NRF, eBay Join Forces Against ORC
The National Retail Federation (NRF) is teaming with eBay to tackle organized retail crime, and will receive tie-in support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, retailer participation, and new technology to identify and attack organized retail crime (ORC), according to the new partners.
The partnership also provides for greater information sharing to target organized retail crime investigations, which would further support the investigative efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement working in tandem with loss prevention 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 at San Jose, Calif.-based 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.”
ORC 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 ORC within the past year, and nearly three-fourths (73 percent) also reported the level of ORC activity had increased.
The partnership is taking a multi-tiered approach to organized crime, and the groups have agreed to the following:
—Bring together a core group of NRF retail members and representatives of eBay on a regular basis to discuss ORC, 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 ORC 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 ORC 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 at Washington-based NRF. “The partnership between NRF and eBay will create standards and best practices to stop criminals from fencing their stolen goods.”
SOURCE: Convenience Store News
The partnership also provides for greater information sharing to target organized retail crime investigations, which would further support the investigative efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement working in tandem with loss prevention 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 at San Jose, Calif.-based 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.”
ORC 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 ORC within the past year, and nearly three-fourths (73 percent) also reported the level of ORC activity had increased.
The partnership is taking a multi-tiered approach to organized crime, and the groups have agreed to the following:
—Bring together a core group of NRF retail members and representatives of eBay on a regular basis to discuss ORC, 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 ORC 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 ORC 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 at Washington-based NRF. “The partnership between NRF and eBay will create standards and best practices to stop criminals from fencing their stolen goods.”
SOURCE: Convenience Store News