Retailers have long complained that they're getting ripped off by thieves and that the stolen goods ultimately make their way online for sale. It hasn't been unusual in the past for eBay to be named as the place where these illegal transactions take place.
For its part, eBay has always maintained that it was actively seeking to discover fraudulent merchandise and stolen items and shut down the parties looking to unload these goods on a consuming public searching for deals.
Now, eBay and the National Retail Federation (NRF) have joined together to work with merchants, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement to use technology to crack down on organized retail crime rings.
Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection advisor, NRF, said in a press release, "EBay has invested in a number of new resources and is making tremendous strides assisting retailers and law enforcement with tracking illegal behavior. The partnership between NRF and eBay will create standards and best practices to stop criminals from fencing their stolen goods."
"Retailers cannot fight this problem alone," said Paul Jones, global director of asset protection, eBay. "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."
According to an NRF press release, the parties involved in this crime fighting effort have agreed to:
- Meet regularly to discuss organized retail crime, identify practices to combat it and take practical steps to bring criminals to justice.
- Leverage NRF's LERPnet and eBay's PROACT programs to assist law enforcement in identifying criminal rings.
- Work together on legislation to enhance law enforcement resources to fight and prosecute major offenders.
Discussion Questions: Will the NRF and eBay working together help reduce organized retail crime in the U.S.? What are the most important steps needed to really put a dent in this activity?