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11/26/18

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Van Carney and the Domino’s Safety, Security and Loss Prevention Team at the RLPSA Connect hosted by Domino’s Pizza

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Top Industry News

The American Red Cross

Donate Today For Thousands of Californians
Left Homeless

Sr LP Exec. Experiences the Red Cross' Incredible Work
Senior Loss Prevention Director Evacuated During California Fires
California wildfires death toll climbs to 87, 500 still unaccounted for, 19,000 buildings destroyed

The number of people missing or unaccounted for in Butte County was down to 475 on Friday evening after having reached 605 on Thursday, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office. The number is expected to continue fluctuating as officials account for residents.

Deadly wildfires that have ravaged northern California for weeks are almost contained thanks to several days of rain.

More than 800 volunteers searched for remains on Thanksgiving and again on Friday - two weeks after flames swept through the Sierra Nevada foothills.

While all this is happening one senior Loss Prevention Director was evacuated from his home and spent the night in a Red Cross shelter. msn.com

In an email he wrote: I experienced the work the Red Cross does when I was evacuated during the CA fires and spent a night at a shelter. The Shelter filled quickly so I helped the Red Cross team by setting up cots, handing out blankets and checking people in. Please keep the drum beat supporting Donations. So many Californians are in need.

For me, The fire was within 100 yards of my Townhouse but thankfully there was no structural damage. After the evacuation, shelter, and a few nights in a hotel things are slowly returning to normal. yahoo.com

Here's the link for the Red Cross:

Thanksgiving Weekend Retail Trends

Retailers Encouraged by Black Friday Shopper Traffic Results
ShopperTrak traffic data results put Black Friday again at the top spot for brick-and-mortar retail shopping

Tyco Retail Solutions’ brand, today released preliminary shopper visit data for brick-and-mortar retail stores and shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Findings indicate that shopper visits resulted in only a combined one percent decline for the two-day period compared to last year, with a 1.7 percent decline in traffic on Black Friday versus 2017. This slight traffic variance is consistent with data results over the last several years.

“The fact that the combined shopper visits remained almost the same this year compared to the last three years proves that the notion of Black Friday not being popular anymore is a myth,” said Brian Field, senior director of global retail consulting for ShopperTrak. “Shopping in physical stores during the holidays continues to be an exciting annual event for consumers and based on the Black Friday traffic data, retailers are in for a successful holiday season.”

Eight of the 10 ShopperTrak predicted busiest shopping days are still to come, including Super Saturday, which will fall on Dec. 22, and the Sunday before Christmas, Dec. 23. Notably, for the third year in a row, there are four Saturdays in December prior to Christmas Day, which will enhance the importance of both Dec. 8 and Dec. 15. In addition, similar to last year, the Saturday after Christmas, Dec. 29, is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days taking the last spot on the top 10 busiest day’s list. businesswire.com

BOPIS Skyrockets 73%
Store Traffic Falls 5% to 9% on Black Friday but Not All News Is Bad
Online sales surge 26.4% & low-income shoppers are feeling flush
A surge in online shopping and higher spending by low-income Americans gave a lift to the start of the holiday season, even as initial reports showed that foot traffic to traditional stores continued its long decline.

During Thanksgiving and Black Friday, traffic to U.S. stores fell between 5% and 9% compared with the same days last year, estimated RetailNext, which uses cameras to track people in both mall-based and stand-alone retailers. Another measurement firm, ShopperTrak, estimated traffic fell less sharply, about 1% over the two-day period from a year ago.

Purchases continued to shift online as stores put many of their best deals on their websites and more consumers, even those earning minimum wages, shop on their smartphones. Internet sales for Wednesday through Black Friday surged 26.4% from a year earlier to $12.3 billion, estimated Adobe Systems Inc., which tracks activity on thousands of websites.

Store pickups of online orders rose 73% over Thanksgiving and Black Friday, said Adobe. wsj.com

"Thanksgiving Day the fastest growing online shopping day"
The announcement of sales prior to Black Friday drove a shift in consumer behavior. "Brick and mortars are finally realizing, 'You know what? We have to be agnostic as to where we get the sale. We just want the sale.' We saw a lot of that with the online sales coming out early," said Charlie O'Shea, VP senior credit officer at Moody's Investor Service. retaildive.com

Are Black Friday results a sign of Christmas 2018 things to come?
While the shift to online selling continued, a number of other factors — including a recovery in lower-income household spending, an acceleration of in-store pickup and possible stabilizing of store traffic — may have provided a boost to sales over Black Friday weekend.

Online spending still booming - Mobile influence increases - Lower-income household boost - Foot traffic flattening? - Holiday pick-up: Buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) orders were up 73 percent from Thursday to Friday. retailwire.com

Black Friday 2018: A Not-So-Wild Day for American Shoppers
NY Times They Cover it the Best
Here we are again: Mildly annoyed by the obvious consumerism, but totally in love with the deals. It must be Black Friday.

