Security Spotlight: Serial bandit search, board reporting, collaborating on crime, and more!

Welcome to the November Issue of the Security Spotlight

Barry Thompson's Monthly Security Tip

Board Reporting
While regulations do not specify that the security officer should report in person to the Board of Directors, it is a practice that we recommend. If your institution should ever be faced with a lawsuit, one of the questions that often arises is whether your security officer was supervised by the board.

Most Wanted: Armed and Dangerous

Unmasking a serial bandit...The FBI has released new information and photos of a serial bandit who has been robbing banks in northeast Pennsylvania since June 8, 2012, when he hit the Colonial Regional Bank in Horsham, PA. Dubbed "The Straw Hat Bandit" by the FBI for the hat worn in some of his heists, the suspect masked his face when he robbed 11 banks throughout southeastern PA over the past four years. Armed with a semi-automatic handgun and verbally demanding money from tellers, the suspect has gotten away with an estimated more than $100,000 combined. During the course of the robberies, no shots have been fired – yet. The FBI is hoping that unmasking the serial bandit with a composite sketch they have released will help them find him before he strikes again or someone does get hurt. The sketches have been publicly released along with over a dozen surveillance photos from the 11 robberies and images of the vehicle the suspect is believed to have used. The authorities feel that since the robberies occurred in the same geographical area, the suspect may live in the area and, given his clean-cut appearance, could be hiding in plain sight in any of the surrounding neighborhoods.


The Straw Hat Bandit is considered armed and dangerous. There are FBI and bank rewards being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Detailed information about the robberies and photos are available from the FBI.

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

There was one important discussion in BankersOnline's public Security forum last month; because of the subject matter, we moved it to the Private forums. We may do that when the conversation is of a sensitive nature. With that being said, do you have a burning security question or observation worthy of the public forum? You can post it here to get feedback from your peers.

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 new hire training for security, fingerprinting vendors, banned bankers, and training for the Security Officer. 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

Spotlight on October BOL CrimeDex alerts

The 60,000 registered users of the FBI's Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) now have access to CrimeDex's network to share, search and collaborate on information within the network to help prevent and prosecute criminals involved in fraud.

• Early in October, a Lake Charles, LA, sheriff's office issued a CrimeDex request in search of information on accounts of a man suspected of burglarizing businesses in Louisiana and Georgia and stealing ATMs and cash.
• San Diego County, CA, authorities sought information on bank accounts or safe deposit boxes of eight individuals and four businesses suspected of money laundering and fraud.
• A California credit union posted an alert looking for assistance identifying a man who has been soliciting individuals to open accounts and turn over their ATM cards so he can deposit fraudulent checks and withdraw funds.
• Downer's Grove, IL, police posted photos of "felony lane" suspects who had used a stolen driver's license to negotiate checks at remote US Bank drive-up facilities in Chicagoland.
• Two "short change" artists hit eight Seattle, WA, area banks in early October, according to Redmond police. Their fast-talking didn't dissuade Weiser, ID, police from arresting them in early October. Victimized banks were encouraged to contact Weiser police.
• Wauwatosa, WI, police sought help identifying two suspects who used cloned credit cards at Walgreen's to buy Visa gift cards. One of the suspects appeared to know the Walgreen's camera placement well and blocked shots of his face.
• A U.S. Postal Inspector posted an alert concerning a series of unissued Postal Money Orders that were stolen and are being negotiated.
• An international element appeared as a Cape Town, South Africa, business reported "a lot of instances where fraudsters are attempting to purchase goods with credit cards from countries where we don't do business" (including the U.S.).

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.

October was another slow month, but in case you missed them, you can still check out the following news items we highlighted for the month:

• We started the month on October 5 with the report of a crime and arrest that took place all within one hour. Read how technology and training contributed to the quick resolution of this incident.
• We shared a generic "dumb robber" article on October 7. Would the "take" on this crime help dissuade the next bank robber?
• On October 11, we linked to a story on synthetic identity fraud. If you're not familiar with this type of fraud, this is a good article to review before you take a loss.
• October 18, we shared a story (and a video) about a new wave of crime that may be coming soon near you – blowing up ATMs.
• Will the Wells Fargo scandal impact your bank's security program? It could. The article posted on October 19 explains how the case could affect your bank and how to prepare for these types of comments and repercussions.
• Have you ever considered the impact bank robbery has on the family of the bank robber? Our October 19 post title "My dad, the bank robber" isn't a "woe is me" article, but an insightful touch of reality.
• A third story we shared that same day is an example of how quickly a bank robbery can happen. What could the bank have done differently to prevent this incident?
• Are you looking for materials to help train staff or customers on detecting counterfeit bills? Two posts from October 24 may provide just what you need.
• Also on October 24, we posted an article on banks' slow adoption of chip card readers on bank-owned ATMs. Will the technology reduce losses? Or is the overhead cost higher than the risk? How do these strategies impact your losses?
• Halloween may be over, but masks worn by customers are often seen throughout the holiday season. The location of your cameras is critical. The Flower Power story posted on October 24 reveals why.
• And finally, in the spirit of Halloween, with the spotlight on masks and disguises, check out some of the worst disguises in our October 25 post.

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!