Duo arrested for $1.2M in credit card fraud
A federal grand jury in Providence, Rhode Island, has indicted two men on charges of stealing thousands of credit- and debit-card numbers by installing card-skimming devices at gas stations and in other locations in multiple states between April 2016 and June 2018. The two men, Juan Jose Rodriguez-Castro, 36; and Wilberd Armando Reyes-Castro, 25, are accused of using the stolen information to make at least $1.2 million in purchases. They were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of unauthorized access devices, possession of device-making equipment, possession of document-making implements, and aggravated identity theft.
According to a news release from US Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, the investigation began on June 6, when Pawtucket police responded to a report of an armed home invasion. When they entered, according to the news release, officers discovered computers, credit-card skimming machines, equipment and supplies used to create fraudulent credit, debit and identification cards, a photo identification card printer, a laminating machine, and identification holograms from various states. [Source: Providence Journal]
Aggravated robbery gets him 25 years
An Iowa Park, Texas, man took a plea deal on Friday morning on an aggravated robbery charge. Andrew Lunsford, 32, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the 30th District Court. The case stemmed from an altercation in December 2017, when Lunsford was accused of attempting to steal two power drills from Lowe’s in Wichita Falls. A loss prevention associate and three citizens chased Lunsford into a nearby parking lot. Lunsford was held down until officers arrived and placed him in handcuffs.
When the employee and citizens caught up to him, Lunsford was attempting to cut the security devices off the boxes with a large hunting-type knife, according to WFPD. When confronted, Lunsford began swinging the knife at the employee and citizens, trying to cut them, according to witnesses. The group was able to tackle Lunsford and take the knife away before police arrived. Lunsford has been in the Wichita County Jail since December 7, 2017. [Source: NewsChannel6]
Employee busted at grocery store
A Kroger employee stole groceries by ringing them up at a closed register, according to Dayton, Ohio, police. The female worker was fired and issued a summons for theft, according to a police report. No charges have been formally filed, but the woman was trespassed from the store. Police responded to the Brandt Pike store around 2:21 p.m. Thursday.
A store manager told police that video surveillance from Oct. 25 captured the woman checking out $141.99 of groceries at a closed register with an empty till, according to the report. When she tried to leave without paying, the shopping cart’s wheels locked up as part of the store’s security measures. The employee then took the groceries and left the store. The manager also showed police surveillance video of the woman ringing up the groceries and trying to leave, according to the report. [Source: WHIO7 News]
Cargo theft volume down, value up
Cargo thieves are stealing less and enjoying it more. Or, put another way, compared with third-quarter 2017, the third quarter of this year saw an 11 percent decrease in cargo-theft volume but a 31 percent increase in value. So maybe they’re working smarter not harder. Any way you slice it, cargo thieves are opportunistic and follow the money, according to figures from SensiGuard’s Supply Chain Intelligence Center, which just released its third-quarter report on cargo theft in the US. The center categorizes stolen loads in 12 cargo types and tracks by date, location, method used, value and specific products stolen.
California continues to be the top state for cargo theft, followed by Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Florida, with the report noting that “It appears as though organized cargo thieves are becoming more active in the greater Chicago area and are primarily targeting miscellaneous shipments (26 percent) as well as alcohol, electronics and metals (16 percent each).” The center uses statistics reported by sources such as transportation security councils, insurance companies and law enforcement agencies. Not included in this report are last-mile courier thefts. Theft of full-truckload freight continues to be the preference, accounting for 68 percent of all reported thefts in the third quarter of this year. Those amounted to a loss value of $140,275, a 10 percent decrease from the prior quarter of 2018. [Source: The Trucker]
Father uses toddler as decoy while shoplifting
Deputies in California are searching for a father accused of using his daughter to help him steal. Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies are calling the man the “father of the year.” Investigators say the man seen in surveillance photos used his daughter as a decoy to shoplift possibly dozens of times, stealing about $1,000 worth of items from Dollar General stores.
“Grabbing items and placing it in her hands. Then going towards the back of the store, putting her down and getting the items and concealing them on his body, and then walking out the store,” said Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Deputy Raj Singh. Detectives say their primary concern is the welfare of the little girl. They add that the father could face a child endangerment charge, which would be a felony. [Source: ABC7 Eyewitness News]
Drones can change retail
It is the most important issue which can be solved to a great extent with the aerial technology. Recently we saw an example of drone delivery when Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos demonstrated this technology on 60 minutes. Drones can help retailers in several ways. Firstly, consumers can get their products more quickly and secondly, it will lower the cost of different products. Delivery through drones will enable retailers to take products into their own hands, resulting in saving money which can be very well used to offer lower prices to consumers by retailers. Also, drones can be very effective and efficient in the following ways:
- Checking stock
- Observing consumer shopping behavior
- Marketing photography
So, we can say that today the use of drones in retail market is less but its demand is increasing rapidly which will change the world of retail sector forever reducing both time and cost. [Source: Geospatial World]
