I have discussed with several people the potential for the use of the “Flash Mob” for nefarious purposes in the past. I believe that we will also see a continuing progression of their use for violent and other criminal activities that will have an impact on business and society itself if some of our other forecasts prove to be correct.
As we have seen over the course of the last year Flash Mobs have turned violent or have been used to carry out violence and other crimes. They have been an issue in various cities particularly in Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Paul as well as several others.
Flash mobs have also been targeting retailers to commit brazen acts of intimidation and theft. Everything from convince stores, to Macy’s, CVS and most recently Sears have been targets of these type of Flash Mobs.
If you are a retailer especially with a presence in a mall the Flash Mob should be something that concerns you. Be sure to discuss this with your employees and consider adding this to your list of risk exposures and work with your security personnel so they are also aware of the issue.
We are also concerned about the potential for other groups to use Flash Mobs for more violent acts, including terrorist attacks.
Below are some video’s showing some of these Flash Mobs in action.