Man shot after confronting alleged shoplifter outside Loop convenience store
A man was seriously injured after confronting an alleged shoplifter outside a convenience store in Chicago’s Loop. Police say the suspect stole merchandise and fled the store before being confronted outside, where the situation quickly escalated into a shooting. The victim was transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds and remains in critical condition. Authorities are continuing to search for the suspect as the investigation remains ongoing.
NYC teens rip out cashier’s hair, slap security guard in supermarket brawl: ‘They came to fight’
A group of teenagers caused chaos inside a Bronx Key Food supermarket after confronting store staff and customers. Surveillance video shows the teens assaulting a security guard before attacking a 23-year-old head cashier who tried to intervene, punching her, breaking her glasses, and ripping out her hair. Customers fled the store during the incident as employees attempted to push the group outside. Police are investigating the violent episode and searching for the suspects.
2 suspects accused of shoplifting over $16K
Police in Paramus, New Jersey arrested two suspects accused of stealing more than $16,000 worth of merchandise from stores at the Garden State Plaza mall. Officers stopped the pair after receiving a report of shoplifting at an Alo Yoga store and discovered a foil-lined “booster bag” commonly used to bypass security systems. The bag contained designer items including sunglasses, handbags, and clothing from multiple retailers. Both suspects now face charges related to possession of stolen property and anti-shoplifting devices.
Second Lululemon Theft Ring Leads to Arrests in Peachtree City
Police in Peachtree City, Georgia arrested two suspects connected to an organized retail theft ring targeting Lululemon stores across the Southeast. Investigators say the suspects stole merchandise from the store and attempted to flee in a vehicle before being apprehended following a short pursuit. Authorities recovered stolen items and discovered tools used to bypass retail security devices. Police believe the group may be responsible for additional thefts in other jurisdictions as the investigation continues.
The mounting cost of voice fraud: Revenue loss, broken trust and operational strain
Voice fraud is becoming a growing threat for businesses as criminals exploit phone-based social engineering to manipulate employees and gain access to sensitive systems. Retailers and customer service teams are particularly vulnerable, as attackers impersonate executives, vendors, or trusted partners to initiate fraudulent transactions. The financial impact can include direct losses, operational disruption, and long-term damage to customer trust. Experts say organizations must combine employee awareness training with stronger authentication and fraud detection technologies to reduce risk.
Avant-guard
Robot Dogs join human security teams
Supervisor uses drones to spy on security guards
AI training now includes security guards
Security guard’s kind gesture goes viral
TalkLPNews Host Amber Bradley sits down with Stephanie Meurer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at NAVCO, and this convo is one for our broad thinkers out there re: enterprise risk.
After co-facilitating the hospitality track at APEX, Stephanie is bringing that same energy to the podcast to walk us through Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), and no, that’s not the same thing as enterprise risk management. If you think your organization has already covered it, think again. Spoiler: there are always blind spots. If you’re still treating loss prevention like it lives in its own corner of the building, this episode is your wake-up call.
For more information about NAVCO and their products, click here.
Big Tech companies band together to fight global scams
In an unprecedented move, some of the world's most powerful technology companies have joined forces to tackle the global scam crisis. Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Adobe, and Match Group - the owner of Tinder and Hinge - have each signed a landmark anti-scam accord.
The agreement, according to Axios, aims to "set expectations for how signatories will work across online services to counter scammers" and seeks to drive a united industry response alongside governments, law enforcement, NGOs, and others working to combat fraud.
NYC Council floats bizarre plan to crack down on the self-checkout line
Members of the NYC Council are considering bizarre new legislation that aims to curb retail theft by penalizing customers and business owners rather than criminals.
NYC supermarkets and pharmacies would be forced to impose a 15-item limit for using self-checkout lines, and have at least one employee assigned to every three of those lines, or face daily fines of at least $100.
“We’ve seen the consequences of removing workers from these spaces: increased retail theft, less oversight, fewer protections for both workers and customers, and generally decreased safety.”
