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In this Issue:  by Barry Thompson, BOL Guru
Featured Security Webinar Protecting the Bank from Loan Modification and Foreclosure "Rescue" Scams - July 22 by Richard Hagar
Security Products in the BankerStore  BVL Vol. 26: Effective Robbery Response & Opening Procedure  The Robbery Puzzle: So Many Pieces, So Little Time  Robbery Prevention, Response & Aftermath |
Welcome to the July Issue of Security Spotlight In this issue, read about Bundled Up Bank Robbers on a hot June day and learn about some statistics and tactics relative to Alerts and Counterfeits in today's economy. Two cell phone-related items -- a tip and an anecdote about how a cell phone helped stop a robber. Sign up for the Security Officers Workshop before July 31 and get Early Bird Pricing! Bundled Up Bank Robbers When it's hot and someone enters the bank dressed like it was winter, big red flags should go up. Three of this month's gallery of bank robbery photos feature bank robbers who entered banks - in June - bundled up like Ralphie and Randy from the classic Christmas movie "A Christmas Story."  On the first day of June, a black male with shoulder length dreadlocks, wearing a brown hoodie, gloves, with a mask covering his face and armed with a handgun, robbed the Carolina Federal Bank in West Ashley, SC. Officers sent search teams to the neighborhood with a helicopter and dogs. The FBI and the city of Charleston Police Department are helping in the investigation. He is still at large.Later that week, a white female wearing a black hooded sweat shirt (above), her face covered, displaying a gun, robbed the M&T Bank, in Fair Oaks, VA. No one was injured during this robbery.
 On June 13, a black male wearing a black cap, black sunglasses a charcoal gray jacket, black gloves with a bandanna covering his face robbed the Fidelity Bank, in Suwanee, GA. The robber approached the teller saying that he needed to make a withdrawal. He placed a backpack on the counter and the teller put the money in the backpack. He did not show a gun. He is also a suspect in the June 1 robbery of the Georgia Federal Credit Union in Duluth, GA, where he ordered everyone to the floor, waved a gun around, demanded money and fled on a BMX bicycle.Check our Bank Robbery page for photos and information on all the latest robbery suspects. Protect your institution by posting signage prohibiting hats, hoods and sunglasses. The effectiveness of this simple sign on your door is unsurpassed. Available now in the Banker Store. Alerts & Counterfeits There were 22 Special Alerts sent out by the FDIC for the month of June reporting counterfeit checks. All but two of these were detected because they had incorrect routing numbers. One might say here that the counterfeiters had not done their homework very well, but actually they could be using a delay tactic that allows them to get away, make some distance and use some of their gain before getting apprehended, which will be the end result of their caper. In using incorrect routing numbers, it makes it more difficult for the bank to verify the authenticity of the check presented to them, especially if it is an out of town check that is presented in a local bank. When the economy is down or when there is a disaster, or sadly, a tragedy in the world, the counterfeiters perk up. A news report recently even warned people to be on the lookout for scams related to the death of Michael Jackson! Crooks Invest $20 to Net $80 The latest technique for counterfeiting currency involves taking two $10 bills and cutting the zeros off one of them, then pasting the zeros on the other bill to make it appear to be $100. If your tellers (or customers) are just giving bills a quick glance, these fakes would be easy to miss. Pass the word.
 
In the Security Blog learn about how cell phones apprehended a brash bank robber in Massachusetts. A quick call by a branch manager arranged for a "welcoming committee" of about a dozen local and state police officers just outside the door when the robber finished his "business" inside. An interesting blog about a really dumb robber just really takes the cake! A bank robber was recognized by a friend he was visiting, who had seen his picture in the media. What really nailed this guy was when he bragged about his escapade in MySpace! Read about this and other very interesting incidents in the BOL Security Blog. | |||
Most for profit loan modification and foreclosure "assistance" companies operate illegally....however thousands of them exist. Some of these companies charge borrowers thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars to "modify" or "assist." The reality is, most do not help and they reduce the chances that the loan will be brought current. Many lenders are unknowingly contributing to the problem by dealing with the scammers. President Obama recently warned about dealing with these people, and regulatory agencies have sent out alerts on loan modification and foreclosure rescue scams, including an advisory from FinCEN on filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) on them that ensures examiners will expect your staff to recognize scams and report them. This webinar will show you how the scams operate, so that your staff can avoid the problems and help bring loans current -- the right way.
BankersOnline.com has a wonderful