What is Organized Retail Crime?
Organized Retail Crime (ORC)
Refers to Professional Shoplifting or Other Theft Occurring in Retail Stores
These criminals are increasingly turning to online marketplaces to quickly and discretely move mass quantities of stolen merchandise. Unfortunately, these criminal rings are growing more brazen and violent, putting the safety of customers and store employees in jeopardy. Organized rings are often involved in other crimes within the community, including narcotics, money laundering and human trafficking.
The Impact of Organized Retail Crime and Product Theft in the United States
86.2% of retailers surveyed said a ORC subject has verbally threatened an associate; 75.9% said an ORC subject has physically assaulted an associate, 41% said an ORC subject has used a weapon to harm an associate
These criminals are increasingly turning to online marketplaces to quickly and discreetly fence mass quantities of stolen merchandise. And unfortunately, these criminal rings are growing more brazen and violent, putting the safety of customers and store employees in jeopardy.
The INFORM Consumers Act: Make it harder to anonymously sell stolen goods online
The time is now for Congress to modernize consumer protection laws by requiring online marketplaces to collect and verify basic seller information, and for sellers to provide that information to consumers.
The INFORM Consumers Act
Organized retail crime is leading to more brazen and more violent attacks in retail stores
“Organized retail crime is leading to more brazen and more violent attacks in retail stores throughout the country. Many of the criminal rings orchestrating these thefts are also involved in other serious criminal activity such as human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, weapon trafficking, and more. Tackling this growing threat is important to the safety of store employees, customers, and communities across the country."
Steve Francis
- Executive Associate Director
- Homeland Security Investigations
The Cost of Organized Retail Crime
California Leaders Vow to Crack Down After High-Profile Burglaries
Over the course of several hours on Friday night, at least 30 people burglarized several of San Francisco’s most upscale stores, prosecutors said, in what law enforcement officials called one of the most brazen thefts in recent memory.
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Tracking Down Counterfeit Goods On Amazon
Experts say this third-party system, coupled with increased consumer demand around E-commerce, is driving a huge chunk of counterfeit good sales in the U.S.
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Thefts, Always an Issue for Retailers, Become More Brazen
In recent months, robberies have been more visible, with several involving large groups rushing into stores and coming out with armloads of goods.
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The Evolution of Organized Retail Crime in Retail Today
The organized retail crime phenomenon has become even more organized, and the thefts and frauds committed have become more complex and lucrative.
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Bezos admits stolen and counterfeit goods being sold on Amazon, unsure of the seller verification process
Amazon CEO Bezos admits, that stolen and counterfeit products are being sold across Amazon’s marketplace.
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Baby formula theft ring busted after suspects hit stores from Portland to Salem, police say
Pair stole about $11,537 worth of infant formula from Safeway stores in Oregon and in Washington state on nearly 100 occasions between last November and March, investigators allege.
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Police: 70-year-old woman ran million-dollar theft ring that paid heroin addicts to steal
Investigators said heroin addicts were being paid to steal from places like Target, Home Depot, Kroger and Meijer, as part of a fencing operation with the stolen goods then being sold out of Cas Bar.
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At Home Depot and other retailers, a tug-of-war with shoplifters
Despite a decades-long downturn in U.S. crime rates, retailers say they're struggling to curb shoplifting even as they train more cameras on visitors.
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9 accused in organized $102K theft from Safeway
Recently, KOIN 6 News rode along with the Gresham Police Department and ORC investigators from Safeway as they took down a team of 9 people suspected of stealing more than $102,000 in product from Safeway.
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