Going to the Mall — But Not for the Shopping - Black Friday Has Lots of Competition - A Strong Start for Retailers - But There Are Hiccups - Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Black Friday Has Got to Go - Black Friday Goes Global … - … With Even Canadians on the Bandwagon … - … Though China Has Its Own Version - Shopping on ‘Black Thursday’ (a.k.a. Thanksgiving) - Shopping from the Dinner Table. nytimes.com

Thanksgiving Weekend Mall Shootings & Border Chaos

Macy's Martinsburg, WV Distribution Center Fire Saturday - No Injuries
An official with one of Berkeley County’s largest distribution centers says operations have ceased due to damages from a weekend blaze.

Around 1,000 employees were evacuated from the building at 333 Caperton Boulevard around 8 Saturday evening, according to dispatchers. Fire crews from Hedgesville and Martinsburg responded to the 2 million square foot facility. It remains unclear how much of the building or how many packages were damaged in the fire. The building’s sprinkler system was activated. Macy’s spokesperson Andrea Schwartz confirmed nobody was injured.

“As we continue to assess the potential impact to our (West Virginia) center, we have other fulfillment options, including multiple mega centers across the country, to serve our customers,” said Schwartz. wvmetronews.com

Editor's Note: At this time Macy's Asset Protection tell us they are not allowed to comment nor confirm whether or not the facility is open at this time. Stay tuned for more developments as the Daily follows this story.

Orangeburg, SC: Prince of Orange Mall reopens after Saturday’s shooting outside of store; police searching for 2 suspects, 1 shot
Robinson says that law enforcement responded to a call of a shooting outside of the mall between Belk and It’s Fashion! around 1:32 pm Saturday afternoon. Two men were speaking with the victim before pulling a gun and shooting them. The victim was shot in the arm and a nearby vehicle was also shot up. The two men then fled from outside to inside the mall, prompting the lockdown as police searched the stores. thetandd.com

Elizabeth, NJ: Man shot at The Mills at Jersey Gardens Mall on Black Friday; shoppers flee
A man was shot during Black Friday shopping at a New Jersey mall, sending terrified shoppers running and hiding in stores. The man was shot in the wrist Friday night at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, city spokeswoman Kelly Martins said. She said his injuries didn’t appear life-threatening. No suspect was in custody, and the victim was not cooperating with police, Martins said. Police were reviewing camera footage. The mall was evacuated after the shooting, which happened in a hallway between a Tommy Hilfiger and a Marshalls store, Martins said. nj.com

San Diego, CA: Border Chaos Means Lost Business at Las Americas Shopping Mall
The outlet shopping center was shut down in the middle of a busy shopping weekend
A chaotic scene at the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday completely shut down a popular San Ysidro mall on what was expected to be a busy holiday shopping weekend. The Las Americas Premium Outlets is located less than a mile west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, where some Central American migrants on the Mexico side rushed the border, which led U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents to deploy tear gas on the group.

The incident also forced mall officials to evacuate the shopping center and close stores indefinitely. "In light of this morning’s demonstrations, we have made the decision to temporarily close Las Americas," a statement issued by the mall read. The mall shuttered around noon Sunday as U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopters circled above the U.S.-Mexico border and a parade of armed agents posted just a few feet behind the shopping center. It was not clear if the shopping center intended to reopen on Monday.

Mall is scheduled to re-open today with regular Holiday hours. nbcsandiego.com

FBI Crime Data: Two Years of "Historic Increases in Violent Crime" & Attacks on Police
New Multi-Disciplinary - Scenario-Based Active Shooter Training Programs Coming
DOJ Awards $56 Million to Support Law Enforcement Health & Safety
The funds will be used to provide services designed to protect officers and improve overall public safety. We are providing them with bulletproof vests, body-worn cameras, training, and health and safety research. These grants awarded last month are helping us to take care of the men and women in blue--because they take care of us every day."

The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. Despite this decline, violent attacks on police officers are on the rise. More than 60,000 line-of-duty assaults were committed against officers in 2017, a five percent increase from 2016, according to the FBI.

The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring officer safety. Over the past year, the Department has partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make American neighborhoods safer, including the invigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods and announcement of $30 million to help combat violent crime. Recently, the Department hosted a law enforcement roundtable and announced funds and technical assistance resources to help law enforcement investigate and prosecute hate crimes, and announced a new active shooter training grant to provide multi-disciplinary, scenario-based active shooter training to help better protect and equip first responders across the country.

Editor's Note: After reading numerous annual crime reports, the vast majority of which understate the trends the Daily sees in the public news, we finally see "historic increases in violent crime" and a "5% increase in violent attacks on police officers" in 2017. Which is the first time we've seen numbers that are more closely aligned with what we've been reporting on for the last few years.

