing ATM device to steal card information at gas station

Davie, FL: Gas station clerk spots men putting skimmer on pump

Lafayette, LA: Two men arrested for skimming credit card info

Perry, IA: Card-skimmers target Perry gas stations


Sentencings & Charges

(Update) Ontario, CA: Sam's Club explosion suspect formally charged with attempted murder, arson
Prosecutors on Monday formally charged a man with eight criminal counts days after he allegedly detonated two small explosive devices inside a Sam's Club in Ontario. Hugo Gonzalez, a 49-year-old Fontana resident, faces three counts of attempted murder, one count of arson, two counts of exploding a device, one count of attempted burglary, and one count of evading police. abc7.com

Portland, OR: Man sentenced to four months in prison for Nike counterfeits

New Haven Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison for Role in Armed Robbery of Video Game Store

Moline, IL: Man accused of using fake credit cards receives 30-month sentence

Greenwich, CT: Man sentenced to 14 years for Cosi Restaurant Armed Robbery

Philadelphia, PA: Man Charged With Passing Counterfeit Currency


 


Robberies and Burglaries
Sponsored by
Scarsdale Security Systems

C-Store – Burton, MI – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Grasonville, MD – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Knightdale, NC – Armed Robbery
Car Dealership – Smyrna, DE – Armed Robbery
Car Wash – Oakland County, MI – Burglary
Domino’s – Portland, ME – Armed Robbery
Donut Shop – Port St Lucie, FL – Burglary
Gas Station – Harris County, TX – Armed Robbery/ clerk wounded
Grocery Store – Memphis, TN – Armed Robbery
Liquor Store – El Paso, TX – Burglary
Pizza Restaurant – Westlake, OH – Burglary
Sunoco – Webster, NY – Armed Robbery
Turkey Hill – Carbondale, PA – Armed Robbery
Zoup’s Restaurant – Westlake, OH – Burglary
7-Eleven – Wheeling, WV – Armed Robbery

Daily Totals:
10 robberies
5 burglaries
1 shooting
0 killings



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VP of Loss Prevention
Anaheim, CA

The Vice President is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of the company's Loss Prevention program across more than 400 stores nationwide, and ecommerce. Reporting to the CFO, this position has overall leadership responsibility for leading the charge in driving shrink reduction...

VP, Loss Prevention
Brentwood, TN

Key duties include developing and implementing strategies and programs to (i) reduce the Company's financial losses resulting from internal and external theft; (ii) improve the company's receiving and inventory control processes and procedures to reduce financial losses resulting from administrative errors; and (iii) identify and investigate fraud and theft of company assets...

VP, Internal Controls
San Francisco, CA
The Vice President, Internal Control will lead Sephora's cross-channel strategies to protect the company assets and business from all external and internal sources of losses. This role requires business, financial and leadership acumen...

Vice President Security
Greendale, WI

The Vice President of Security will set our long term strategic vision and oversee planning for the security and safety of employees, facilities, assets, customers, vendors, and participants. In this position, you will align financial and operational performance to create economic value and reports to the executive team on all functions of security...

Global Risk and Control Director
Beaverton, OR

As our Nike Direct Risk & Control Operations Director you will be responsible for aligning our resources and plans to the global strategy. In this role you will support teams in Stores, Digital and Operational Excellence to influence how we develop and deliver core programs in support of the Risk & Control mission around the globe, and help our teams to cut shrink, fight fraud and manage risk in Nike Direct...


Supervisor Asset Protection - Maurices Headquarters
Duluth, MN

We are currently looking for an Asset Protection Supervisor for our maurices Corporate Offices in in Duluth, MN. In this role you will oversee the day to day safety & asset protection operations as they relate to the corporate office with general direction from AP management & supervises a team of hourly AP associates...


Senior Asset Protection Specialist - San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

This job contributes to REI’s success by mitigating and reducing shrink (including theft and fraud by customers and employees) and increasing physical security for people and products in a specified retail store...


Regional Loss Prevention Manager -
West Coast Region

Pasadena, CA

Crate and Barrel is America’s most exciting housewares specialty retailer with 100+ locations and over 6,500 associates nationwide. We are seeking an experienced, committed and enthusiastic professional to join our Internal Audit department...


Regional LP Investigator - 10 Positions Nationwide
LA/San Diego/Northern CA/Central CA/Phoenix

The Regional Loss Prevention Investigator is responsible for analyzing internal & external theft trends in assigned market and to develop strategies to identify and resolve theft cases. The Regional Loss Prevention Investigator will work with the Investigative Risk and Fraud Analyst in the identification of internal theft cases, and ensure that all cases are brought to a successful resolution…

Regional LP Investigator - 10 Positions Nationwide
Houston/Texas Border/Chicago/Boston/Miami

The Regional Loss Prevention Investigator is responsible for analyzing internal & external theft trends in assigned market and to develop strategies to identify and resolve theft cases. The Regional Loss Prevention Investigator will work with the Investigative Risk and Fraud Analyst in the identification of internal theft cases, and ensure that all cases are brought to a successful resolution…


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Great Leaders Relieve Stress with Laughter, Practice Patience, Let You Shine

4 Habits of Ultra-Likable Leaders That Are Hard to Find
Leadership is a journey. When you think you've reached your peak, there's always something else to learn or do to make you even better. Here are some lessons every great leader has learned to help them become even better. Slow to anger

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How Great Leaders Use Humor to Create Emotionally Safe, Fun Cultures
Nothing relieves stress faster than laughter. Through leveraging humor, leaders can create a safe, trust-based work environment, where employees can feel at ease, remain productive and teams can be brought together. Here's how you can implement a humor strategy in your workplace. CELEBRATE


Tip of the Day
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Being engaged in the business of your retailer is a critical element for every Loss Prevention executive. For decades, our industry has often been accused of being silo'ed and separate from the operators and the merchants. This separateness in many cases ultimately leads to a disconnect, a sense that we aren't part of the team. Which in actuality, regardless of your performance, it can lead to your job being eliminated or just you being replaced with someone new. So the real question is: How do you become engaged in the business and truly add value to the company's success beyond reducing shrink? And then having the courage to go make it happen. We all tend to stay in our comfort zones and remain safe. At least that's what we think. But at the end of the day, it's that comfort zone that can actually increase your risk. So the next time you're in a corporate meeting or traveling stores with your operators or merchants, go beyond with your comments and opinions – take a risk – add some value – help them run the business – you might be surprised.

Just a Thought,
Gus
Gus Downing

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