Category Archives: Crime

by | April 23, 2014 · 8:42 am

Hospitality Industry News Update: “Restaurant And Hospitality News For VARs”

This week the news includes a warning that hackers are using third-parties to gain access to data through vulnerable systems. Also, hotels and other retailers are adopting new mobile technology for check-in. Image And finally, in an interview with Forest Key of Buuteeq, we find out why hotel marketing is flying to the cloud.

Hackers Lurking In Vents And Soda Machines

This article from The New York Times discusses how your clients could be vulnerable to cyberattacks through solutions and devices be tied to a leaky third party, such as online menus, or even heating and cooling providers who now monitor and adjust office temperatures remotely, and vending machine suppliers who can see when their clients are out of Diet Cokes and Cheetos. Vendors are tempting targets for hackers because they tend to run older systems, and once hackers have found a way in, the devices offer them a place to hide in plain sight.

For more: http://www.bsminfo.com/doc/restaurant-and-hospitality-news-for-vars-april-0001

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by | April 14, 2014 · 8:27 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “Hotel Security for the Traveler”

“…There are three questions to ask for selecting a secure hotel: Are there electronic door locks? Is there good key control? And is there a fire alarm and water sprinkler system? Image Generally, the only way to find this out is calling the hotel directly. The number one security issue is controlling who has access to a guest’s hotel room…“

The sad truth is that criminals target travelers, especially in and around hotels. The abundance of literature on the topic of hotel security does not seem to have deterred criminals from using hotels as a target of their trade. An informal survey of hotel security staff reveals old patterns of crime repeated and new tricks (or new variations of old tricks) continue as before. There are, however, some practices which can reduce your risk of being the target of crime or other hazards in a hotel.

For more: http://businessdayonline.com/2014/04/hotel-security-for-the-traveler/#.U0v56q1dXnw

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by | April 10, 2014 · 8:38 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Two Arrested at Flagstaff Hotel on Prostitution Charges”

“…When the officer asked where the woman got the money, she said it came from the men she sleeps with. The woman, who said she had just moved to Arizona from California, Image told the officer she became a prostitute a few weeks earlier because a friend told her it was a good way to make money. She said she placed an ad on Craigslist and charged the men who responded to it between $100 and $150 to have sex with her…”

An 18-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were arrested on prostitution charges at a Flagstaff hotel this week.

According to the police reports, two officers responded to the Quality Inn at 2500 E. Lucky Lane around 7 p.m. Monday after someone called Crimestop to report that several different men had been coming and going from a young woman’s room.

Officers knocked on the woman’s hotel room door and a man with disheveled and partially unbuttoned clothing walked out. He shouted, “It’s the cops” as he tried to walk away but was stopped by one of the officers.

For more: http://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/two-arrested-at-flagstaff-hotel-on-prostitution-charges/article_c972d69c-c073-11e3-bbe6-0019bb2963f4.html

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by | April 8, 2014 · 8:08 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “5 Factors to Consider When Courting Spring Breakers”

“…Local ordinances and zoning laws could affect your business. ‘There comes a point when residents, business owners, and politicians no longer want those students there, and theyImage will start passing laws like in Daytona Beach or Fort Lauderdale to curb or even eliminate behavior,’ Laurie says. ‘Students will then go to a place where those rules don’t exist.’…”

From March through mid April, hundreds of thousands of college students flock to warmer climates for a weeklong escape from the winter doldrums and pressures of academic life. And while this time of year can bring a spike in hotel occupancy to popular vacation destinations across the country, the traditional spring break party does come with its fair share of challenges and risks for owners. John Laurie, director of the destination marketing and tourism practice at Bond Public Relations and Brand Strategy in New Orleans, shares five factors to consider when determining whether to court the next generation of spring breakers.

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/5-factors-to-consider-when-courting-spring-breakers/

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by | March 31, 2014 · 9:10 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Issues: “Operator Of ‘Mobile ID Theft Lab’ Sentenced To Prison For Bank Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft”

“…In asking for a lengthy prison sentence, prosecutors noted that Suryan’s operation not only enriched him, but also helped thieves and burglars profit from the information they stole.  Suryan ‘served as a lynchpin of identity theft activity in Snohomish County in the latter half of 2012;Image the forgery service provided by the defendant helped incentivize countless break-ins of mailboxes, homes, and vehicles by criminals searching for victim data…”

The man who forged multiple ID documents and financial documents for mail thieves in Snohomish County was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 65 months in prison, five years of supervised release and $59,177 in restitution, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  MICHAEL JOHN SURYAN, 54, formerly of Everett, Washington was arrested in January 2013, in a Shoreline, Washington motel where he had set up a mobile identity manufacturing operation.

Using documents his co-schemers stole from burglaries, mail thefts and car prowls, SURYAN manufactured fake IDs, and forged checks with the co-schemers listed as the payees.  A search of the room revealed more than 50 fake Washington State driver’s licenses, handwritten notes listing the names, addresses and personal information (including dates of birth, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and credit card or checking account information) for numerous victims.

