MAORCA & MRA ORC Conference: June 3 (Annapolis, MD) The Mid-Atlantic ORC Alliance and the MD Retailers Alliance will co-host an exciting ORC Conference you won't want to miss. June 3, 2026 in Annapolis, MD. Featuring topics on important legislative updates, the gift card fraud ecosystem, updates from the MD State Attorney's Office, law enforcement coordination and investigations across jurisdictional lines. Register today, as spots are limited!

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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

House Vote on CORCA Expected This Week
Leading Retailers Urge House Members to Pass Bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) commends the House of Representatives for its bipartisan commitment to safeguarding America’s communities and businesses ahead of this week’s vote on the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA). This tremendously important piece of legislation is a decisive step toward dismantling organized retail crime (ORC) gangs that are increasingly threatening retail employees, consumers, communities and retailers across the United States.

“Leading retailers are grateful to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for recognizing the urgent need to address the growing threat of organized retail crime,” said Sarah Gilmore, RILA senior director, government affairs. “American consumers and businesses deserve to be protected from fraud-driven criminal networks engaged in cargo theft, gift card fraud, and all too often violent in-store ORC driven incidents. Addressing this threat requires stronger coordination and information-sharing across public and private partners. CORCA provides the tools necessary for coordinated action, ensuring that law enforcement and industry partners can prosecute and dismantle the criminal enterprises orchestrating these sophisticated schemes.”

RILA urges swift House passage of CORCA and looks forward to working with the Senate and the administration to see this vital legislation signed into law.

“A unified response to organized retail crime sends a clear message to criminal networks that their activities will not go unchecked and demonstrates a shared commitment to keeping communities safe and prosperous,” said Gilmore.

"Organized retail crime is sophisticated, coordinated criminal activity that puts our associates, customers, and communities at risk,” said Scott Glenn, Vice President of Enterprise Asset Protection at The Home Depot. “This bipartisan legislation would strengthen coordination across federal, state, and local partners and provide the tools needed to investigate and prosecute these crimes at scale. We urge the House to swiftly pass CORCA and help disrupt organized criminal networks nationwide.”  rila.org


Business Community Urges CORCA Passage
Support for H.R. 2853, the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act

This letter was sent to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

To the Members of the United States House of Representatives:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports H.R. 2853, the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA). This bipartisan legislation represents a critical step toward addressing surges in retail crime and cargo theft that are putting the nation’s businesses and consumers at risk.

America’s businesses continue to struggle with rising business-focused crimes. Retail crimes like organized shoplifting rings and “smash-and-grabs” have been persistent problems. Crime numbers often fluctuate from year-to-year but the long-term trends are clear, with larcenies involving shoplifting having doubled since the 1970’s according to statistics from the nonprofit Council for Criminal Justice. Retail crime creates higher prices for consumers, results in stores having to close their doors, and leaves communities without vital goods and services. No business should have to close because of crime.

Cargo theft is another rising concern for the business community with a huge impact on the economy. According to a report by the American Trucking Associations, cargo theft costs the American economy up to $35 billion a year, resulting in higher costs throughout the supply chain and ultimately impacting small business shippers and retailers. Increasing cargo theft is eroding confidence in supply chains that are critical to our nation’s businesses.

The Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act focuses on increased coordination in curbing retail crime and cargo theft. Improved coordination is the main pillar in the U.S. Chamber’s call to action to stop retail crime. This bipartisan bill would establish a new Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center. The Center would align efforts, expertise, and resources across local, state, federal, and private-sector partners, improving information-sharing and enabling more coordinated investigations and prosecutions. CORCA will create a unified, national response building on the more than 30 state laws that have been enacted since 2022.

The U.S. business community stands ready to work with Congress to advance this bipartisan legislation. We urge the House to pass H.R. 2853 when it comes to the floor later this week. uschamber.com


Receipt Fraud Concerns Grow Quietly
Why Retailers Are Paying Closer Attention to “Receipt Shopping” Fraud

By the D&D Daily staff

Retail loss prevention teams have long focused on shoplifting, organized retail crime and refund fraud, but some retailers and investigators are also monitoring a lesser-discussed tactic sometimes referred to as “receipt shopping.”

The practice can involve individuals collecting discarded receipts from parking lots, trash bins, self-checkout areas or kiosks and then attempting fraudulent returns. In some reported cases, suspects allegedly re-enter stores, select matching merchandise from shelves and attempt to return the items using the recovered receipt as proof of purchase.

While the tactic itself is not new, industry discussions around return fraud and self-checkout security have led some retailers to pay closer attention to receipt-related scams. High customer volume, faster checkout processes and limited staffing at service counters can create opportunities for fraudulent returns to go unnoticed.

Loss prevention professionals say the challenge for retailers is that some of these transactions may initially appear legitimate. Investigators may need to compare timestamps, item details, payment methods or purchasing patterns before identifying suspicious activity.

Retail security experts have also noted that receipt-related fraud can sometimes overlap with broader theft or refund fraud schemes involving frequently targeted products such as health and beauty items, tools, electronics accessories and over-the-counter medications.

To help reduce risk, some retailers are encouraging the use of digital receipts connected to loyalty accounts or payment cards, making it more difficult to use abandoned paper receipts during return attempts. Others are using analytics systems designed to flag unusual return behavior, including excessive returns tied to multiple store locations or accounts.

As retailers continue balancing convenience with fraud prevention, receipt-related scams remain one of several smaller but persistent issues being discussed within the loss prevention industry.


Cargo Theft Fueling Price Increases?
LAPD says surge in multimillion-dollar cargo thefts is driving up consumer prices
The Los Angeles Police Department says a spike in cargo theft across the region is helping fuel inflation, with stolen goods from multimillion-dollar heists ending up for sale on online marketplaces and livestream shopping apps.

An ABC7 On Your Side Investigates crew was granted exclusive access as LAPD's Cargo Theft Task Force and partner agencies raided a used car lot in Bell. Undercover officers swarmed the property, breaking locks and doors to reveal what they described as stacks of stolen merchandise.

According to the undercover detective, a European manufacturer of high-end adult toys contacted LAPD after discovering products from a stolen shipment being resold online. The company purchased some of its own products on the site, and LAPD traced the shipping address back to the Bell car lot.

"Unfortunately, we're in the capital of cargo theft -- both train and commercial cargo theft -- out here in Los Angeles," the undercover detective said. Investigative Reporter Kevin Ozebek asked LAPD whether livestream shopping apps and independent online sellers are contributing to the problem.

"I think so. Yeah, it's just easier. It makes it easier for the people like this to sell their items," the undercover detective responded.

Hamilton said foreign crime leaders are directing the theft of cargo moving through Los Angeles. After shipments arrive at the port, he said, they are often stolen from train cars. abc7.com


NMDOJ touts statewide progress with new ‘crime gun’ data tracking initiative

National Police Week 2026: Memorial events honoring fallen officers in Washington, D.C.