The world’s largest online marketplace is partnering with
the world’s largest retail trade association to tackle organized retail crime.
This unique partnership between eBay and the National Retail Federation will
tie in support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, retailer participation
and new technology to identify and attack organized retail crime.
The partnership provides for greater information sharing to
target ORC investigations which would further support the investigative efforts
of federal, state, and local law enforcement working in partnership with LP
professionals.
“NRF has done a great job of shining a spotlight on the
issue of organized retail crime, but retailers cannot fight this problem
alone,” said Paul Jones, Global Director of Asset Protection, eBay. “Through
this partnership, NRF and eBay are putting criminals on notice that they will
no longer be able to steal from retailers and abuse the online marketplace for
profit.”
The partnership is taking a multi-tiered approach to
organized crime. The groups have agreed to:
* Bring together a core group of NRF retail members and
representatives of eBay on a regular basis to discuss organized retail crime,
brainstorm best practices to prevent it, and take steps to eradicate the
activity.
* Identify ways to leverage new technology, including NRF’s
LERPnet and eBay’s PROACT programs, to further assist law enforcement in
identifying and tracking organized retail crime rings.
* Collaborate with the FBI to help identify crime rings that
have been responsible for stealing merchandise in bulk.
* Work together on legislation to enhance Federal law
enforcement resources to combat organized retail crime and punish major
offenders through enhanced criminal penalties.
"eBay has invested in a number of new resources and is
making tremendous strides assisting retailers and law enforcement with tracking
illegal behavior,” said Joe LaRocca, Senior Asset Protection Advisor, NRF. “The
partnership between NRF and eBay will create standards and best practices to
stop criminals from fencing their stolen goods.”
Organized retail crime has long been an issue plaguing both retailers and secondary marketplaces. In an NRF survey conducted in 2009, 92 percent of retailers said they were victimized by organized retail crime within the past year, and nearly three-fourths (73%) also reported the level of organized retail crime activity had increased.