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2012 Archives
Two men busted in California for more than a dozen cell
phone store robberies in Houston
Nelvin Cook and Randolph Long were picked up
after an attempted robbery at an Orange County jewelry
store. Police say, between February and March 19, they
hit at least 14 stores across our metro area.
Surveillance video helped investigators link the pair to
the crimes. Police say they used the same small revolver
with a red laser light attachment in each robbery.
(Source
go.com)
Counterfeit credit card gang member pleads guilty to
purchasing $28,000 in gift cards from Giant Eagle and
Wal-Mart stores in western PA.
Robert Gardner faces up to 21 years in prison and
a $1.25 million fine or both for using stolen
information to make $28,000 in purchases of gift cards
in 2010. (Source
supermarketnews.com)
Excerpts from
GAO-11-675: Efforts to Combat Organized Retail
Crime
The U.S. Government Accountability Office ORC report
June 2011
Leading Online Marketplaces Have Taken Steps to
Combat e-Fencing, but It Is Unclear If Additional
Federal Action Is Warranted
eBay, the Largest Online Marketplace, Has Recently
Taken Steps to Deter e-Fencing, but Varying Business
Models and Available Resources Impact Efforts of
Other Online Marketplaces
Continued from yesterday
While eBay is the domestic
online marketplace most commonly cited by
stakeholders, other online marketplaces, such as
Amazon.com, Overstock.com, and Craigslist, could
also be potential outlets for stolen merchandise.
Like eBay, these marketplaces forbid the sale of
certain goods on their sites and, to varying
degrees, undertake some review of listings. However,
these other marketplaces operate differently and
some do not have the resources nor conduct the
volume of transactions as eBay, which could make it
difficult to implement the kinds of initiatives that
eBay has started. For example, Amazon.com and
Overstock.com are primarily online retailers,
directly selling goods to consumers. In addition to
selling directly, these sites offer a way for other
merchants, individuals or small “storefronts” to
sell to their customers. This sales stream accounts
for approximately 30 percent of units sold on
Amazon.com in 2010 and about .5 percent of
Overstock.com’s overall business. Even though these
third-party sales are not their primary business,
both Amazon and Overstock have taken steps to ensure
the integrity of their sites. All sellers on Amazon
must first register with the site, providing name,
address, and an active credit-card number. In
addition, sellers must provide a telephone number to
finalize registration, which is only complete when a
personal identification number is entered during a
call to the given number. In certain product
categories—such as clothing and accessories,
electronics, and watches—Amazon limits the addition
of new sellers and closely monitors their
performance to ensure products are delivered in a
timely manner and in the condition described.
According to Amazon, the company guarantees the
condition of the item and its timely delivery when
customers purchase products through third-party
sellers on its site. Amazon also monitors the rates
of customer complaints, claims, disputed credit-card
transactions and other metrics in an effort to
ensure that sellers are maintaining a high standard
of fulfillment and customer service. Sellers who
fail to meet performance requirements are blocked
from selling. In addition, Amazon has security
processes in place to flag suspicious activity,
which may include changes in seller activity.
Furthermore, like eBay, all new sellers on Amazon
are subject to payment holds. Amazon disburses
seller funds every 14 days.
Like Amazon, Overstock requires registration from
all buyers and sellers, and verifies registration
details through a credit card verification process,
affirming that the registrant reported information
matches credit-card-billing information. In
addition, the company officials stated that staff
manually reviews listings, going through every
listing category daily looking for fraudulent
auctions. When Overstock flags suspicious listings,
it is to request proof of ownership of the offered
goods from the seller. As with Amazon and eBay,
Overstock also places limits on the amount of
product being sold by new sellers until they have
established a favorable seller rating. Both Amazon
and Overstock indicated that they are willing to
work with merchants and law enforcement partners as
needed to address potential e-fencing activities,
and they have done so in the past.
(Source
gao.gov)
Continued tomorrow
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