|
|
2012 Archives
ORC ring of three females busted at Burlington Mall in
Burlington. Mass., after hitting Bath and Body Works and
several other stores.
A search of their vehicle resulted in the
recovery of hundreds of dollars worth of stolen
merchandise from area stores. Detectives are working
with other agencies to identify the location of each
store. Police believe these three individuals are
members of an organized retail theft ring responsible
for multiple thefts in the area. In a separate effort
Burlington Police busted another two-female shoplifting
team hitting the Express Store in the same Burlington
Mall in Burlington, Mass. as they coordinate their
efforts with security personnel to curb ORC at the Mall.
(Source
wickedlocal.com)
Las Vegas Police nabs 50 in identity theft stings.
13 suspects have been apprehended in the
Chase bank ATM identity thefts, while 19 others arrested
in Vegas in Operation Open Market. Fourteen others have
been arrested in eight additional states with
connections to information gained through the
investigation.
(source
bankinfosecurity.com)
Excerpts from
GAO-11-675: Efforts to Combat Organized Retail
Crime
The U.S. Government Accountability Office ORC report
June 2011
Stakeholders Identified Additional Federal Actions
Intended to Deter e-Fencing and Mitigate Potential
Health and Safety Concerns but Potential Impacts Are
Unknown
Seller Contract Information
Retail and law enforcement
stakeholders we interviewed identified two options
that could help combat ORC, but both would require
legislative action to implement and the potential
impact remains unknown. The first, proposed by two
retailers and representatives from three retail
associations we spoke with, would require that
identified high-volume sellers on online
marketplaces list a verified name and address,
viewable to potential buyers. According to one
retailer, this initiative would be intended to
provide an additional deterrent to e-fencing by
reducing the perception by sellers of anonymity
during online transactions. Determination of
high-volume sellers could be based on sales volume
or the number of completed transactions in a
specified time period. However, officials from
online marketplaces we interviewed identified
several potential concerns with such a requirement
and it is not known to what extent it would deter
those engaged in e-fencing activities.
Specifically, officials from eBay stated that
providing potential buyers with seller contact
information may undermine its business model by
allowing buyers to circumvent the site and contact
sellers directly. Similarly, Amazon officials noted
that making this information public is currently
prohibited by the company’s terms and conditions and
emphasized their desire to avoid any potential
efforts by customers to circumvent Amazon and pursue
direct sales from merchants. Further, eBay company
officials noted that providing public access to
seller information may also present a potential
safety risk as specific merchandise, its estimated
value, and its location would be available to
potential criminals, a safety concern that Amazon
officials echoed. Finally, eBay officials voiced
concern that providing full contact information,
particularly an email address, may present an
increased risk to sellers of identity theft due to
the greater potential for "phishing" scams. These
concerns would likely also apply to other online
marketplaces with similar business models that cater
largely to individual sellers. In addition, as
discussed previously, eBay already conducts a number
of actions to validate sellers on its site and
collects a great deal more seller information than
such a requirement would provide, information that
the company makes available to retailers and law
enforcement as requested.
(Source
gao.gov)
Continued tomorrow
|
|
|
What's Happening?
Coming in 2012:
Keyword/Phrase Search
Research Capability
Mobile App's
LP Show Coverage
The Top 10
|
|