Interestingly enough the two associations/websites that track police officer deaths are reporting even higher numbers regretfully. The point being that what virtually every LP/AP executive is saying about the increased aggressiveness and violence in retail is legitimate, as reflective in this one article. Which has been difficult to prove with senior management in some cases. And with many of the reports not helping to validate the needed resources to combat the issue. justice.gov

Published in Tulsa World Nov. 18th
Quick Trip Convenience Stores Hiring Armed Employees
Want to work for QuikTrip as an armed clerk? Bring a law enforcement or military background
QuikTrip hiring 'hybrid employees' who can work while armed to deter crime, keep customers safe.

A spokesman for the company said he was confident they’ve had “probably pretty significant” inquiries after advertising the position, which QuikTrip is looking to staff with certified peace officers, veterans or armed security guards.

“It’s just kind of natural for us,” said Mike Thornbrugh, a QuikTrip spokesman. “We tend to bring things inside if we think it works.”

QuikTrip has been testing the hybrid employee program for six months at a few locations in Wichita. There are visual cues that make it easy to differentiate between regular QT workers and the hybrid employees, who are armed, according to a previous story.

According to a job description, the purpose of the hybrid employee’s role is to “deter illegal activity, theft and vandalism,” as well as protect employees, customers, visitors and the company’s property. All that will be in addition to the regular, day-to-day activities comprising a clerk’s duties.

“This is an extension of what we’re already doing,” Thornbrugh said. “What I mean by that is we utilize off-duty law enforcement, and we have contractual agreements with security companies to provide assistance.

“All we’re doing is hiring some individuals to perform the same work who are going to be full-time employees, that’s it.”

When asked about its response to the hybrid employee program, Tulsa Police Department declined to comment, directing questions to QuikTrip corporate.

Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said he is a bit apprehensive but supports any effort to enhance security, particularly when “it’s no secret” that law enforcement frequently experiences shortages.

The hybrid employee job requires relevant certifications as armed security officer or a peace officer. The requirements for those certifications vary by state. QuikTrip wants protective agents certified in electronic stun devices, pepper spray, first aid, baton use and hand irons, according to the job posting. The level of experience QuikTrip requires for protective agents working as clerks — at least three years as a peace officer or five as a reserve officer, armed security officer or honorable military service — may preclude many less-experienced applicants from being considered.

QuikTrip began advertising early this month for the new position, with starting pay around $32 per hour. Thornbrugh said it was a challenge recruiting in Wichita for the job. The most challenging requirement, Thornbrugh said, was finding a fit for the QuikTrip corporate culture. tulsaworld.com

Illinois Supreme Court Justices skeptical of defendant position on harm in biometric privacy suit
At least three of seven Illinois Supreme Court justices appear to be skeptical of the position expressed in oral arguments by Six Flags legal representation that plaintiffs must allege more harm than a technical violation under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) to establish standing, Law360 reports. The Rosenbach v. Six Flags case is expected to significantly influence the status of numerous lawsuits filed in response to technical or procedural violations of BIPA’s informed consent rules.

Six Flags attorney Kathleen O’Sullivan argued that whether an individual is aggrieved under BIPA is a separate question from whether the statutes consent and disclosure requirements have been violated. While BIPA was crafted to address concerns about compromised data, O’Sullivan told the court that “did not mean the Legislature intended to create a private right of action for someone whose biometric data has not been compromised at all,” according to Law360. Read More on Page Two. biometricupdate.com

"Enough is Enough" Says Cumberland, Ind., PD
Cumberland police cracking down on armed robbery spikes
They said 20 locations have been hit so far this year, after only 11 last year, and nearly half of that the year before. So far, Police are not sure why the spike is happening, but they do believe some of the crimes come from same group of thieves.

Week before last, CPD met with local businesses to give out tips to catch these crooks. They said workers need to be more aware of visual cues like height, weight, or clothing that stands out.

Police will be leaving flyers and stickers at business who take the training. The decals will go in windows to serve as a deterrent. fox59.com

'Being Black, I'm presumed guilty': Dallas shopper posts handcuffing video after being accused of stealing at Stonebriar
Finish Line Makes Bad Stop in Frisco's Stonebriar Mall
A Frisco police officer was waiting to handcuff Lockett and a friend when they left another sporting goods store.

Lockett, who is black, and his friend, Brandon Kibart, who is white, were suspected of shoplifting about $600 worth of items from Finish Line on Wednesday, according to a Frisco police report.

They were handcuffed for several minutes while a store employee rifled through bags filled with purchases from multiple stores — but nothing from Finish Line and nothing that they hadn't paid for. The two men were released after producing receipts for all the items in their bags.

This is how it happens in America, people," Lockett can be heard saying in a recording of the incident posted to his YouTube channel, CreedCrudeTV. One of his children shot the video. dallasnews.com

Ex-Saks Workers Claim Bias Led To All-White Leadership
Eight men who formerly worked at Saks Fifth Avenue LLC claim systemic age and race discrimination results in younger and white workers being favored by the retailer for leadership positions, in a suit filed Tuesday in New York state court.

