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NY ATM NATS Steal $45 Million

Huff Po: NEW YORK — A gang of cyber-criminals stole $45 million in a matter of hours by hacking their way into a database of prepaid debit cards and then fanning out around the globe to drain cash machines, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch called it "a massive 21st-century bank heist" and compared its size to the Lufthansa heist in the late 1970s immortalized in the film "Goodfellas." Lynch said the fraudsters had moved with astounding speed to loot financial institutions around the world.

A security analyst said it was the biggest ATM fraud case she had heard of.

Seven people are under arrest in the U.S. in connection with the case, which prosecutors said involved thousands of thefts from ATMs using bogus magnetic swipe cards. The accused ringleader in the U.S. cell, Alberto Yusi Lajud-Pena, was reportedly murdered in the Dominican Republic late last month, prosecutors said. More investigations are ongoing and other arrests have been made in other countries, but prosecutors did not have details.

An indictment unsealed Thursday accused the eight of being members of the New York cell, saying they withdrew $2.8 million in cash from hacked accounts in less than a day. One of the suspects was caught on multiple surveillance cameras, his backpack increasingly loaded down with cash. Others took photos of themselves with giant wads of bills as they made their way up and down Manhattan.

Lynch said the cells would take a cut of the money then launder it through expensive purchases or ship it wholesale to the global ringleaders, but didn't say where they were located. Prosecutors said the scheme involved attacks on two banks, Rakbank, which is in the United Arab Emirates, and the Bank of Muscat in Oman. Hackers obtained debit card data, eliminated withdrawal limits on the accounts, created access codes and then sent a network of operatives fanning out to rapidly withdraw money in multiple cities, authorities said.

Lynch called it a "virtual criminal flash mob." She said they could use any plastic card to withdraw the cash – an old hotel key card or an expired credit card – as long as they had the account data and correct access codes.

There were two separate attacks, one in December and one in February. In the second attack, more than 36,000 transactions were made worldwide and about $40 million was stolen.

Lynch would not say who masterminded the attacks globally, who the hackers are or where they were located, citing an ongoing investigation.

The seven men arrested in New York were U.S. citizens originally from the Dominican Republic, lived in Yonkers and were mostly in their 20s. Lynch said they all knew each other and were recruited together, as were other cells in other countries. They were charged with conspiracy and money laundering. If convicted they face 10 years in prison.

Law enforcement agencies in Japan, Canada, Germany, Romania and 12 other countries have been involved in the investigation, U.S. prosecutors said.

Arrests began in March. Lajud-Pena was found dead with a suitcase full of about $100,000 in cash. The investigation into his death is also continuing separately.

Avivah Litan, an analyst who covers security issues for Gartner Inc., said similar ATM fraud schemes are not uncommon, but the $45 million stolen in this one was at least double the amount involved in previous, known cases. Middle Eastern banks and payment processors are "a bit behind" on security and screening technologies that are supposed to prevent this kind of fraud, but it happens around the world, she said.

"It's a really easy way to turn digits into cash," Litan said.

Some of the fault lies with ubiquitous magnetic stripes on the back of the cards. The rest of the world has largely abandoned cards with magnetic strips in favor ones with built-in chips that are nearly impossible to copy. But because U.S. banks and merchants have stuck to cards with ma Share gnetic stripes, they are still accepted in many places in the world.

In 1978, $5.8 million in cash was stolen from a Lufthansa Airlines vault at Kennedy Airport, a heist masterminded by Jimmy Burke, the inspiration for Robert De Niro's character in "Goodfellas."

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Bank Custy Gives Leg a Stretch

McDonald's New Zealand Employee Harassed By Management For Being "Too Gay"

From Huff Po: A New Zealand McDonald's employee says he was reprimanded and harassed by management for being "too gay."

Sean Bailey, an employee at a McDonald's franchise in Auckland, told TVNZ's OneNews that he was discriminated against for being gay on multiple occasions. He made the claims during a May 1 protest on Quay Street against the fast food chain.

Bailey allegedly faced three incidents of discrimination by two different managers -- one of which was reportedly about his voice sounding "too gay" -- and he says the encounters made him "embarrassed" to return to work.

