{
  "id": "R41118",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R41118",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
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      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 415023,
      "date": "2012-12-11",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:46:54.690086",
      "title": "Organized Retail Crime",
      "summary": "Organized retail crime (ORC) involves the large-scale theft of everyday consumer items and potentially has much broader implications. Organized groups of professional shoplifters, or \u201cboosters,\u201d steal or fraudulently obtain merchandise that is then sold, or \u201cfenced,\u201d to individuals and retailers through a variety of venues. In an increasingly globalized society, more and more transactions take place online rather than face-to-face. As such, in addition to relying on physical resale markets, organized retail thieves have turned to online marketplaces as means to fence their ill-gotten goods.\nORC exposes the United States to costs and harms in the economic, public health, and domestic security arenas. The exact loss from ORC to the retail industry is unknown, but estimates have ranged from $15 billion to $37 billion annually. The economic impact, however, extends beyond the manufacturing and retail industry and includes costs incurred by consumers and taxes lost by the states. The theft and resale of stolen consumable or health and beauty products such as infant formula (that may have been repackaged, relabeled, and subjected to altered expiration dates) poses potential safety concerns for individuals purchasing such goods from ORC fences. In addition, some industry experts and policy makers have expressed concern about the possibility that proceeds from ORC may be used to fund terrorist activities.\nCurrent efforts to combat ORC largely come from retailers, online marketplaces, and law enforcement alike. Retailers responding to the 2010 National Retail Security Survey spent an average of 0.46% of their annual sales on loss prevention measures. These loss prevention costs are ultimately borne by consumers in the form of higher prices on goods. Also, online marketplaces report taking various measures to combat the sale of stolen and fraudulently obtained goods on their websites, including educating sellers and consumers, monitoring suspicious activity, and partnering with retailers and law enforcement. Combating retail theft has traditionally been handled by state law enforcement under state criminal laws. Some, however, have begun to question whether state laws\u2014which vary in the quantity of monetary losses that constitute major theft\u2014are adequate to combat ORC. \nWhile many agree that ORC is a national problem, there is debate over the federal government\u2019s role in deterring ORC and sanctioning various actors that may be involved in committing or aiding these crimes. One policy issue facing Congress is whether criminalizing organized retail crime in the U.S. Code would allow for more effective investigation and prosecution of these criminals. Congress may also wish to consider whether regulating resale marketplaces (online markets, in particular), to require such entities to increase information sharing with retailers and law enforcement, would strengthen investigations and prosecutions of ORC as well as decrease the prevalence of retail thieves relying on legitimate online marketplaces to fence stolen goods.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc87151/",
      "id": "R41118_2012Jan17",
      "date": "2012-01-17",
      "retrieved": "2012-07-03T07:51:21",
      "title": "Organized Retail Crime",
      "summary": "Organized retail crime (ORC) involves the large-scale theft of everyday consumer items and potentially has much broader implications. In an increasingly globalized society, more and more transactions take place online rather than face-to-face. As such, in addition to relying on physical resale markets, organized retail thieves have turned to online marketplaces as means to fence, or re-sell, their ill-gotten goods. One policy issue facing Congress is whether criminalizing organized retail \r\ncrime in the U.S. Code would allow for more effective investigation and prosecution of these criminals. Congress may also wish to consider whether regulating resale marketplaces (online markets, in particular), to require such entities to increase information sharing with retailers and law enforcement, would strengthen investigations and prosecutions of ORC as well as decrease the prevalence of retail thieves relying on legitimate online marketplaces to fence stolen goods.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Crime and criminals",
          "name": "Crime and criminals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Larceny",
          "name": "Larceny"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Organized crime",
          "name": "Organized crime"
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491615/",
      "id": "R41118_2011Jan06",
      "date": "2011-01-06",
      "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46",
      "title": "Organized Retail Crime",
      "summary": "This report provides an overview of organized retail crime (ORC) rings, their operations, and goods targeted. It then examines the domestic impact of ORC in the arenas of the economy, public health and safety, and domestic security. The report also outlines current efforts by retailers, resale markets, and the federal government to combat ORC. It then analyzes various policy issues that Congress may wish to consider, including whether current federal resources provided for the investigation of ORC are adequate, whether to amend the U.S. Code to criminalize ORC, and whether to regulate resale marketplaces that may be utilized as fences for criminals to sell stolen goods.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "topics": [
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          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Crime and criminals",
          "name": "Crime and criminals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Larceny",
          "name": "Larceny"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Organized crime",
          "name": "Organized crime"
        }
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc490935/",
      "id": "R41118_2010Jun16",
      "date": "2010-06-16",
      "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46",
      "title": "Organized Retail Crime",
      "summary": "This report provides an overview of organized retail crime rings, their operations, and goods targeted. It then examines the domestic impact of organized retail crime (ORC) in the arenas of the economy, public health and safety, and domestic security. The report also outlines current efforts by retailers, resale markets, and the federal government to combat ORC. It then analyzes various policy issues that the 111th Congress may wish to consider, including whether current federal resources provided for the investigation of ORC are adequate, whether to amend the U.S. Code to criminalize ORC, and whether to regulate resale marketplaces that may be utilized as fences for criminals to sell stolen goods.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Organized crime",
          "name": "Organized crime"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Criminal justice",
          "name": "Criminal justice"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Larceny",
          "name": "Larceny"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Retail trade",
          "name": "Retail trade"
        }
      ]
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  ],
  "topics": [
    "Intelligence and National Security"
  ]
}