Five African-American, one Hispanic and two white men, aged 69 and 70, allege in their suit against Saks, its parent Hudson's Bay Co. and a handful of managers that discriminatory practices at Saks' Manhattan flagship store set them up to miss their sales goals. When they complained about the discrimination, the company retaliated against them by harassing them, denying them promotions and terminating them, the complaint says. law360.com

Google settled racism case from contractor 'treated like a terrorist'
Doing Undercover Work in Shopping Centers & Malls For Google in UK'
New contract offer withdrawn after ‘Rashid’ complained that undercover project left him vulnerable to profiling

Google was forced to settle a claim of race discrimination by one of its contractors after he claimed he was repeatedly treated as a terror suspect while working on a covert research project to navigate shopping centres for Google Maps.

Ahmed Rashid (not his real name), a UK citizen of Moroccan descent, had an offer of a new contract abruptly withdrawn after he complained to Google about being frequently harassed, racially profiled, and accused of acting like a terrorist while conducting undercover research, for Google in retail malls across the UK, gathering information about the strength and range of wifi signals inside individual stores in the targeted shopping centers without anyone's knowledge.

Rashid and his team had to walk around the targeted stores for set times of six, eight, or 12 minutes depending on the size of the shop. He said: “I was the only one on the team who was visibly Arab, and I was getting stopped and harassed so much by security and shopping centre staff.

Google denied wrongdoing, but agreed to pay Rashid £4,000 to settle the case this year. As part of the deal, Rashid agreed not to discuss the case, but decided to speak out after seeing Google staff stage a global walkout over various forms of discrimination at the company. theguardian.com

Gift Card Spending to Increase by 10%
Logical to Assume 10% Increase in Fraud?
Spending on gift cards is on the rise and is expected to reach $29.9 billion, up from last year’s estimated $27.6 billion. Holiday shoppers plan to purchase an average of four gift cards worth approximately $49 each. The most popular gift cards include those for restaurants (purchased by 36 percent of buyers), department stores (32 percent), coffee shops (22 percent) and entertainment (17 percent). nrf.com

NYC's 20% Retail Space Vacancy - Rent Control Won't Help It
Lobbying group says market forces, not legislation, will drive down high vacancy rates

The Real Estate Board of New York continued to attack a potential proposal in the City Council to institute protections for retail stores that critics say would create a form of commercial rent control.

Controversy has also erupted over the number of empty stores in the city, with recent reports challenging a previously reported 20% vacancy rate that has been cited as a sign stores need legislative help. The REBNY report remained conspicuously mum on how much vacant space exists along Manhattan's prime shopping corridors. But recent data from CBRE appears to show that several shopping districts in the city are either close to having a 20% availability rate or one that exceeds it.

REBNY said that 15 out of 17 retail corridors it tracks saw asking rents decline since last fall. The steepest drops were seen in Midtown on East 57th Street where asking rates fell by 29% and on nearby Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 59th Street where the ask was down 24%. crainsnewyork.com

Live in NYC at NRF's Big Show - LP's Only Digital Conference
Why You Should Get Involved - Shoot a Video - See & Hear Industry Leaders
"Global Spending on Video Advertising Has Skyrocketed & Expected to Continue Growing Rapidly"
From collaborating with influencers and live streaming to interactive and shoppable content, digital video has made a number of significant leaps forward this year, opening new opportunities for brands to engage shoppers - end users.

Digital video can connect with consumers on an emotional level that helps drive results for marketers, which is why global spending on video advertising has skyrocketed in recent years and is expected to continue to grow rapidly.

With digital video consumption on the upswing thanks to trends like cord-cutting, increased mobile use and the proliferation of hardware devices like the Amazon Echo Look and Google Home Hub, the need for a video strategy that runs the gamut from heartfelt stories to performance-drive snippets is crucial. retaildive

The D&D Daily Transfers to its Own Dedicated Server - No More Traffic Jams

Interpol Rejects Russian as President, Electing South Korean Instead
Former Interpol Chinese Chief Arrested When Returning Home By Chinese Authorities

Transparency A Key Trend in 2019

Quarterly Results
Foot Locker Q3 comp's up 2.9%, sales down 0.5%

Registration Now Open for ISCPO 2019
The International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO) is pleased to announce its 5th annual conference is open for registration at ISCPO.org. The conference will be held March 6-7, 2019 in Dallas, Texas where ISCPO members and loss prevention professionals will hear from industry veterans and get the latest trends in supply chain security, industry theft, global trends, and investigation.