"One of my managers said, 'If you act gay on my shift, I will discipline you,'" he told OneNews. "He also said, 'If you turn anyone else in the store gay, I will punish you and make you lose your job.'" Adding, "I had to call in sick just because I couldn't work with him, which meant I lost work hours and money."

Bailey has the support of Unite, a New Zealand workers' union that fights to improve workers' wages and work conditions. The group led Wednesday's picket, according to GayNZ. Unite rep Joe Carolan revealed one of the managers who harassed Bailey was moved to another location, which he likened to the Catholic Church's covering for sexually abusive priests.

"I think McDonald’s have gone for the Catholic Church solution here. Rather than reprimand or fire someone for gross discrimination, they simply moved him to another store," Carolan told GayNZ. “And I don’t know how gay or lesbian people at that store feel about this manager there. Will it be another couple of months before we have a similar report there?”

In response to the discrimination, Bailey wants to hold a "Turn McDonald’s Gay Day" kiss-in in Auckland, which has the backing of Unite as well as the Queer Avengers, a gay activist group.

“Management is trying to use homophobia to control workers,” Queer Avenger member Ian Anderson said in a press release. “But if we stand up and fight back together, we can overcome this tactic.” Anderson added that the group will support any action taken by McDonald's employees against discrimination and exploitation.

The Huffington Post previously spoke with a media representative for McDonald's U.S. about the company's stance on equal rights in regards to a story about transgender bathroom issues. That representative said McDonald's U.S. doesn't stand for discrimination of any kind.

“At McDonald’s, we respect and value everyone," the spokeswoman said. "We have a strict policy prohibiting any form of discrimination in our restaurants. We recognize and appreciate individuals’ rights and require all our restaurants to follow local, state and federal laws."

A global media relations representative could not immediately be reached for comment.

Unite Union gathered on Quay Street on Wednesday to picket the breakdown in negotiations with McDonald's over a collective agreement regarding better wages. Cops were called to the scene, even though the protest was peaceful, Yahoo! News New Zealand notes.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

 

Queer Geek's Update on Hell at The Big Fancy

Recently a close friend and coworker of mine e-mailed me about what was going on with her at her retail hell. Now if you’ve been following my posts, you know that me and Freeman Hall are former slaves freed from the oppression of The Big Fancy plantation.  

When the corporate wheel decided to get rid of my department, my friend got caught behind and got transitioned into a ridiculous department that made it impossible to meet company expectations especially in this difficult economy.

Well finally they let her go and she contacted me with concern of what her next strategy would be and all I told her is to file unemployment and try to pound the pavement looking for job.  Face it!  The economy sucks and even fast food places are being extra picky about who they hire in this competitive market.   

Since kicking me out of Big Fancy (I’d like to say that I was asked to leave), I found out that my vacant position remains cursed since my departure.  

From what my friend revealed to me, everyone they hired to replace me turned out to be complete flakes.  The first got fired for stealing money from the till, the second for unprofessionalism, and the last person would never show up for work.  Add to that, the constant budget cuts and pretty much every department manager that had been with Big Fancy a long time was let go and replaced with a revolving door of naïve slaves.

Now comes word that the all multiple stores in the region are shutting their corporate offices in my city and moving them up north for budget reasons.  This means that at least 50 some employees are out of job and anyone wanting a position in any of the left over Big Fancy stores are going to have to compete for positions within the area so some poor slave is going to left out in the cold.  Think of it as a lottery where the losers get a one way ticket to the unemployment line while the lucky ones get the opportunity to be exploited slaves in the process.  So much for employee loyalty!

In the end, it’s the company that suffers.  It turns out that the so called family Big Fancy business is no longer owned or controlled by the original Mr. Lou and his descendants.   It’s made up of a pair of shareholders and Board of Directors who dictate these ridiculous changes with the façade of being the company recognized for their outstanding customer service.  So with each stupid Big Fancy shopping bag that I see and their logo playing on commercial ads, I cringe with the knowledge that I know the truth.  Big Fancy sucks and that no one should ever shop with their company!

