Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Have you demoed BOL's online Robbery Response course?
Come on. When's the last time you had FUN training? BOL's Personal Trainer elearning course on Robbery Response is short and to the point, but your staff will enjoy its interactive features. Try the demo today!
Come on. When's the last time you had FUN training? BOL's Personal Trainer elearning course on Robbery Response is short and to the point, but your staff will enjoy its interactive features. Try the demo today!
End of the Line for the Infamous Cowboy Bandit
A string of 22 unsolved robberies in 2004 in Texas came to an end last week as police nabbed the Cowboy Bandit. When he returned to the scene of one of his earlier robberies, Travis County Credit Union, and approached the same teller, there was one important difference. The credit union had posted a "No hats, no sunglasses" robbery deterrence sign. According to a credit union employee, everyone had either adhered to the sign's polite request or had made a comment on it. Until the robber waltzed in with a cowboy hat and sunglasses on. (Previously, when he robbed the CU, he wore a baseball cap.) This time, all eyes were focused on the man blatantly ignoring the new security measure. Instead of making off with more loot, the bad boy and his accomplice got handcuffs instead from police who had been staking out several local financial institutions.
Someone Has to Know Who This Is
The man pictured below is suspected of having committed at least five bank robberies in Oklahoma and, who knows, maybe he's stealing from FIs in other states when he's not in Oklahoma. Someone has to know this guy. Take a good look.
For more information, and pictures of some of his other heists (as well as some other robbery suspects), click over to COCHA's Most Wanted.
A string of 22 unsolved robberies in 2004 in Texas came to an end last week as police nabbed the Cowboy Bandit. When he returned to the scene of one of his earlier robberies, Travis County Credit Union, and approached the same teller, there was one important difference. The credit union had posted a "No hats, no sunglasses" robbery deterrence sign. According to a credit union employee, everyone had either adhered to the sign's polite request or had made a comment on it. Until the robber waltzed in with a cowboy hat and sunglasses on. (Previously, when he robbed the CU, he wore a baseball cap.) This time, all eyes were focused on the man blatantly ignoring the new security measure. Instead of making off with more loot, the bad boy and his accomplice got handcuffs instead from police who had been staking out several local financial institutions.
Someone Has to Know Who This Is
The man pictured below is suspected of having committed at least five bank robberies in Oklahoma and, who knows, maybe he's stealing from FIs in other states when he's not in Oklahoma. Someone has to know this guy. Take a good look.
For more information, and pictures of some of his other heists (as well as some other robbery suspects), click over to COCHA's Most Wanted.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
High Tech Robber Tracking
A 26 year old man being sought in connection with nearly 100 armed robberies around the L.A. area, as well as on a warrant for a federal probation violation stemming from an old cocaine conviction, was brought to justice after he robbed a PNC Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio earlier this week. Trevor Damaurn Woods had been on the U.S. Marshal's 15 Most Wanted List.
So, how was he finally caught? According to a news article sent to us by BOL user Michael Mingey, the thief's arrest resulted from the bank teller slipping a GPS device in with the cash. In a matter of minutes, the cops were hot on his trail (along with the two other men who robbed the bank with him) and the thief was apprehended after his car hit a tree.
I witnessed a demonstration of the GPS technology at a bank robbery task force meeting a few months ago. BOL Guru Sharon Lewis arranged for the company to brief us on their technology and how it could be used. It was incredibly impressive. The stopping block for some institutions is, of course, its cost. Its effectiveness, however, cannot be denied.
Within seconds after the GPS is removed from its special pad, it sends a signal to the company, which then automatically notifies the prearranged contact persons at the bank and law enforcement through their designated contact methods -- email, pagers, cell phones or regular phone. Logging on to a secure Web site, they can then track the movement of the money through an online interface that contains detailed maps. From the direction the thief is heading, to current location and speed, the site shows law enforcement everything they need to locate the robber. How cool is that?
A 26 year old man being sought in connection with nearly 100 armed robberies around the L.A. area, as well as on a warrant for a federal probation violation stemming from an old cocaine conviction, was brought to justice after he robbed a PNC Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio earlier this week. Trevor Damaurn Woods had been on the U.S. Marshal's 15 Most Wanted List.
So, how was he finally caught? According to a news article sent to us by BOL user Michael Mingey, the thief's arrest resulted from the bank teller slipping a GPS device in with the cash. In a matter of minutes, the cops were hot on his trail (along with the two other men who robbed the bank with him) and the thief was apprehended after his car hit a tree.