The ISCPO's annual conference brings together loss prevention, security, and protection professionals working within the global supply chain for two days of networking, education, and collaboration. iscpo.org

All the News - One Place - One Source - One Time
The D&D Daily respects your time
and doesn't filter retail's reality

Spotlight on Stanley Security

BevMo! stores in California needed to consolidate their 10-year old security system – comprised of devices from six separate vendors – in order to stop an organized retail crime ring that resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in lost merchandise at several locations.

STANLEY Security standardized BevMo!’s security by combining video surveillance and intrusion detection into one integrated security system.

Download this case study to understand how STANLEY’s integrated security solution aided in the apprehension of an organized retail crime ring in California.

Tech companies push for national privacy framework
With a few exceptions, companies that broker in consumer data are sticking close to the same script when it comes to the potential for regulatory demands in the United States.

Amid headline-grabbing breaches and exposés on shady data sharing practices, technology giants—Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon among them—seem resigned to the fact that national data privacy laws and regulations are in the offing.

While they await congressional action on that issue, a strategy has emerged: Let trade associations tackle much of the public-facing policy pushing; and support federal legislation to the degree it can reduce the confusion and compliance burden of state-by-state regulation.

In testimony, Web posts, and correspondence, there also seems nearly universal agreement that the Federal Trade Commission should continue to serve as the lead U.S. regulator for data privacy. The sincerity of that demand, however, is undermined by objections to giving that agency expanded tools, enforcement authority, and a less hamstrung ability to fine companies.

Some corporate leaders are more outspoken than others. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently described privacy as “a fundamental human right.” Unlike others who see it as too prescriptive and restrictive, he said that his company supports a U.S. data protection law that mirrors Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation. complianceweek.com

Venmo Caught Off Guard by Fraudsters - PayPal's Digital money-transfer service
Digital Payment Companies - The New Bullseye for Fraudsters
Venmo was hit by a wave of payments fraud earlier this year that helped push losses higher than the company previously expected and prompted it to shut down some user features to control the damage.

In the first three months of 2018, recorded an operating loss of about $40 million—nearly 40% larger than the loss for which the company had budgeted.

Expenses related to fraudulent transactions were a big factor. The so-called transaction loss rate, which includes losses related to fraudulent charges, rose from about 0.25% of overall Venmo volume in January to 0.40% in March. The company had been shooting for a rate of roughly 0.24% in those periods, according to the documents.

“Fraud levels are on the rise across the board,” Venmo executives wrote in an internal presentation from March.

Venmo’s fraud difficulties, which haven’t been previously reported, illustrate how innovations designed to make it easier for consumers to send money have also emboldened scammers to exploit their weaknesses. Banks and financial-technology companies alike have been grappling with how to fend off fraudsters as customers move toward digital payments.

The spike in fraud caught Venmo by surprise, and its responses gummed up the service for many genuine users, according to the documents and people familiar with the matter. Additionally, losses were big enough that executives worried they would push PayPal to miss first-quarter earnings estimates, according to emails reviewed by the Journal.

To deal with the losses, Venmo stopped allowing customers to transfer funds instantly to their bank accounts and blacklisted tens of thousands of users deemed suspicious by algorithms. It also stopped letting customers send and receive money through its website (though most customers use Venmo on their mobile phones).

Those measures helped cut fraud but angered users whose legitimate transactions were declined. Many flooded Venmo’s customer-service hotline with calls and left angry reviews on mobile app stores.

“I’m pissed that it’s come to this and that we have to hurt our customers to try and get our loss numbers under control,” Mr. Mills wrote in the March 22 email.

Fraud can take different forms on Venmo. Criminals can load stolen credit cards onto new Venmo profiles and send money to accomplices. Hackers can take over accounts of existing Venmo users and pilfer their money. The company generally reimburses users who lose money in such transactions. It isn’t clear what caused the first quarter’s increase in fraudulent activity, or whether any culprits have been identified. wsj.com

Women in cybersecurity: How to make conferences more diverse
The lack of women speaking at security conferences might be representative of the low number of women in cybersecurity, but efforts are finally being made to close the gender gap.

Women in cybersecurity have had the often uncomfortable experience of being the minority at industry conferences and events, and there have been few, if any, signs of improvement over the years.

It's hard not to see the gender gap walking through the halls of a convention center in a sea of male attendees. From the scandalous booth babes to reports of harassment, security conferences haven't offered the most diversity-friendly environment.

This has also been the case for speaker lineups at conferences. Both keynote and breakout session speakers at a wide array of security conferences have often had noticeably fewer women speakers.

The gender gap at security conferences led to controversy regarding the 2018 RSA Conference. Early in 2018, RSA announced the keynote speakers for its April conference and was immediately met with an outpouring of criticism. The original lineup consisted of 22 speakers, and only one of them -- cyberbullying and anti-harassment activist Monica Lewinsky -- was a woman.

This year, after being heavily criticized, the RSA Conference issued a statement that its keynote lineup was not yet final, and that it heard the industry's plea for more diversity.