Off-duty Phoenix police officer seriously injured in fight with alleged shoplifting suspect
An officer was seriously hurt after a man began to fight with them after allegedly shoplifting in South Phoenix.
Around 3:47 p.m. on March 13, an officer working off-duty in full unform approached a man, later identified as 33-year-old Devontae Lashawn Stockdale, who was shoplifting near 24th Street and Baseline Road.
The suspect was asked to return the stolen items and leave the business. According to police, when the officer tried getting the items, Stockdale tried running out of the store, leading the officer to chase after him.
"During the struggle, the officer was pushed to the ground and injured his leg," Phoenix Police said.
From Optics to Outcomes: Rethinking Pushout Theft Prevention
Retailers have invested heavily in visible theft deterrents—but do they actually work? In Optics vs Outcomes, a national grocer tested gates, guards, and automated cart-based technology to stop pushout theft. The results were clear: highly visible controls created friction, not certainty, while outcomes improved only when the intervention acted directly on the cart. Download the full white paper to see the real data behind what failed, what worked, and how retailers can protect margin without disrupting the customer experience.
Starbucks Partner Central Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Employee Information in Credential Phishing Attack
Starbucks has disclosed a data breach impacting 889 employees after attackers gained unauthorized access to internal HR accounts through credential-harvesting phishing attacks.
The breach, involved threat actors impersonating the Starbucks Partner Central portal to obtain employee login credentials. The attackers maintained access to affected accounts between January 19 and February 11, 2026, exposing sensitive personal and financial information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and bank account and routing numbers.
AI drives global fraud surge
The report from Nasdaq’s Verafin unit said $62 billion of the fraud losses were due to losses related to scams, giving a 19.3% increase to that category compared to 2023. Meanwhile, banks bore $517.4 billion of the fraud losses, an 8.2% increase compared to 2023.
Nasdaq, which operates the Nasdaq Stock Market, agreed to acquire the Verafin software business in 2020 for $2.75 billion.
Also according to the report, cyber-assisted or AI-enabled scams were responsible for $14.3 billion in losses, a 19.6% increase over two years.
Behind the attacks, 90% of the financial crime professionals surveyed for the report said they saw an increase in AI-driven attacks in the past two years.
Activist group launches nationwide shoplifting spree to ‘liberate’ food in protest against 'billionaires'
A left-wing activist group staged a nationwide shoplifting spree to "liberate" food from supermarket shelves in protest against "billionaires".
Take Back Power members carried out coordinated thefts from major supermarket chains across four British cities on Saturday morning, taking items from shelves before delivering them to food banks.
The group, widely seen as the successor organization to Just Stop Oil, targeted branches of Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Tesco in Exeter, Truro, Manchester and south-east London.
The action began at around 8.30am, with participants entering stores in Devon, Cornwall, Didsbury and Lewisham at the same time.
REI to cut wages for new employees, reduce benefits for all
REI Co-op announced in an email to employees that it will reduce starting pay for employees at retail stores, distribution centers, and its headquarters beginning July 1 and reduce benefits for all current employees.
Bloomberg was the first to report the news on Thursday after obtaining the email sent by CEO Mary Beth Laughton in February.
The pay cut percentage was not disclosed. The average starting pay for REI store employees is between $15-$20. For existing employees, the company's guaranteed retirement contribution will now be a more traditional company-match model; vacation time will accrue at a lower rate; and sick time moves from a standard store policy to one aligning with accrual requirements in each state.
Study: Most retail workers considering switching careers or industries
A majority of job seekers, especially those in retail, are looking for a career change.
More than half (54%) of job seekers are interested in switching careers or industries, according to talent success company Criteria’s 2026 Candidate Experience report. Those in blue collar fields are 25% more likely to want to switch careers compared to white collar workers, while those with higher educational attainment are the least likely.
Nearly 7-in-10 (69%) retail candidates are looking to switch careers, the highest percentage of any sector in the study. Retail was followed by those in education (67%), hospitality (65%) and transportation & logistics (63%).
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