Organized retail crime (ORC) involves the large-scale theft of everyday consumer items and potentially has much broader implications. Organized groups of professional shoplifters steal or fraudulently obtain merchandise that is then sold to individuals and retailers through a variety of venues. In an increasingly globalization society, more and more transactions take place on-line rather than face-to-face. As such, in addition to relying on physical resale markets, organized retail thieves have turned to on-line marketplaces as a means to fence their ill-gotten goods. This book is an updated examination of organized retail crime as it exposes the United States to economic, public health, and domestic security dangers. It is a national problem, not only for retailers, but for manufacturers, consumers, taxpayers and the states as well.
