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Important Update on the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
Organized Retail Crime Bill Heads Toward Possible House Vote Next Week

Retailers and loss prevention leaders intensify pressure on Congress as the organized retail crime bill approaches a critical House vote next week.

Retail industry groups and loss prevention professionals are ramping up advocacy efforts as the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) moves closer to a possible vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation, officially listed as H.R. 2853, has reportedly been placed on the House calendar and could come up for a vote during the week of May 11 through May 15. The measure represents one of the most significant federal efforts to address organized retail crime in recent years.

CORCA currently has 206 co-sponsors in the House. Because the bill is expected to move under suspension procedures, it would require a two-thirds majority vote to pass — meaning roughly 290 votes would be needed for approval.

Industry organizations, including the National Retail Federation, are encouraging retailers, loss prevention professionals and other stakeholders to contact members of Congress in support of the legislation. Advocacy efforts are being amplified through NRF’s “Voter Voice” platform, which allows users to send messages directly to their congressional representatives.

Organized retail crime continues to evolve into a more coordinated, interstate issue that increasingly impacts retailers, supply chains, employees and consumers. Many in the retail loss prevention industry have pushed for stronger federal coordination, expanded information sharing and increased resources aimed at disrupting large-scale theft networks.

The pending vote comes as retailers across multiple sectors continue to report concerns surrounding repeat offenders, cargo theft, online resale marketplaces and increasingly aggressive theft incidents tied to organized crime groups.

Loss prevention leaders have described the coming vote as a pivotal moment for the industry’s broader push for federal action on organized retail crime. Industry advocates are expected to continue outreach efforts throughout the coming week in an attempt to build additional bipartisan support before the measure reaches the House floor.

Click here to tell your member of Congress to support the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act


Grocery Store Theft Losses Near $10 Billion in Canada
Organized crime groups are behind grocery store theft across Canada
The Retail Council of Canada is calling grocery store theft a national crisis, with losses now approaching $10 billion annually across the grocery sector and it’s only growing.

The rise is due to more than people stealing an apple. According to multiple sources who spoke to CTV National News, organized crime is now also involved.

In an email to CTV News, the Retail Council of Canada says that “grocery theft is rising in Canada, driven by a mix of economic pressure and increasingly organized retail crime. While affordability challenges are real for many Canadians, what retailers are seeing more of is coordinated, repeat theft tied to organized networks,” the statement read.

“Eastern European organized crime has certainly been involved, and this isn’t just a big city problem, it’s happening straight across the country,” says CTV News crime specialist, Mark Mendelson.

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say supermarket theft has doubled in the city so far in 2026 compared to the same period last year.

“We have analysts and when they see a spike like this, we have meetings every week, so this is something we’re looking at and it’s definitely on our radar,” shares RCMP Cpl. Frank Bryson.

Authorities have also flagged some self-checkout counters, inside grocery stores as areas where criminals are taking advantage of security gaps.

“I’ve seen thefts at the self-checkout happen right in front of me. You’re used to hearing a beeping noise then all of a sudden, the beeping stops but items continue to go into the bag. Walmart in the United States is pulling self-checkouts from their stores. The losses are becoming too much to handle,” says Mendelson. ctvnews.ca


Chicago Lawmaker Demands Criminal Charges Against Walgreens
Chicago pol says Walgreens should be charged with 'first-degree corporate abandonment' over closure over theft

The Chatham neighborhood store in Ward 6 is slated to close June 4 after the chain cited theft and violence

A Chicago alderman, incensed by the upcoming closure of a Walgreens store amid safety concerns, stated that the corporate retailer should be charged with "first-degree corporate abandonment."

Ald. William Hall, along with several community members, held a news conference Monday to voice their anger over the company's decision to close the location in Chicago’s 6th Ward in the Chatham neighborhood.

"Walgreens should be charged with first-degree corporate abandonment," Hall said. "It should be a crime, the way they're treating our elders. It should be a crime, the way they're treating our families."

In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago-area-based pharmacy store chain cited theft and violent incidents as the primary factors behind its decision to close the store on S. Cottage Grove Ave.

"Despite a range of efforts, including previous operating adjustments, these ongoing safety challenges have made it increasingly difficult to maintain a secure environment for our team members and customers," the company said. "While this was not an easy decision, safety must remain our top priority."

Ald. Raymond Lopez, a Democrat, said he understands the community's frustration but questioned the timing of the outrage.

"Where was that anger when the stores in our communities were under years and years of assault by criminals allowed to shoplift, vandalize, and destroy neighborhood institutions?" Lopez asked in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Many leaders say it is simply an insurance matter. They are wrong. There are real-world consequences for crime running rampant. This closure is the perfect example of that effect."  foxnews.com


Magnet-Based Retail Theft Trends
How criminals use magnets to steal fuel and bypass security systems

From diesel pump theft schemes in Florida to casino scams and utility meter tampering, magnets have become an unexpected tool in a range of real-world crimes

Retail theft investigators and security companies have long warned about the use of magnets to remove anti-theft security tags from clothing, electronics and other merchandise. Certain magnets can disengage locking mechanisms inside some security tags, allowing thieves to remove them without damaging products or triggering alarms.

For organized retail theft crews, the tactic offers a major advantage: stolen merchandise can still be resold in near-perfect condition. Instead of cutting security devices off products and damaging them, suspects can remove them cleanly before reselling the items online or through third-party marketplaces.

The issue has become common enough that retail security companies like Checkpoint Systems now market magnet-detection systems designed to identify people carrying illegal security tag detachers into stores or fitting rooms.

Retailers and researchers are also testing additional anti-theft technology aimed at detecting so-called “magic bags” lined with foil to defeat electronic tag systems. In a recent video feature from the Loss Prevention Research Council at the University of Florida, researchers demonstrated both low-tech and high-tech approaches retailers are using to combat organized retail theft. police1.com


The Trick Fueling Retail Theft Across the Country
The store return trick no one expected involved LEGO and pasta - simple swap turned into a fraud scheme across multiple states
Irvine Police say Augustine repeatedly bought premium sets, including Star Wars and Marvel kits that can cost hundreds of dollars, then removed minifigures and other key pieces at home. Investigators say he resealed the boxes and returned them for refunds, and Target later reported at least 70 thefts nationwide tied to the same suspect.

The filler is what made the scheme work, at least for a while. Police described the substitute as dried “durum wheat semolina pasta,” which can mimic the weight and rattle of loose bricks during a quick returns inspection.

The case gained traction after Target loss prevention flagged suspicious returns in late 2025, and investigators say surveillance ultimately led to an arrest and the recovery of LEGO pieces and pasta packages.

Returns fraud is the quiet version of the problem, but the loud version shows up on highways. On April 8, Kern County sheriff’s deputies in Mojave stopped two box trucks after a report of suspicious vehicles and later found what officials described as about $1 million worth of LEGO products, along with two freight trailers.

That kind of theft can dump a massive amount of product into the resale market in a single run. Cargo theft reported to CargoNet jumped to about $725 million in 2025, and experts routinely warn that the true totals are higher because reporting is uneven. The result, for everyday shoppers, is familiar and frustrating, with more locked cases and more “out of stock” signs. vozpopuli.com


VIDEO: Self-checkout theft surges, with organized crime targeting retailers

Muriel Bowser promises changes to MPD's crime data release process