For more: http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/press/2014/March/suryan.html

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by | March 24, 2014 · 8:29 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Hotel Sues Fla. Sheriff Over Unwanted Guests”

“…Florida law ‘clearly sets forth that [as] a hotel operator of a transient establishment — you can go in and say, ‘I don’t wish to entertain you anymore,” Blair said. ‘The statute says you can call the sheriff, and he has a duty to remove them.’Image A separate group of independent hoteliers has sued along similar grounds. It is seeking a declaration on whether the Sheriff’s Office is properly interpreting state law, but that case is still pending in state court…”

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Dianna Chane says she cannot get the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to remove unwanted guests from her HomeSuiteHome hotel, even if they aren’t paying, are using drugs or committing assault.

Once a supporter of Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Chane has sued Sheriff Bob Hansell, saying he is forcing independent hotels on U.S. Highway 192 to become homeless shelters.

“What has crushed me is I have been denied the right to manage my own property,” Chane said. “I feel like we’ve been taken hostage.”

For more: http://www.policeone.com/investigations/articles/7004783-Hotel-sues-Fla-sheriff-over-unwanted-guests/

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by | March 18, 2014 · 8:39 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Stamford Hotel Worker Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Guest”

“…Police say that Oyola-Bandara knocked on the woman’s door at the Super 8 motel at 32 Grenhart Road at about 3:30 a.m. and told the woman, who has been a resident of the motel for some time, that he is there to fix something. ImageThe woman recognized the man as a hotel worker and let him in. Oyola-Bandara then pulled out a bottle of liquor and put two glasses on the table and began pouring the liquor into the glasses…”

A West Side hotel maintenance worker who talked his way into a 60-year-old woman’s room early Saturday morning and tried to force himself on her was arrested after police found the man asleep in the woman’s hotel room.

Carlos Oyola-Bandera, 35, of 501 West Main St., Stamford, was charged with attempted rape, unlawful restraint, criminal trespass, fourth-degree sexual assault and breach of peace. He was held over the weekend by police in lieu of a $50,000 court appearance bond and is being arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Monday.

For more: http://blog.ctnews.com/stamford411/2014/03/17/stamford-hotel-worker-arrested-for-sexually-assaulting-guest/

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by | February 10, 2014 · 8:45 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Safety Update: “Florida Police Ask for Tourist Tax Dollars to Fight Crime”

“…The move is likely to face resistance from Florida’s influential tourism industry which has fought similar plans in the past Imageto use tourism tax dollars for anything other than marketing expenses in driving more business to the Sunshine State…”

“…Jim Preston, president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Florida said police, fire and ambulance services invest lots of money and resources protecting tourist areas. ‘I think it’s reasonable that some of those tourist-tax dollars should be going to those agencies to help offset those costs,’ he said…”

Following a spate of robberies in hotels in Orlando’s tourist district in recent weeks, a law-enforcement group proposed extra spending on public safety, directly financed by the local hotel tax.

The Fraternal Order of Police wants the Florida Legislature to let local councils use some of their tourist tax dollars to fund public safety improvements in tourist areas.

There has been over a dozen robberies targeting hotels and restaurants in the Orlando area, thought to have been carried out by the same armed gang.

For more: http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2010156&c=setreg&region=3

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by | February 5, 2014 · 8:30 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “Mission Valley Travelodge Owners Agree to Increase Security Measures to Thwart Prostitution”

“…Tourism is one of San Diego’s largest industries, guests to our city should feel safe and secure during their stay,” said City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.Image “Our office will continue to combat illegal activity such as prostitution and will work diligently to hold business owners accountable and clean up neighborhoods…” 

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The owners of the Travelodge motel in Mission Valley have agreed to increase security measures to thwart prostitution activity, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Mission Valley Travelodge Joint Venture and WW Lodging Ltd. are to hire onsite security guards and reimburse the city of San Diego more than $18,000 in investigative costs, according to the deal reached last week.

The partnership that owns and manages the motel at 1201 Hotel Circle S. already have installed more security cameras, posted signs to deter criminal activity and improved registration policies to include the photocopying of all guest and visitor identification cards and registering of all guest and visitor vehicles, the City Attorney’s Office said.

For more: http://www.sandiego6.com/story/owners-of-mission-valley-travelodge-agree-to-increase-security-measures-to-thwart-prostitution-activity-20140203

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by | January 29, 2014 · 8:30 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risk: “With Better Security Technology, Hotels Shore Up Blind Spots”

“…In New Orleans, Mike E. Cahn III, president of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association security network, says he sends surveillance tapes showing criminal activity to other area hotels, and to the police,Image who sometimes put them on YouTube. Recently a man stole a laptop from a conference room, Mr. Cahn said, and within 24 hours, he was recognized from the distributed video footage and apprehended…”

At a poker tournament in Barcelona last September, Jens Kyllönen, a professional player, said that his room at Hotel Arts was broken into and malware was installed on his computer to transmit anything he saw on his screen as he played. Despite video camera systems and electronic key card entry logs, no one was caught.

Although he said he discovered the malware in time, he says he is much more careful now about where he stores his belongings and secures his computer. Hotel Arts declined to comment, saying it was a private event.

His case is just one in what has become a technological cat-and-mouse game between hotels and criminals.

For more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/business/with-better-security-technology-hotels-shore-up-blind-spots.html?_r=0

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