"We've been listening closely to the recent discussions surrounding the lack of female keynote speakers at RSA Conference, and we want to address it head on," wrote Sandra Toms, vice president and curator of the RSA Conference, in a blog post. "We hear you. We understand. The Conference leadership team is made up of women, like myself , and we're very much aware of the importance and value of bringing more women's voices, perspectives and experiences to the forefront of conversations in all industries, not least of all our own."

Great article on how a new conference, OURSA was created and on the overall issue of the importance of why you should care about diverse representation. techtarget.com

Amazon admits it exposed customer email addresses, but refuses to give details
Amazon’s renowned secrecy encompasses its response to a new security issue, withholding info that could help victims protect themselves.

Amazon emailed users last Tuesday, warning them that it exposed an unknown number of customer email addresses after a “technical error” on its website.

When reached for comment, an Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch that the issue exposed names as well as email addresses. “We have fixed the issue and informed customers who may have been impacted.” The company emailed all impacted users to be cautious.

In response to a request for specifics, a spokesperson said the company had “nothing to add beyond our statement.” The company denies there was a data breach of its website of any of its systems, and says it’s fixed the issue, but dismissed our request for more info including the cause, scale and circumstances of the error. techcrunch.com

Half of all Phishing Sites Now Have the Padlock

e-commerce
Sponsored by The Zellman Group

Fraud Alert as Cyber Monday Sales Kick Off
Security experts have lined up to warn consumers of a deluge of phishing and gift card scams as Cyber Monday kicks off today.

The US online sales blitz has also become something of a staple across some European countries, especially in the UK where it’s predicted that sales today will take total online spending for the weekend to over £7bn.

However, shoppers have been urged to watch out for two gift fraud scams. One involves cyber-criminals using “dirty” money to buy gift cards, which they can then sell on third-party sites for a discounted price, thereby laundering their funds.

“Gift cards are legitimately traded online by people who, for example, were given a gift card to a store that they never shop at, so instead of a £50 gift card that they will never use, they sell it for £30 and take the cash in return,” explained Trustwave VP of security research, Ziv Mador. “The buyer then gets £20 worth of free credit. This poses a risk to the end customer because if the gift cards are found to be bought with stolen money they could be invalidated.”

In another scenario, cyber-criminals use dirty money to buy gift cards which they then use to purchase legitimate goods. These can be re-sold to unsuspecting customers on eBay and similar sites. Although the customer is likely to be refunded if the scam is spotted and blocked in time, they’ve wasted time and effort in the process.

Elsewhere, experts warned consumers of a surge in phishing emails designed to coincide with the busy sales period, especially those offering huge discounts. infosecurity-magazine.com

Over a Million Websites Seized in Global Operation
More than 1 million copyright-infringing website domain names selling counterfeit automotive parts, electrical components, personal care items and other fake goods were criminally and civilly seized in the past year through the combined efforts of law-enforcement agencies across the world, high-profile industry representatives and anti-counterfeiting associations.

The ongoing intellectual property enforcement initiative targeting fake websites, dubbed Operation In Our Sites, was facilitated by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), a joint-task force agency led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The IPR Center, which stands at the forefront of the U.S. government’s response to IP theft, worked directly with key international law-enforcement authorities and industry organizations representing the electronics sector, luxury brand-name designers, film and entertainment and several entities specializing in apparel and accessories through the major enforcement effort.

Roughly 33,600 website domain names were criminally seized in a collaborative effort between ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol, Interpol and police agencies from 26 different countries. Industry partners participating in the operation were fully responsible for civilly seizing 1.21 million domain names and shutting down 2.2 million erroneous ecommerce links featured on social media platforms and third-party marketplaces.

Each year, the market is flooded with counterfeit products being sold at stores, on street corners and online. Additionally, criminals have taken advantage of the internet to deceive, sell and ship fake products directly to American consumers. The most popular counterfeit products seized each year include watches, jewelry, handbags, wallets, wearing apparel/accessories, consumer electronics/parts, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. ice.gov

Cyber Monday set to be biggest U.S. online shopping day in history
Cyber Monday is expected to generate $7.8 billion in sales, up nearly 18% on last year, which would make it the biggest online shopping day in the U.S., according to Adobe Analytics.