I witnessed a demonstration of the GPS technology at a bank robbery task force meeting a few months ago. BOL Guru Sharon Lewis arranged for the company to brief us on their technology and how it could be used. It was incredibly impressive. The stopping block for some institutions is, of course, its cost. Its effectiveness, however, cannot be denied.
Within seconds after the GPS is removed from its special pad, it sends a signal to the company, which then automatically notifies the prearranged contact persons at the bank and law enforcement through their designated contact methods -- email, pagers, cell phones or regular phone. Logging on to a secure Web site, they can then track the movement of the money through an online interface that contains detailed maps. From the direction the thief is heading, to current location and speed, the site shows law enforcement everything they need to locate the robber. How cool is that?
Sunday, April 11, 2004
Another mark in the win column as the industry battles Nigerian 419 schemes. Yoshiki Fujimoto of Honolulu, 67, was recently sentenced to two years in federal prison for his part in a Nigerian scam.
Fujimoto was contacted by a Nigerian who provided his with a bad check for $245,000. Fujimoto attempted to deposit the check into his bank and was told it was part of a scam and no good. Ignoring this, Fujimoto went to another bank, opened an account with the check and transferred $100,000 to banks in New York and Indonesia.
Fujimoto was contacted by a Nigerian who provided his with a bad check for $245,000. Fujimoto attempted to deposit the check into his bank and was told it was part of a scam and no good. Ignoring this, Fujimoto went to another bank, opened an account with the check and transferred $100,000 to banks in New York and Indonesia.
Yet another reason to ensure confidential information is always secured. A laptop with GMAC customers NonPublic Private Information, including their names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security Account Numbers was stored on a laptop and stolen from a vehicle, InformationWeek reported. While this seems to be a random crime and not an attempt to get this information, no one knows where this data will end up. The laptop was password protected, but not encrypted.
GMAC is notifying 200,000 customers that their information may have been compromised.
Lesson Learned: Protection a customers NPPI extends beyond the walls of the bank and the electronic bits and bytes transmitted over the Net. If you allow this data on any type of portable storage device, including laptops, diskettes, CDs, Zip disks, USB thumb drives, etc. have the data protected. Does that make it inconvenient for the user, certainly. But it makes it inconvenient for an unauthorized user as well and it beats licking 200,000 envelopes.
GMAC is notifying 200,000 customers that their information may have been compromised.
Lesson Learned: Protection a customers NPPI extends beyond the walls of the bank and the electronic bits and bytes transmitted over the Net. If you allow this data on any type of portable storage device, including laptops, diskettes, CDs, Zip disks, USB thumb drives, etc. have the data protected. Does that make it inconvenient for the user, certainly. But it makes it inconvenient for an unauthorized user as well and it beats licking 200,000 envelopes.
Monday, April 05, 2004
What do Yugoslavia, Nigeria, Romania, Pakistan and Indonesia have in common? MSNBC reports they are the top five countries where international credit card fraud is occurring and 40% of the US industry losses are from these countries.
Analysis shows that Yugoslavia, the worst for fraud, has a 13% fraud rate. That means 13 of every hundred orders originating from there are bogus. The MSNBC article has more on what you can do to prevent these transactions from being processed in your bank.
Analysis shows that Yugoslavia, the worst for fraud, has a 13% fraud rate. That means 13 of every hundred orders originating from there are bogus. The MSNBC article has more on what you can do to prevent these transactions from being processed in your bank.
Another positive step even though it is but one of thousands or millions in the quest to stop Nigerian fraudsters.
Peter Okoeguale will be incarcerated for 20 months for his part in a Nigerian 419 scam. Okoeguale was able to strip email addresses from websites in order to feed his database to which the scam letters would be sent. Some of the tools to accomplish this and false documents with letterhead of "Nigerian Police Force Contract Investigation Section" were in his possession when he was arrested.
With the info in his pocket, the police were able to track some of the "losers" in this scam, including one American, 72 years old, who lost $46.5K. He had the contact info for potential victims in Scotland, the Middle East, Far East, and the US.
Peter Okoeguale will be incarcerated for 20 months for his part in a Nigerian 419 scam. Okoeguale was able to strip email addresses from websites in order to feed his database to which the scam letters would be sent. Some of the tools to accomplish this and false documents with letterhead of "Nigerian Police Force Contract Investigation Section" were in his possession when he was arrested.
With the info in his pocket, the police were able to track some of the "losers" in this scam, including one American, 72 years old, who lost $46.5K. He had the contact info for potential victims in Scotland, the Middle East, Far East, and the US.
