Retail News CRM

Tag: theft

  • Swift Strike: Vietnamese Gang Cracks Motorbike Theft in 5 Seconds Flat

    Swift Strike: Vietnamese Gang Cracks Motorbike Theft in 5 Seconds Flat

    In central Vietnam, law enforcement authorities have successfully brought down a criminal ring suspected of swiftly stealing motorbikes across the provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The official inquiry began on Friday, led by Nghe An police, focusing on Truong Hoang Hiep, 18 years old, believed to be the gang’s ringleader, along with five other suspects. The charges faced by the alleged criminals are of “property theft.”

    Method of Operation

    The police claim that the alleged thieves, under Hiep’s leadership, specifically targeted residences and motorbike shops situated in both provinces. Their modus operandi was remarkably fast, involving a technique where they would cut into the motorbike’s wiring to hot-wire it. This method enabled them to start the ignition and escape with the motorbike within an estimated five seconds.

    Their next step would be to conceal the license plates using tape, post which they would trade the stolen motorbikes for cash. As per the police, the criminals usually traveled together, wearing face masks and sun-protection clothing to hide their identities while on the lookout for potential victims.

    Investigation and Arrest

    Reports from victims ultimately led the Nghe An police to launch investigations. By mid-November, the officers had successfully tracked the suspects’ movements, which resulted in their arrest. All the suspects have reportedly confessed to their crimes.

    The police authorities have accused the gang of committing 13 motorbike thefts from May until their eventual capture. The estimated total value of the stolen motorbikes from both provinces is said to be around VND230 million (US$9,600).

    Questions & Answers

    Who are the suspects in the motorbike theft case?
    The chief suspect is Truong Hoang Hiep, an 18-year-old who is believed to be the leader of the gang. There are five other individuals involved in the case.

    How did the gang execute the thefts?
    The gang employed a quick technique to hot-wire the motorbikes by cutting into the wiring. They would then ride away with the motorbike, cover the license plates with tape, and sell the stolen vehicles for cash.

    What led to the gang’s capture?
    Reports from victims led the Nghe An police to initiate investigations. By successfully tracing the suspects’ movements, the officers were able to arrest them. All suspects have confessed to their crimes.

  • Singapore Man Faces Jail Time for Stealing Nearly $200 Worth of Durian Delights

    Singapore Man Faces Jail Time for Stealing Nearly $200 Worth of Durian Delights

    In a bizarre twist of fate, a 56-year-old man from Singapore found himself behind bars for five weeks after attempting to nab a luxurious fruit—an act that surely left the fruit-loving community in disbelief.

    The man, identified as Sew Swee Chai, was sentenced last Monday following his guilty plea to two counts of theft. These charges notably included stealing nine Black Gold durians valued at S$250 (approximately US$195), along with three religious amulets from the Fu Lu Shou Complex in Rochor, as reported by Channel News Asia.

    According to court documents, Sew’s midnight craving for durians led him to a closed fruit stall located at Block 276, Bukit Batok East Avenue 4, on the night of September 6, 2024. Surveillance footage captured him outside the stall, where he spent several minutes plotting his heist. In a fit of ingenuity, he attempted to disable the security cameras by unplugging them, only to unwittingly turn off the refrigerators instead. With a quick grab, he slipped the durians into a plastic bag and sauntered away.

    The following morning, an observant stall assistant quickly noticed the absence of the prized durians and immediately reviewed the CCTV footage, revealing the audacious theft. A police report ensued, leading to Sew’s identification and subsequent capture.

    But Sew’s misadventures didn’t stop there. About two weeks later, he returned to the scene of crime at Fu Lu Shou Complex, where he attempted to pocket two amulets. His sticky fingers nearly snagged a third before the shop owner caught him red-handed and alerted authorities, culminating in Sew’s arrest, as detailed by Mothership.

    During the court proceedings, prosecutors painted a picture of Sew as a repeat offender, citing prior convictions for burglary and theft noted by Shin Min Daily News. In his defense, Sew’s lawyer indicated that he suffers from major depressive disorder, claiming his client hadn’t been taking prescribed medication around the time of his heists. The defense underscored that Sew is seeking treatment and has already made reparations for stolen goods.

