Organized Retail Crime (ORC)

The report, “Detecting and Reporting the Illicit Financial Flows Tied to Organized Theft Groups and Organized Retail Crime,” highlights red flags associated with organized theft groups.

Three executives from RILA explained how their organization is working with retail members to push for federal and state legislation that would increase penalties for ORC.

The FBI estimates that ORC crimes cost the US approximately $30 billion each year, with a large percentage of that money funding other, darker criminal activities.

Beyond debate over definitions and dollars lost is the lived experience of customers and store workers being victimized in violent store takeovers.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) employs a very focused approach to ORC investigations, both domestically and abroad.

Nobody has a definitive estimate of the dollar impact of ORC, but retailers will tell you that it has a major impact not only on their fiscal bottom line but also on the safety of store associates and consumers.

We recently met with leaders from CVS Health, Rite Aid, and Walgreens who are directing the efforts against ORC to get their insights into the current challenges.

According to court records, Artur Gilowski operated a criminal enterprise that involved co-conspirators stealing tens of thousands of retail products valued at over $20 million.

The Ohio state senate has passed bill HB 272, which closely mirrors the INFORM Consumers Act, federal legislation that would require online marketplaces to verify high-volume third-party sellers.

Organized retail crime involves two or more persons obtaining retail merchandise through theft and fraud as part of an unlawful enterprise.