Sr. Group Manager, Asset Protection, Investigations
Catalyst Brands
George Torres is the Senior Group Manager of Asset Protection Investigations for Catalyst Brands, where he leads a comprehensive, enterprise‑wide investigations program. He oversees a diverse portfolio that includes Field Investigations, Cargo Theft, eCrimes, and the Central Investigation Center. His team manages internal investigations, external cases, organized retail crime (ORC), critical incidents, brand protection, and executive travel risk.
With nearly 30 years of experience, George’s leadership foundation was forged in the United States Marine Corps and strengthened through a career spanning every level of retail asset protection. His background includes leading AP and investigations teams across specialty retail, pharmacy, grocery, and big box environments, giving him a broad perspective on risk, operations, and organizational culture.
A recognized pioneer in the ORC space, George co‑founded the Los Angeles Area Organized Retail Crime Association (LAAORCA), which later evolved into Cal‑ORCA and helped spark the nationwide growth of regional ORC associations. His work has contributed to stronger public–private partnerships and improved information sharing across the retail and law‑enforcement communities.
George holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in leadership, along with LPC and CFE certifications.
Today, he brings a unique blend of operational experience, investigative expertise, and people‑first leadership—sharing key lessons learned from building resilient teams and guiding organizations through periods of significant change.
Tuesday Jun 9
3:45pm - 4:30pm
Retailers are facing an alarming surge in phone‑based scams, fueled by increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics and the expanding reach of organized retail crime. Recent industry data shows that 70 percent of retailers experienced rising phone scams in the past year, marking one of the sharpest increases across all fraud categories. This session examines how criminals are exploiting phone‑based impersonation, AI‑generated voice technology, and caller ID spoofing to deceive both customers and frontline retail employees. Panelists will also explore how phone scams act as gateways to broader fraud, including account takeovers, fraudulent returns, BOPIS exploitation, and coordinated ORC activity targeting store teams. Attendees will leave with actionable insights into how retailers can strengthen defenses through cross‑functional fraud and AP collaboration, improved call verification processes, employee training, and emerging AI‑based authentication technologies.