    Ultimately, the court handed down a sentence of nine weeks in jail, yet granted a deferment due to Sew’s need to assist his 80-year-old mother, who is battling Stage 2 breast cancer. Sew is slated to begin serving his sentence on October 13, leaving the banana (or rather, durian) kingdom abuzz with this unexpected tale of criminal folly in the pursuit of an exotic delicacy.

    Questions & Answers

    What motivated Sew Swee Chai’s theft?
    Sew’s actions were primarily driven by a late-night craving for durians, which are considered a delicacy in Singapore.

    What was the outcome of Sew’s court hearing?
    Sew was sentenced to nine weeks in jail but received a deferment to care for his ailing mother before he begins serving his time.

    How did authorities identify Sew after the theft?
    Authorities tracked Sew down after a stall assistant reviewed the CCTV footage from the night of the theft, which recorded his escapade.

  • Cybercriminals Target Organizations with Phony App to Steal Data and Demand Ransoms

    Cybercriminals Target Organizations with Phony App to Steal Data and Demand Ransoms

    In a worrying trend, hackers are escalating their tactics by targeting organizations across Europe and the Americas, employing social engineering to install a modified version of a legitimate data import tool. This seemingly innocuous application opens the door for attackers to steal sensitive information, gain access to cloud services, and navigate through networks, escalating their assaults and demands for extortion.

    Cybercriminals Craft Deceptive Strategies

    Tracking this malicious activity is the threat group known as UNC6040, which makes use of voice phishing, or vishing, to trick unsuspecting employees into downloading the malicious app. Designed to closely imitate a familiar enterprise tool, this rogue application secures an alarming level of access to corporate environments. Once in, it enables the exfiltration of critical data and compromises system integrity with ease.

    Consequences and Scope of the Attack

    The Google Threat Intelligence Group has reported that approximately 20 organizations have fallen victim to these attacks, some enduring confirmed data breaches that threaten their operational security. This ongoing operation is linked to a cybercriminal ecosystem referred to as ‘The Com,’ which engages in various illegal activities, underscoring the complex and interconnected nature of modern cybersecurity threats.

    The Human Element in Cybersecurity

    Experts warn that the root of this threat lies not in software vulnerabilities but in the effectiveness of social engineering tactics. This serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of heightened employee awareness and the implementation of robust controls over app authorization. It turns out that even the most sophisticated cybersecurity measures can be bypassed with a simple phone call — it’s a lesson every organization should take to heart.

    Questions & Answers

    What tactics are hackers using in these attacks?
    Hackers are using voice phishing to deceive employees into downloading a malicious version of a legitimate data import tool, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data.

    How many organizations have been affected by these cyber attacks?
    Approximately 20 organizations have been affected, with some experiencing confirmed data breaches as a result.

    What steps should organizations take to mitigate such attacks?
    Organizations should focus on improving employee awareness regarding social engineering tactics and enforce stricter controls on app authorization to prevent unauthorized access.

  • Ericsson comes up with super high-tech anti-smartphone-theft solution

    Ericsson comes up with super high-tech anti-smartphone-theft solution

    Over the past few years, manufacturers have made great strides to discourage smartphone theft. These are usually locking mechanisms, which block the phone from ever being used by someone else than its user — either through biometric scanners or the good old passcode. And if a thief tries to reset your device, it will usually become a brick, which will not activate unless your personal password is entered on boot.

    But that hasn’t stopped thieves entirely. For one, they like to try their chances — some users still don’t lock their phones. And two, some phones can still be hacked into after a factory reset. So, additional solutions are always welcome. Swedish company Ericsson (remember the partnership Sony-Ericsson?) has come up with and patented a very high-tech anti-theft system. It’s called “Adaptive Friction” and currently only exists on paper, filed as a patented idea.

    Basically, the phone will use multiple sensors to maintain constant awareness of its contextual environment — whether it’s in a pocket, on a table, in a purse, et cetera. It will do this by analyzing data from its microphones, light sensor(s), camera(s), and gyroscope. Whenever a hand is laid on the device, it will quickly try to determine whether or not it’s being grabbed by its owner — it will do so by analyzing the grip (whether it’s a secure and confident grab, or a cheeky corner pinch) and even by utilizing biometric sensors to analyze the person’s heartbeat and compare it to known heartbeat patterns of the rightful owner.

