Security Spotlight: Physical security tips, most wanted update, fraud alerts, and more!

Welcome to the July Issue of the Security Spotlight

Barry Thompson's Monthly Security Tip

Physical Security Equipment
Bank robberies and hostage situations have been on the rise. Financial institution executives and security officers are increasingly asking consultants what new equipment should be purchased or what procedures should be implemented to protect their offices. When speaking at conferences and lectures, I pose the following question to attendees: "Have you ever thought about how you would rob your own financial institution?" Not surprisingly, 99 percent of them answer "No."

We seldom think of how to rob our own financial institution. If you implement procedures, purchase new equipment, and streamline operations without ever considering what goes through a robber's mind, you may become unwitting targets of crime. We have conducted thousands of inspections only to have people state "we never thought of that!" When you conduct your annual physical inspections, thinking like a criminal will help you know what equipment is needed and what procedures to have in place to protect your financial institution.

Most Wanted: Update

New info on old robbery...Three years has passed since 46-year-old Vincent Kelley was killed on June 16, 2013, trying to stop a bank robber in Washington County, PA. The suspect robbed a Citizens Bank branch inside a supermarket wearing a mask, black gloves, and a large floppy straw hat with a blue band, carrying a black open umbrella and a handgun. Dubbed the "Straw Hat Bandit" by the FBI, the suspect fled the supermarket branch. Kelley followed him to his getaway car, jumped into the back seat, and was shot while trying to subdue the thief. Investigators released new information earlier this month about the suspect's getaway vehicle. The license tag was a Pennsylvania plate identified as HZT-6978, and is believed to have been stolen from Bridgeville or Scott Township area. Investigators said the same robber in the same car may have held up West Penn Gold in Bridgeville two days earlier. They think the suspect is local and believe the stolen plate may be hidden in a home or shed where the suspect lives or visits.

The Washington County District Attorney's office released the details about the license plate in the hope that someone has seen it and will report it, leading them to the suspect and an arrest. Not only is the Straw Hat Bandit wanted by the FBI, but Citizens Bank is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Check our Bank Robbery page for photos and information on the latest unknown bank bandits, many of them with sunglasses, hats or other head and facial coverings disguising their identity. Enforcing a no hats, hoods and sunglasses policy can help reduce the number of bandits who target your bank. Purchase No Hat Cling signs for all of your branches from the Banker Store.

Hot Topics from the Bankers Forums

Discussions in BankersOnline's public Security forum last month included a couple threads on the topic of an Affidavit of Forgery. If you missed that or previous threads about forgeries, armored car services or kidnappings, you can still review those discussions, and more here.

You'll find active discussions on more sensitive security topics in our "Private Security Forum," where bankers discuss issues out of public view. There's also a private forum that invites participation by bankers, regulators and members of law enforcement.

The private forums are the place for security officers to discuss topics like bait money and how much personal information should go on a bank's website. If you're a registered user of BOL's Discussion Forums, but don't see the Private - Financial Institution Personnel Only forums near the top of the Forums list, use your bank email address to send an access request to brenda@bankersonline.com. Once your request is approved, you can access the Private Security forum here.

Please note: Our Private Forums do not include access to Bankers Hotline, or Compliance Action, which are premium content areas requiring paid subscriptions.

CrimeDex

No summer vacation for crooks, robbers and other slimeballs

Well over 300 BOL CrimeDex alerts crossed our desk last month, and there is no indication that things will slow down as temperatures go up. CrimeDex alerts can be used to reach out for information to help solve cases, identify suspects, and identify other loss victims. They can also be used to identify regional fraud trends, discover cues to help identify scam and fraud attempts, or "spice up" those regular security training sessions at your bank.

Last month's action included a request from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for information on mail theft losses in Brooklyn, NY, as the Service zeroed in on a suspect. New accounts, ATM withdrawals and mobile deposits were a fraudulent mix causing losses for Golden 1 Credit Union in the Sacramento, CA, area, which sought information on a suspect in their surveillance photos.

Naperville, Illinois, police reached out for information on any accounts in the name of a known ID fraud victim who has identified a number of inquiries in her credit history. A Connecticut bank sought more information on a pattern of PINless debit card fraud involving transactions under $50 (no PIN and no signature required) at Walmart stores in Florida.

Our "Lowlife of the Month" award goes to the individual who worked a "grandson arrested for DUI" scam on an elderly Illinois man who sent $1425 via MoneyGram to "Matthew Wilson," the grandson's "caseworker" in Hartford, CT, for bond money. Of course, the victim has a grandson, but he hadn't been arrested and had no idea what his grandfather was talking about. But there is a "Matthew Wilson" who received the transfer at a check cashing store in Bronx, NY.

Get all the details at CrimeDex . The CrimeDex service is free to all financial institutions that are registered users of BankersOnline. If you have access to our private forums, read the "CrimeDex Service FREE" notice in the second thread of the "Private - FI Personnel Only" forum.

Facebook Blog

Throughout the month, we share news-related incidents on Facebook that can be informative examples for training employees on security issues and more. We appreciate the "Likes" and encourage you to share our page with your fellow Security Officers and bankers, and ask them to "Like" us so they too can stay updated on the latest news.

There was plenty of news to share in June. In case you missed it, you can still check out the following posts:

• We started off on June 5th with a story that highlights two things you should do when a bank robber says he is armed and has a bomb: get the suspect out of the bank quickly and safely, and get law enforcement on his backside.
• Also on June 5th is a post about a 25-year-old man with 23 felony convictions, his latest for robbing a bank. This "career criminal" shouldn't have the freedom to rob banks again.
• It's not often that we hear about a customer robbing other customers – or injuring one of them (or a child) – inside a bank lobby. Read the June 6th post and the follow-up link posted on June 7th, and consider how your security staff would respond in this type of situation.
• What we do hear often is the occasional "dumb robber" story. Our June 7th post is about one such character that had to make his getaway on foot – which wasn't part of his plan.
• Our June 13th post points out how "common" bank robberies are in some areas. No bank wants to earn a plaque for being the "Most Robbed Branch."
• The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center released its report on ransomware, scareware and phishing. Get the details in our July 16th post.
• Could a criminal get away with using a fake ID to withdraw $90,000 at your bank? Our June 18th post reveals how it can, and did, happen.
• On that same date we shared a story about a CEO who stole over $700K, and then attempted to set up a sweet severance package if he got fired for the theft.
• We ended the month on June 18th with a third success story involving the capture of three bank robbers. According to the local sheriff, police provided "lodging" for them. You gotta love how LEO can turn a phrase!

Read about these and other informative topics on our BOL Facebook page. Be sure to "Like" the articles so we can continue to post more articles of interest to you!