More than $120K in checks cashed as part of Pennsylvania counterfeit ring (Video)
An investigation is underway into a counterfeit check cashing ring that spans from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, in which the culprits have gotten away with more than $120,000, according to police. A total of 39 warrants have been filed for people in connection with the scheme. According to the documents, police were investigating counterfeit checks being drawn off the district court’s bank account. In all, 22 checks, totaling more than $24,000, were cashed. A man tried to cash one of the checks in Philadelphia, where he was arrested and started talking to investigators. Officers realized the man was involved in a “much larger” counterfeit check ring, and a pattern emerged. Documents detail how fake checks were made just after legitimate checks with account numbers were cashed. Some already arrested in connection with the counterfeit check ring are cooperating, taking pictures of the other players involved in the scheme. Those in custody told investigators they were paid $100 for every check they cashed, and that the checks were possibly printed at a house in Lawrenceville. They also told police that they were driven around in rental cars, and that the suspects were staying at hotels in the Pittsburgh area… [WPXI News]
Police arrest Illinois woman in store theft after she crashes through ceiling
An Illinois woman was arrested after police say she climbed into the ceiling of a Big Lots and came crashing down into the women’s restroom. Amanda L. Chandler was allegedly spotted by officers rummaging through a cash register in the front of the store early Thursday. A responding officer reportedly shined a flashlight and the suspect ran to the back of the store and climbed into the ceiling. The report said the suspect eventually came crashing down into the women’s restroom and was arrested. Chandler allegedly told police that she remembered her time in the ceiling but did not recall how she got there. She is being held on $15,000 bond and charged with second-degree burglary… [Fox News]
LP Worldwide: Prolific shoplifter’s hauls totaled £14.7k
A prolific shoplifter was starting a 14 month jail sentence today after admitting stealing £14,700 worth of goods from stores. Kelly Hubbard struck 21 times in five months at shops throughout the Black Country and South Staffordshire. The 36-year-old targeted major outlets, stealing from branches of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Wilkinsons, Boots and TKMaxx within a 15 mile radius. A car was used on at least three occasions as a getaway vehicle during the one-woman crime wave that continued from October to last month. The defendant usually stole make up and cosmetics but also took food and handbags with her largest single haul from a store totalling £2,000. Hubbard was originally arrested after stealing items worth £410 from a TKMaxx. Then between November 11 and January 12 she stole from at least 14 more shops before being found by police hiding in a cupboard at one of several addresses she used. The defendant of no fixed address had 52 previous convictions involving 124 offences, 70 of which were for shoplifting… [Express and Star]
Social Media aids in arrest of organized retail crime team
The Evesham Police Department utilized Facebook to post the pictures of three males who stole thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a local Target store. Within minutes of the post an Officer from the Brooklawn Police Department contacted the agency and identified all three suspects from past arrests. From that identification arrest warrants were prepared for all three. Later that afternoon Target Loss Prevention contacted police eporting that all three individuals were on location and in the act of shoplifting additional Dyson Vacuums. ETPD arrived on location and arrested two of the suspects inside the store and the third as he was fleeing the store with stolen merchandise… [Evesham Township Police (NJ)]
Regis Recognizes Asset Protection Team as a Primary Contributor to Quarterly Results
Dan Hanrahan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Regis recognized the company’s asset protection department as one of the company’s primary contributors to first quarter results. “Improvements in our North American Value business are a direct result of our key strategies focused on Leadership Development, Technical Education and Asset Protection as we drive to make Regis the place where stylists can have successful and satisfying careers. We are transforming a culture comprised of 45,000 stylists, 7,000 salons, and over 1,000 field leaders and we are moving in the right direction. While the transformation and improvement will not be linear, it is essential to creating a great environment for stylists and growing guest traffic. We have work to do to drive sustainable growth in guest traffic which will enable us to realize the potential of each of our salons and result in long-term growth and shareholder value.”… [Business Wire]
Three ways IoT will transform retail
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the hottest topics in retail technology. While there has been a lot of talk about IoT’s status as a game-changer for retail. Here are three specific ways IoT will bring about a new era in retail operations.
- Automatic shopping:One of the biggest shifts IoT will spur in the retail landscape is a move toward automatic shopping. Appliance manufacturers are already beginning to release “smart” machines such as printers that can automatically place orders for ink when levels run low. More data in less time.
- The spread of IoT means consumers are using more connected devices in the course of their daily lives than ever before. In addition to smart appliances and instant buying buttons, this includes wearable fitness devices that record biomedical data and connected cars that transmit when and where consumers are traveling.
- If you think it’s competitive now, the competition for customers will take on a new urgency. Once a customer can simply buy a product from their home without having to think about it, the odds of converting them from a rival retailer become much smaller…
Ben Borer, LPC Promoted to Director – Loss Prevention Operations/Omni Channel at American Eagle Outfitters
Ben Borer, LPC has been promoted to Director of Loss Prevention Operations/Omni Channel at American Eagle Outfitters. Ben was most recently Senior Manager of Loss Prevention Omni Channel for the Pittsburgh-based retailer. Ben began his career with American Eagle Outfitters in store management in 1998 before joining loss prevention as a Regional Loss Prevention Manager in 2004, also serving as a Zone Loss Prevention Manager as he continued to climb the career ladder. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from The Ohio State University.
Congratulations Ben!