    If the phone determines that it’s being nabbed by an unknown person, it will begin vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies, which should — in theory — make it super slippery and hard to pinch out of a pocket. Hence the name “Adaptive Friction” The patent does state that the technology can also be used to make the phone extra grippy and stick to the user’s hand when being used, thus making it harder to drop, which also sounds pretty interesting.

    Of course, this sounds like a whole ton of tech that needs to be tuned in order to make this work quickly and reliably. As with any patent — there’s no guarantee we’d see it in a phone any time soon (if ever), but this one definitely has some interesting “out of the box” thinking.

  • No baggage theft by staff of Cebu Pacific

    No baggage theft by staff of Cebu Pacific

    Budget airline Cebu Pacific has cleared its staff of any wrongdoing in the alleged pilferage incident on its 5J 113 flight.

    Airline authorities conducted its own investigation on the matter and ruled that its staff could not be held liable for negligence or any criminal activities over the reported lost valuables of a female passenger.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, Cebu Pacific said the package of the woman who flew from Hong Kong to Manila last Sunday was not tampered with while it was with the said airline.

    “After a thorough investigation, which included inquiries with the ground staff, viewing body cam and fixed CCTV footage, we found that there were no discrepancies nor indications of tampering in the baggage of the concerned passenger under the care and custody of Cebu Pacific,” the company said.

    All of the reports and footage would be submitted to the Manila International Airport Authority, Cebu Pacific said.

    Last Sunday, a video of a woman complaining after seeing her package opened and valuable items lost at the baggage carousel went viral on Facebook.

    According to a previous statement from Cebu Pacific, the female passenger flew with a different airline from London en route to Hong Kong, before boarding their plane to Manila.

    “CCTV security footage showed that the baggage container arrived (in) Manila intact, with the passenger’s baggage inside,” the company said.  “CCTV footage further showed ground personnel loading the baggage on the carousel with the lock still in place.”

  • Holiday Season in Hong Kong: Good for Sales, Good for Theft

    Holiday Season in Hong Kong: Good for Sales, Good for Theft

    With the holiday season fast approaching, a study report reveals that retailers around the world will experience both their highest sales and shrink distributions during this period. According to the 2016 Retail Holiday Season Global Forecast, 30% of the losses Hong Kong retailers incur due to internal and external theft will come during the holiday season, with apparel, children’s toys and electronics emerging the favourites among thieves.

    Theft from internal sources (primarily via employee theft and other sales reducing activities) and external factors (primarily via shoplifting/organized retail crime), which is referred to as shrink by retailers, is at its peak during the holiday season, which also sees 27% of annual retail sales of a retailer in Hong Kong .

    The study, underwritten by an independent grant from Checkpoint Systems , Inc., was carried out by Ernie Deyle , a retail loss prevention analyst, and provides an analytical view of business risks that major retailers face during this holiday season. The 13 markets covered in the report include North America , Europe and Asia , and include the U.S., Belgium , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Portugal , Spain , UK, Australia , mainland China , Hong Kong and Japan .

    Mark Gentle , Vice President — Merchandise Availability Solutions Asia Pacific, Checkpoint Systems, said, “Building holiday inventories earlier and specifically for high-risk items may lead to increased sales reduction pressures, such as markdowns and shrink throughout the fourth-quarter. The report reveals that nearly 30% of sales reducing activities are incurred during this time period. This leads to increased shrink, and puts additional strains on brick-and-mortar retailers already reeling from an ongoing inhospitable retail market.”

    Even though Hong Kong has the lowest proportion of Q4 losses due to shrink of all the 13 markets surveyed, it is still significant and over 30% higher than during the first two quarters of the year.

    In addition, the cost of retail loss to Hong Kong shoppers in 2016, as absorbed or passed on from retailers, is expected to be HK$175 per person on average, of which HK$53 , or one-third, will be incurred during the holiday season. These increases in losses place an enormous burden on retailers and, ultimately, on honest consumers who pay for it in higher prices.

    “For most retailers, wholesalers and distributors, inventory — including the space to store it — is the largest single cost of doing business. While reducing inventory means lower costs, insufficient inventory leads to out of stock situations, lost sales and unhappy customers. Therefore balancing these two factors is critical to profitability and growth, particularly in omni-channel environments,” said Mr. Gentle.