Electronics tend to take the spotlight on Cyber Monday, said Sarah Hollenbeck, a shopping and retail expert at BlackFriday.com. Stores offer better deals on laptops, desktops and gaming computers on Cyber Monday than Black Friday, and also lower prices for accessories, she said. marketwatch.com

Cyber Monday shoppers prepare to spend more

Here's how bad bots attack e‑commerce sites on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Black Friday shopping pulled in a record $6.22 billion in online sales: Adobe

"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
Sponsored by Auror

Missouri Couple Get 48 Months Each for Nationwide Fraud Scheme Hitting Walmart for $600,000
Between March 2017 and February 2018, Scott and Edge and others conspired to defraud Walmart, Inc. through use of stolen personal checks, identity fraud, and methods to bypass electronic check authorization measures, resulting in a loss of over $600,000 to Walmart. Scott and Edge used stolen identification cards of real people to perpetuate this fraud in 18 states, using more than 14 different stolen checking accounts. Scott and Edge and other co-conspirators would present a stolen check and false identification at the time of payment, and when the check was declined, the person presenting the check would pretend to call the check authorization company, when in fact, they would call a co-conspirator. The co-conspirator would tell the clerk to accept the check, and the transaction would be complete. justice.gov

Knox County, TN: KCSO Organized Retail Crime Holiday Task Force arrests man with $7K in stolen goods
On Friday evening, officers with the Organized Retail Crime Holiday Task Force were notified by a local retailer about a suspicious male who attempted to purchase jewelry with multiple credit cards that were denied. The subject presented an out of state ID and entered a vehicle with a registration from another state. After locating the subject at West Town Mall, officers found that he had in his possession three cloned credit cards. wate.com

Saratoga Springs, NY: Man arrested in $3,00 theft at Wilton Mall
Dwayne A. Holmes, 48, was arrested after a complaint from an unspecified store that merchandise worth over $3,000 was stolen Saturday morning, according to the New York State Police. poststar.com

Upper Township, NJ: Police Seek Men in $2,000 theft from CVS
New Jersey State Police are asking for the public's help to identify a pair of suspects in a shoplifting that took place at the Marmora CVS. The two men stole $2,000 worth of allergy medications and hair products on Thursday evening, Nov. 15, police said. patch.com

Sparks, NV: Four Suspects in jail after stealing from Burlington and TJ Maxx
The Sparks Police arrested four people Saturday after they allegedly stole clothes from a clothing store and threatened to get a gun when confronted. In making the arrests, police found other clothing and other items they believe may have been stolen from other stores. The four were each arrested on suspicion of two counts of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and robbery. Police heard of the theft and threat to get a gun while the four were at the Burlington Coat Factory at Outlets at the Legends at about 9:30 p.m. They were gone when police arrived, but police found them at the TJ Maxx store in the mall. foxreno.com

North Naples, FL: Man accused of trying to steal goods worth almost $1,700 at Target on Thanksgiving

New Hartford, NY: $1,300 Target Shoplifter at Sangertown Square Mall fights with LP and Police

Ephrata, PA: Police seek help locating 2 theft suspects; over $800

Oneida County, NY: Deputies responded to the Tops in Camden for a complaint of shoplifting

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Shootings & Deaths

Hoover, AL: Police Admit to Fatally Targeting the Wrong Man in Thanksgiving Mall Shooting
In the aftermath of a Thanksgiving night shooting in an Alabama mall, local police have admitted to fatally targeting the wrong man, leaving a distraught family and at least one shooter still on the loose. Police shot and killed 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. on Thursday, following a shooting in the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Ala. The shooting left two people, including a 12-year-old girl, injured. In its original statement, the Hoover Police Department identified Bradford as the shooter who had been involved in a physical altercation before opening fire. After examining evidence and interviewing witnesses, police now say that Bradford may not have shot the two youths, though they still believe he could have been part of the dispute which led to the shooting. time.com

Ocala, FL: Domestic violence sparked deadly shooting at Walmart
Police in Florida said Saturday that a 55-year-old man suspected of shooting and killing a woman in the Garden Center of a Walmart in Ocala is not expected to survive after shooting himself. Police said the man, identified as 54-year-old David Johnson, shot 30-year-old Carli Cronin around 2:30 p.m. as part of a domestic argument at the Walmart on E. Silver Springs Blvd. ajc.com

Erie, PA: Police respond to Shooting inside Pizza Hut, 1 woman killed, 1 wounded
Erie Police accuse Luis Rodriguez, 48, of fatally shooting a woman he said he had been dating and wounding another woman after he went to an eastside pizzeria armed with a gun on Saturday afternoon. Rodriguez now faces charges including criminal homicide, attempted homicide and two felony counts of aggravated assault in the fatal shooting of the 25-year-old victim, of Erie, and in the shooting of another woman in her 20s. goerie.com

Bourbon County, KY: Armed Robbery suspect dies after crash during police chase
Winchester Police pursued a vehicle driven by Vanderpool after it was seen leaving a store in Winchester that had reported an armed robbery, Kentucky State Police Trooper Loudermilk said. State police said Vanderpool had an active warrant for first-degree assault. WKYT, the Herald-Leader’s reporting partner, said the driver of the crashed vehicle had shot another person in Rowan County. lex18.com

West Nyack, NY: Owner Dies From Injuries After Dispute, Shooting At Auto Sales Shop
The Westchester County Medical Examiner said that 37-year-old Youbens Joseph had been shot a total of three times, suffering major internal damage after the incident in West Nyack at Youbs Auto Sales, at about 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Clarkstown Police said. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown vehicle. dailyvoice.com

Oklahoma City OK: Police Investigate Carjacking/Homicide At SW OKC Gas Station
One person is dead following a violent carjacking on the southwest side of the city. Police said two people were shot during the incident Saturday evening outside a 7-11 convenience store near I-240 and Walker. Minutes later, officers found the victims' stolen car that had crashed into another car. Police detained the suspect and found firearms inside the stolen car. news9.com

Detroit, MI: Security Guard Shot and wounded at Marijuana Dispensary
Two security guards were working a shift at the House of Zen dispensary in Detroit early Saturday evening when they observed a suspicious individual standing near a vehicle belonging to one of them. One of the guards remained near the front entrance of the dispensary while the other approached and confronted the man, instructing him to leave the premises. The suspect got into a truck and began shooting at the two security guards before fleeing. The officer guarding the door managed to avoid being hit by gunfire, but the 43-year-old confronting the suspect sustained a bullet wound to the chest and another to the arm. The injured security guard was taken to a local hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition. freep.com

Fort Collins, CO: Suspect Arrested In Deadly Hit & Run Linked To Pawn Shop Smash & Grab

Miami, FL: 2 Killed, 5 injured as Gunmen opened fire on a Crowd outside a C-Store

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Cincinnati, OH: Man Arrested for 54th Time; held woman for Ransom at a Check Cashing store
Michael Mann was nabbed last week on kidnapping charges. They stem from an incident in October, when the 35-year-old allegedly held a woman for ransom at a check cashing store over $100. Earlier this year, Mann was arrested on aggravated burglary and domestic violence charges. Some of his past priors include assault and drug possession. Mann is currently being held on $200,000 bond. wsls.com

Harris County, TX: ATM giving out $100 bills instead of $20’s causes ruckus
Reports that the frenzy started started after 11 p.m. when a man posted about it on social media. A crowd rushed to the Bank of America ATM near 1960 and I-45 hoping for some extra cash. Some of the people began arguing and fighting. Sheriff's deputies were eventually called out to guard the machine. There's no word on how many people profited from the malfunctioning machine or whether they will be charged. ksat.com

Rowan County, NC: Four Arrested in Rowan County Commercial property theft ring

Columbia, SC: Man dressed as woman tried to rob Boost Mobile store, gunfight ensued with clerk, suspect wounded

Wilbraham, MA: Employee threatened in shoplifting incident at Home Depot

Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Police issue Holiday Shopping Warning; Increase in Shoplifting Activity

LaCrosse, WI: Police and Retailer working together to crack down on shoplifting

Jared Vault in the Concord Mills, Concord, NC reported a Grab & Run on 11/20, item valued at $3,999

Kay Jewelers in the North Main Street Shoppes, Suffolk, VA reported a Grab & Run on 11/21, items valued at $12,298

Kay Jewelers in the Riverchase Galleria, Birmingham, AL reported a Grab & Run on 11/24, item valued at $10,699

Kay Jewelers in the Esplanade Mall, Kenner, LA reported a Distraction Theft on 11/23, item valued at $199

Peoples Jewellers in the Polo Park, Winnipeg MB, Canada reported a Grab & Run on 11/21, item valued at $750

Peoples Jewellers in the Hillcrest Mall, Thornhill, ON Canada reported a Credit Fraud on 11/19 & 11/21, items valued at $8,399, Suspect Arrested

Piercing Pagoda in the Desert Sky, Phoenix, AZ reported a Grab & Run on 11/21, item valued at $850

Piercing Pagoda in the Northgate Mall, Seattle, WA reported a Gran & Run on 11/24, item valued at $499

Zales in the Seattle Premium Outlets, Tulalip, WA reported a Grab & Run on 11/23, item valued at $1,670

Zales Outlet in the Tulare Outlets, Tulare, CA reported a Grab & Run on 11/23, item valued at $2,415

Fire & Arson

Tulsa, OK: Woman Started Fires At McDonalds, and Taco Bell
They booked Lyza Vagin into the Tulsa County jail on several complaints including two counts of first-degree arson and endangering human life. Police say no one was hurt in either fire. newson6.com

Sentencings, Indictments & Charges

Update: Former Pastor Charged with Sodomy and Murder of Women in Catholic Supply Store
A Missouri pastor who ranted against “gun free” zones on social media has been charged with murder while assaulting three women at a Catholic Supply store. Thomas Bruce allegedly killed one of the victims by shooting her in the head after she refused to have sex with him. He then raped the two other victims before fleeing the scene. Two days later, he was captured. foxnews.com

New Haven; CT: Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Robbery and Gun Offenses

Connecticut: Robbery Getaway Driver Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison; Bank, Gas Station and Dunkin Donuts

Boston, MA: Two Western Massachusetts Men Charged with Armed Robbery; Defendants allegedly involved in at least nine armed robberies of local convenience stores

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