--Queer Geek

 

From Freddy:

It's so true. With their unforgivable and ridiculous expectations, I watched The Big Fancy ruin the lives of many quality workers. I also wittnessed long-time managers with amazing track records lose their positions to younger, lower paid newbies because Big Fancy felt the old timers were making fifty cents more an hour too much. And now with the adancement of technology, these humanless corporations like The Big Fancy have new excuses and easier ways to replace hard-working people who have given their souls to the company.

To read more hellacious but funny tales about this company I call a Wolf in Designer Clothes, check out my new book "Return To The Big Fancy," and its predessor "Retail Hell."

 

What is the worst thing you have seen your company do to an employee?

 

 

US Hundred Dollar Bill Gets Update

From The Daily What: Ben Franklin's $100 bill is getting a makeover this coming October with some brand new security features to help deter counterfeiters, including a 3D security ribbon that is woven into the paper with animated and color-shifting watermarks. For instance, if you were to examine an authentic, new $100 banknote, you'll notice a color-changing bell hidden inside the inkwell (located to Franklin's right side) that turns from copper to green as the bill shifts. Want to see the bill in action? Head over to NewMoney.gov for an interactive look at this high-tech bill.

via thedailywhat.cheezburger.com

 

Language Row: Police Called After Dr Robyn Lewis Demands Shop Bill In Welsh

Police were called to a shop in Gwynedd after the cashier asked a former archdruid for payment in English.

Dr Robyn Lewis, 83, insisted the shop assistant at the Spar in Pwllheli told him the amount owed in Welsh.

But she repeated it three times in English before the manager told Dr Lewis he would call the police unless he paid or left the premises.

Dr Lewis said: "All I wanted was an answer in my own language, in my own country."

It was sorted out by me being given another Welsh-speaking cashier - honour was satisfied”

"The young lady at the till spoke fluent Welsh but she told me the sum of £58.62 was due," he said.

"I asked her to repeat it in Welsh but she said it again in English.

"I told her I'd asked her to repeat it it in Welsh but she said it for the third time."

Dr Lewis was expecting the cashier to ask him for "pum-deg-wyth punt, chwedeg-dau".

But instead she said his shopping was "fifty-eight pounds and sixty-two pence".

When the first officer from North Wales Police arrived back-up had to be called because he was a non-Welsh speaker.

"It was sorted out by me being given another Welsh-speaking cashier whom I spoke entirely in Welsh," Dr Lewis said.

"I paid and left. Honour was satisfied.

"All I wanted was an answer in my own language, in my own country."

Dr Lewis is a former archdruid of the Gorsedd of the Bards at the National Eisteddfod Welsh cultural festival.

Conrad Davies, who owns the Spar shop, said: "The customer was not happy so we had to call the police as he refused to pay for his goods.

"The situation was completely blown out of proportion and left our member of staff extremely upset."

via www.bbc.co.uk

Custys Crashing Into Target and Walmart

From Huff Po:

Norma Joan Brennan, 79, was on her way to get driver's license restored Thursday when she crashed through the front doors of a Target store in Ocala, Fla., the Associated Press reported.

Brennan's passenger and the owner of the car, Rev. Kevin Holsapple, told police that he was giving her some driving tips in the parking lot when she pressed down on the gas pedal instead of the brake, according to the Ocala Star-Banner.

Brennan had held a driver's license for about 50 years before it was suspended due to a medical condition. On Thursday, Brennan and Holsapple were planning on heading to the driver's license center so she could get her freedom to ride back.

No one was injured in the incident, but Brennan got a citation for driving with a suspend license, and the pastor was cited for allowing an unlicensed driver to drive his vehicle.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Here's another Target crash that happened in Los Angeles in 2012. The driver of this car was a 70 year old woman who confused the gas with the brake. The car did not stop until she landed in the eletronics department. Three people were seriously injured. :

And this crazy custy car crash happened a few weeks ago at walmart:

By Nicole Santa Cruz, Los Angeles Times

A man was under arrest in San Jose after a bizarre car crash and attack Sunday at a Walmart.

Police are investigating what motivated the man to drive into the busy store.

“We don’t know if there was an intended target or not,” said Officer Albert Morales, of the San Jose Police Department.

At least four people were injured when the suspect crashed into the Walmart, exited the vehicle, picked up a blunt object from inside the store and began to assault customers, police said.

The man drove a red two-door car between 10 and 20 feet into the store on the east side of the city about 11:15 a.m., Morales said. Authorities have not released the identity of the man.

One of the customers suffered a serious injury and was taken to a local hospital. Three others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Morales said.

The man, who is about 30 years old, was arrested after a brief struggle with police. At least 70 people witnessed the crash, Morales said.

The driver made several laps around the store’s parking lot before crashing into the front entrance, witnesses told the San Jose Mercury News.  A woman said the driver sideswiped her Honda in the parking lot while she was waiting for a spot.

“At first I thought I may have done something to anger him while driving,” said Sharon Kaye, a teacher from San Jose. “But then I realized he was out to get into the store.”

The driver was being held in a jail and is receiving mental evaluations and drug tests, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Source: LA Times

Custy Sues CVS For Receipt Racial Slur

Huff Po: Despite several past examples of employees being disciplined for using racial slurs to label customers on store receipts, it appears a CVS employee in New Jersey has done just that, using a slur for Asians.

Attorney Susan Chana Lask said her client Hyun Lee, who is of Korean descent, used her real name when placing an order for photo prints at a CVS in Egg Harbor City in February. However, when Lee picked up her pictures, she was "very distressed" to find her CVS receipt read "Lee, Ching Chong," according to CBS New York.

The Smoking Gun obtained a copy of a complaint sent by Lee to CVS’s customer relations department.

“Do you think it’s funny? It’s very disturbing to me!!!!” Lee wrote, “why doesn’t he just call me Chink! It has the same derogatory meaning!!!!!”

In an emailed response, a CVS official said the employee, identified as William, would be be “counseled and trained,” according to The Smoking gun.

“There’s no amount, in my opinion, of training from CVS or any company that’s going to stop this kind of hate and bullying against someone’s race,” Lask said. “To me, this is something that deserves psychological counseling, not CVS counseling,” according to CBS.

On April 16, Lee filed a discrimination lawsuit against CVS Caremark Corp., CVS Pharmacy, Inc., CVS, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy LLC and the unnamed cashier, seeking $1 million due to "injury, mental anguish, severe emotional distress, harm, and damages,” according to ABC News.

“CVS/pharmacy is committed to treating all of our customers with dignity and respect,” Michael DeAngelis, a CVS spokesman, told ABC News. ”We have a firm non-discrimination policy."

The CVS incident is only the latest in a long line of similar problems, several of which have involved the same epithet directed toward customers of Asian descent.

In January of 2012, a customer at a Papa John's in New York City was furious to find her receipt contained the phrase "Lady Chink Eyes." Meanwhile, a Hooters in the Queens borough of New York City was sued in September of 2012 after a Korean-American discovered someone had typed "chinx" on his receipt.

Similarly, in 2011, a Chick-fil-A in Southern California fired one of its cashiers after a pair of college students received receipts labeled with the names "Ching" and "Chong."

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Stories From The Register: Purchasing Combos Part 2

Preparation H and a hand mirror. it took all I had not to laugh when he said he was having a rough night.

--Divamydear

-------------------------

Back when I worked at the gas station, I had a customer buy a case of beer and a pack of condoms. I reflexively said, "Have a good night!" As we was walking out, he held up his purchases and said, "Hell, yeah, I'm about to!"

Cracked me (and another customer) right up.

--Greenhouse Gal

-------------------------

This one wasn't one I checked out, but one I was the purchaser for and didn't realize how... untoward it was until after we'd left.

A few years back we were dealing with an awkward housing situation where we had to move out of our old place about three months before we could move into our new one, so I ended up living with my inlaws for awhile while my husband stayed in the town we lived in (about an hour and a half drive apart) so he could go to work and such. He'd come up whenever he had a couple days off in a row so we could spend some time together, which included some, um, 'adult' time as well. That plays in later.

One week he came up to visit, and during that visit we were going to be taking our daughter to her very first concert ever! Since she was still fairly little (six) we decided to get her some ear plugs so the music wouldn't be TOO loud for her, and a disposable camera so she could take her own photos of the show to enjoy.

Just before we headed out to the store, the underwire on my bra snapped, so I had to get a new one while we were out, too. And, since the gent and I were apart so often and I was DYING to some grown up time and had NO INTEREST in spending a bunch of time on foreplay because NOW PLEASE, we tossed a bottle of lube in the cart, too.

Thus when we got up to the register, we had a bottle of lube, a black pushup bra, a disposable camera, and a package of child sized earplugs. I'm pretty sure the cashier thought we had a much more interesting night planned than we did.

--PizzaWife

-------------------------

A few students came into the shop and queued separately with their items. One guy came up with (super cheap) beer and a tin of cat food.

The girl behind him said "Hey, Bob, I didn't think you had a cat?"

"Nope," he replied, "that's why I need the beer".

To this day I still can't figure out if he was serious.

--KC

-------------------------

A bit tamer than most of the previous, but I once had a customer come through my line with a lot of alcohol... and some mouse traps.

I also had another customer come through with a bunch of foods generally advertised to children and some sleeping pills.

--Stepford Snarker

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I was traveling alone some years ago and had cause to buy 'personal lubricant' but couldn't find it in the small local supermarket so I asked a staffer where the condoms were, knowing they'd be together.
Unfortunatly he was on the only open register when I paid for my lube, he was smirking like fuck..

--Stee

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Okay I admit it! I went out to buy some DVD's which include the Star Wars trilogy, Lord of Rings trilogy, Harry Potter...and the Twilight series *little girl squeal*.

--Queer Geek

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I once bought a flat of alco pops, a box of condoms, and a newborn outfit (my dog got cold a lot and they were cheaper than dog clothes)

--Kelowna77

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I haven't seen him for a while, but there's a regular who asks for "ma-rin-aahh-ra mix. I have to say it slowly so that I don't accidentally say marijuana."

--SoggyApron

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Hey SoggyApron, I HAVE had a guy ask for "marijuana mix" at our deli counter. I just dead-panned "no sir, I'm totally sure that's just parsley".

My 'weirdest purchase by a customer' was a young guy (20's) buying 6 bottles of personal Lube and a pack of water-bomb balloons. He blushed at how bad it looked and swore blind they were for a bucks party prank.

--Majuba

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I can think of two times I was the purchaser.

1. I was doing a project for a psych class with a gal and we went to the grocery and bought four boxes of condoms. This is after spending a good ten minutes discussing loudly the merits of different types.

2. My friend and I were shopping in an adult store for a gag gift for another friend. We settled on the ButtBanger(a gay masturbation sleeve), and some flavored lube packets. We spent a long time looking around at all the stuff and especially while discussing what flavors of lube would work. Then discussed how to split the cost. Not once did we mention the guy we were buying it for.

--Skittles

-------------------------

We were once doing a sketch show at drama society that at one point involved someone finding a dildo in a bag (I know, the sophisticated student humour).

When my friend K went to go and buy it, not only did she go up to the saleslady and specifically ask for the most "wobbly-looking dildo" they had, but when the lady gave her a funny look she explained "it's not for me, it's for university."

I've always wondered what the saleslady thought of that...

--Hermitknut

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I made an excellent purchase once in a supermarket right after I'd been to the library. I found a bunch of tins of cat-food which I figured I could get heavily reduced because the labels were ripped and the tins a bit dented. The cashier looked at them and asked if I wanted some better ones and without batting aneyelid I replied, 'Nah, it's fine, it's just for strays.'

I couldn't figure out why she looked so horrified, until I remembered I'd been openly holding a book about taxidermy at the time. Whoops!

--Moose

Stories From The Register: Purchasing Combos Part 1

A few weeks ago, I had a customer buy a copy of 'Fifty Shades', along with a kit teaching how to make knots. Rope included.

--Book Diver

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The customer at a library who used to return books on curry, and on irritable bowel syndrome: I think we'd found his problem.

--Kyala

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Back *mumble* years ago when I worked at a small deli I had a customer come in.

The Last Archimedean: "What can I get for you?"

Customer: "I'm a vegetarian, I'll have the lettuce and avocado sandwich."

[I make the sandwich]

The Last Archimedean: "Will there be anything else for you, miss?"

Customer: "Yes, I'll take 2 pounds of that salami, sliced."

[I start slicing]

The Last Archimedean: "I hope your kids enjoy the salami."

Customer: "I don't have any kids, it's for me."

The Last Archimedean: "I apologize, miss. I hope *you* enjoy the salami."

Customer: "I accept your apology, and I fully intend to."

--The Last Archimedean

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Once while working at Bullseye, I had a lady come through my check lane with close to $100 of vaginal products. Preparation H, Vagisil, douches, stuff for treating yeast infections, etc... If it was used for cleaning a nasty crotch, it was in her cart. To top it all off her last item was a box of condoms.

I wanted to say something along the lines of, "If it's that nasty down below, you should probably see a doctor. And the LAST thing you should be doing is having sex with some poor unsuspecting fool."

--Red Rider

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Gee, life is pretty tame here at the bookstore...

About the oddest combo I can recall offhand is the stereotypical biker dude (long hair, leather, colors, tattoos, studded boots, and all) who would come in quietly and politely, peruse the shelves for a while, and buy an armload of romances. And he would discuss them is such a way I *knew* he was reading them himself, too. Nice guy, really. Haven't seen him in ages, though.

Oh, and the sweet little ol' lady who bought only the bloodiest horror, true crime and suspense books...

--Bored at the Bookstore

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Hey, Bored, I know where that guy went! He comes to MY library. Awesomely nice guy who reads ALL the fluffy romance novels. LOVE seeing this guy!

--Book Baby

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Not really a purchase, but an older lady who we knew was active in a Protestant Church dropped off a load of books, half of which were about how to be an S&M "Mistress".

--LadyRhian

Custys Complain About McDonald's Service

From Huff Po: Hey, McDonald's employees, smile!

The fast-food giant is urging its franchises to be more congenial with customers, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Twenty percent of patron gripes focus on mounting "friendliness issues," according to the report, No. 1 being rudeness. One slide in a presentation between McDonald's executives and franchise owners said "service is broken."

McDonald's declined to comment when contacted by The Huffington Post.

Visit the Wall Street Journal for more on the corporate webcast.

Some restaurant chains, such as Pret A Manger, have reportedly pushed beyond service with a smile. The New Republic wrote recently that "Pret keeps its sales clerks in a state of enforced rapture through policies vaguely reminiscent of the old East German Stasi."

The outlet said that if cashiers are convivial enough with a "mystery shopper" sent by the company weekly, the store gets paid extra. If not, no bonus.

Fast Company notes that Chick-fil-A workers complete an order by saying "My pleasure" instead of "You're Welcome" or some other standard response. The thinking is that "my pleasure" is classier, the trade site reported.

Incidentally, the chicken chain was tabbed as the friendliest drive-thru in a study by QSR. Chick-fil-A stores were "very friendly" 57.4 percent of the time, the survey notes. McDonald's stores were "very friendly" 27.6 percent of the time, according to the stats.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Random Act of Retail Kindness: Fatburger CEO Does 'Undercover Boss' and Rewards Hard Working Single Mom With $40,000

From Huff Po:

LOS ANGELES -- Now in its fourth season, "Undercover Boss'" formula is familiar.

The CBS show disguises a CEO and places him or her at the lowest rungs of the company. The CEO gets an unvarnished look at daily operations, is humbled by the employees' often backbreaking work and eventually showers a few deserving staffers with money and other rewards to recognize them for their integrity on the job.

Such was Friday night's episode, in which Fatburger CEO Andy Wiederhorn leaves his Beverly Hills mansion and corporate headquarters to infiltrate three franchised restaurants and one third-party supplier. At one store in Reno, Nev., he meets a Fatburger shift leader and mother of three named Lisa who is buried in health care debt following her husband's death.

Lisa explains that she had separated from her husband in January 2012 because of his drug use (video above, at minute 2:40). A few months later, they discovered that his drug addiction was eating away at his heart. He eventually died, only one day after their baby turned 1. Lisa lost her house and car. To make ends meet, she moved her family in with her sister.

"His medical bills alone -- because we didn't have health insurance -- $250,000," Lisa cries to the man she thinks is trainee Myron Leeds. By the end of the episode, Wiederhorn reveals his true identity to Lisa and gifts her three sums of money: $15,000 to cover rent for a year, $10,000 to buy a new car and $15,000 to hire a financial adviser.

"You need to have a fresh start ... to help you resolve all this debt so that you're debt-free," Wiederhorn tells her. "Whether that's bankruptcy or whether that's working it out, I want you to start over debt free."

In a follow-up email to HuffPost, Wiederhorn added this additional take on Lisa's situation: "Medical debt shouldn't require a bankruptcy filing, as it forces a person to go through such a drastic process to shed a very specific debt, which is almost always beyond your control unlike credit card debt."

As a shift leader, it's estimated that Lisa could be earning about $21,000 a year, according to salary aggregator site careerbliss.com. The show doesn't make clear whether Lisa was employed by Fatburger at the time of her husband's death.

Lisa's life may well be transformed by Weiderhorn's generosity. But due to Fatburger's franchise system, Weiderhorn probably won't be able to address health care access problems on a wider scale in his company, he explained in a phone interview with The Huffington Post.

Fatburger, which he described as a "99% franchise model," operates only a handful of restaurants directly. Wiederhorn said he was committed to providing health benefits as Obamacare mandates to the half-dozen or so hamburger stands he controls, but access to benefits for the rest of the company's workers is mostly a franchise responsibility.

"The franchise partners have different health programs for their employees," Wiederhorn told HuffPost. "Generally the managers get coverage automatically, the full-time employees get some sort of coverage and they co-pay for it and the part-time employees can pay for it if they want it."

"We want all of our employees to have [health insurance]," continued Wiederhorn. "And it's a really challenging process to figure out how small business can afford it."

Fatburger isn't the only fast food chain that will be affected by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which will require all small businesses to provide health care to employees working 30 hours or more. Like Fatburger, the changes will have to be implemented at the franchise level by franchise partners.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Retail Balls Award: Cheeseburger Baby Owner Stephanie Vitori Calls Cops On Rapper Busta Rhymes After Homophobic Rant

  

From Huff Po: Rapper Busta Rhymes allegedly threw a slur-filled tantrum in Miami Beach early Wednesday morning, hurling homophobic names at restaurant employees after his party wasn't allowed to cut in line for a burger.

Stephanie Vitori, the owner of local late-night favorite Cheeseburger Baby, told The Huffington Post the rapper's party became belligerent when the restaurant refused to take their order before others waiting in line -- then Rhymes flew into a rage when condiments were served on the side, calling one server a "fag" and Vitori a "bitch."

"It's degrading," said Vitori, who is gay. "Thirteen years and every celebrity in there, and I've never had a problem."

Vitori said the restaurant was slammed as usual after South Beach clubs let out, but "one of [Rhymes'] crew came in and said, 'Can you take my order first? We're very important people.'"

Cheeseburger Baby employees declined. "It doesn't matter [who you are], it's first come first served," Vitori said.

But despite being served his to-go bag within 10 minutes, Vitori said Rhymes became enraged that his mayonaise, ketchup, salt and pepper were included on the side -- something she said Cheeseburger Baby does as a rule to prevent soggy buns.

According to Vitori, after an employee explained the policy to the 40-year-old rapper, he allegedly screamed, "F*** you, fag! I'm not leaving until I get ketchup, mayo, salt and pepper on my burger," and he began coming over the counter. "F*** you, bitch," he said, turning to Vitori.

Vitori told HuffPost she called police and instructed employees to open Rhymes' mayo and ketchup packets and dress his burger to get him out of the restaurant. He left before Miami Beach Police arrived, but Vitori says she filed a report -- and then had to call police again after a member of Rhymes' party called later to say the rapper would be returning. Officers stayed at the restaurant until staff closed up.

"Over putting ketchup, mayo, salt and pepper on a burger? For real, you can't open up a mayo and ketchup packet?" Vitori said. "It's not right. I'm a gay business owner, and you don't use that term. It's degrading."

Police did not immediately return a request for comment.

Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr., has spoken previously in support of gay artists, telling MTV News, "I think the whole world is ready to accept whatever people choose to be in life," when R&B artist Frank Ocean came out.

According to Twitter, Rhymes was in Miami filming a music video after a club appearance over the weekend.

Rhymes' publicist had no comment at the time of publication.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

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