    “The use of advanced data analytic tools, inventory management strategies, along with technologies such as RFID will provide retailers with enhanced visibility to track merchandise as it moves through the supply chain to distribution centers, retail backrooms and store shelves, helping retailers reduce losses due to shrink and other causes, ultimately increasing the financial contribution of each item.”

    Lees ook:

  • More than 1 in 4 cloud apps are high risk

    More than 1 in 4 cloud apps are high risk

    More than a quarter (27%) of third-party apps can be classified as high risk, according to research from CloudLock Cyberlab.

    Analysis conducted across 10 million users, 1 billion files, and nearly 160,000 unique applications found that cybercriminals can exploit weaknesses in high-risk apps to gain programmatic access to corporate platforms impersonating end users. 

    The shadow IT dilemma is meanwhile only becoming more challenging as usage is increasing exponentially year over year, the company said.

    The past three years saw nearly a 30 times increase in the number of apps detected, from 5,500 to nearly 160,000. Each application instance represents a backdoor through which hackers can infiltrate and externalize sensitive corporate assets.

    CloudLock Cyberlab said an organization may embrace its employees’ “shadow” exploration of innovative technology solutions and sanction a subset of these apps as Productivity IT, but it’s essential to closely monitor the connected third-party apps and identify cloud native malware in real time.

    Security conscious enterprises recognize the high risk associated with connected third-party apps and take immediate action. While apps can be banned for any number of reasons, including concerns around productivity, a clear majority are banned because of the security vulnerabilities they introduce. 

    The key recommendation is to reduce cloud app risk by establishing an acceptable use policy, with which organizations can significantly reduce the application risk level organization-wide. Automating whitelisting or banning of potentially risky applications is an effective strategy. 

    “The shift to the cloud creates a new, virtual security perimeter that includes third-party apps granted access to corporate systems,” said Ayse Kaya Firat, CloudLock director of customer insights and analytics.

    “Today, most employees leverage a wide variety of apps to get their jobs done efficiently, unwittingly exposing corporate data and systems to malware and the possibility of data theft.”

  • Mid-flight theft increases in Asia

    Mid-flight theft increases in Asia

    Mid-flight theft-related offences on board airplanes have become more common in several Asian countries over the past two years, including in Indonesia.

    According to daily newspaper Kompas, the latest incident occurred on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha, Qatar, to Jakarta on Sunday evening, around three hours after the airplane took off.

    When the cabin lights were switched off and most of the passengers were asleep, offenders allegedly opened the overhead compartments, removed several bags and began searching through them back at their seats or in the plane’s main aisle. When the Qatar Airways plane landed, four bags were found to have been moved, allegedly by two different people.

    It was reported by tribunnews.com that four Chinese citizens, who were allegedly members of a theft syndicate, were being questioned by the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Police on Monday.

    “We are still developing our investigation,” said head of airport police Iptu Waluyo.

    According to aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman, airlines are responsible for handling theft cases that occur during their flights.

    “Regarding the case involving Qatar Airways, it would be better if the police were joined by Qatar Embassy officials during questioning. Then the suspects could be extradited to Qatar to face legal proceedings there,” said Gerry.

    Separately, Qatar Airways corporate communications official Koh Wei Ling said that there was no official statement yet regarding the case.

    “We are still waiting for our head office in Doha to issue the official statement,” said Ling.

    Meanwhile, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has called on passengers to keep their belongings safe.

    “We always tell the crew to be alert when checking on the cabin, especially when passengers are asleep,” said Garuda Indonesia corporate communications vice president Benny S Butarbutar.

    State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II’s president director Budi Karya Sumadi said that theft-related offences on board airplanes were under the airline’s jurisdiction. But airport security are available to support them in bringing the alleged offenders to airport police.

    In a press release on Tuesday, Garuda Indonesia informed that these offenders usually checked-in without any luggage, stayed for only one day in their destination, owned passports and tickets issued outside Indonesia and allegedly were part of a criminal syndicate. The theft itself usually occurred during the night when passengers were asleep or at the lavatory.

    Currently Garuda is cooperating with other airlines through the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) to share information and conduct preventive actions, including conducting passenger profiling, issuing policies for assist air crew to prevent such incidents and providing security officers in destination cities.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: