How the Federal Government Can Help Fight ORC
Federal Push Accelerates to Curb Organized Retail Crime

By the D&D Daily Staff

Retail crime—particularly organized retail theft, fraud, cargo hijacking, and violent “smash-and-grab” schemes—has surged in recent years, prompting growing federal attention as these crimes increasingly span jurisdictions and feed broader criminal networks.

Federal Enforcement and Coordination

Federal agencies such as the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Department of Justice are being urged to enhance coordination with state and local law enforcement. A major nationwide enforcement effort coordinated via Illinois’ Cook County task force recently led to hundreds of arrests across 28 states, underscoring how multi-jurisdictional collaboration can disrupt organized crime rings.

Legislative Response: Combating Organized Retail Crime Act

At the center of current federal strategy is the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA), now under consideration in both chambers of Congress. Introduced in April by Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Cortez Masto (D-NV) and House members including Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), H.R. 2853/S. 1404 proposes creation of an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within HSI to unify resources, enhance data sharing, and strengthen prosecutions of interstate theft networks.

The National Retail Federation (NRF), representing a vast retail community, strongly supports the legislation. It calls the bill “an important next step” and is actively advocating for its swift passage—citing rising violence (73% of retailers report increased aggression from thieves) and a growing need for federal intervention.

Additionally, a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing reinforced bipartisan support for CORCA, with law enforcement, industry leaders, and 38 state attorneys general emphasizing the need for federal coordination to counter threats to supply chain security and public safety.

Executive Branch Tools

While Congress must pass legislation, the president can drive federal participation through executive actions. The administration can direct DOJ and HSI to prioritize retail crime, allocate budgetary resources for surveillance and prosecution, and foster public-private partnerships—boosting intelligence networks and training programs. These actions would complement emerging legislation and enhance nationwide law enforcement capacity.

By combining targeted enforcement, coordinated legislation, and executive mobilization, federal authorities are positioning themselves to meet the mounting challenge of organized retail crime that affects retailers, consumers, and communities nationwide.


Retail is Top Target of Physical Violence in the UK
UK: Retailers remain top targets of crime as incidents surge by 50%

Following reports of a 50% surge in retail crime in the last year, new research has revealed that retail premises are the number one victim of physical crimes against businesses in the UK.

Government data reports that over half (54%) of business crime victims describe the financial hit as ‘moderate’, and around one in 10 (9%) consider it ‘severe’.

The business finance experts at money.co.uk business savings have analysed the latest government figures on crimes against business premises to identify the industries where firms face the most significant challenges.

Retail spaces are designed to be open to the public and packed with stock, often making them an easy target for theft. According to Home Office data, over two-fifths (41.3%) of retail and wholesale premises are victims of crime each year.

In addition to theft, some retail workers also face challenges such as customer aggression, with 2,000 such incidents being directed at them. Sector-wide initiatives continue to raise awareness and improve safety for both staff and business operations.

Joe Phelan, money.co.uk business savings expert, said: “With the daily pressures of running a business, it’s easy to push savings down the priority list. However, this data is a stark reminder that a healthy contingency fund isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s crucial to protecting your people and your operations."  talkingretail.com

Cybersecurity in Retail:
Assessing the Long-Term Financial and Operational Impacts on M&S and Investor Confidence
The 2025 ransomware attack on Marks & Spencer (M&S), orchestrated by the DragonForce group and linked to Scattered Spider, has become a defining case study in the retail sector's vulnerability to cyber threats.

The incident, which disrupted online sales, inventory systems, and customer data security, offers critical insights into how cybersecurity breaches can reshape investor sentiment and stock valuations. For investors, the M&S saga underscores the dual risks of operational fragility and reputational damage, while also revealing the potential for strategic recovery through resilience investments.

The attack forced M&S to halt online transactions for over six weeks, resulting in an estimated £300 million reduction in annual operating profits. Daily online sales, averaging £3.8 million, were effectively erased during the outage, with weekly losses peaking at £40 million. The company's market capitalization plummeted by £700 million in the immediate aftermath, erasing gains from a previously strong fiscal year that included a record £875 million in pre-tax profits.

Operationally, the attack exposed critical weaknesses in M&S's digital infrastructure. Contactless payments were suspended, inventory tracking reverted to manual processes, and supply chains faced cascading delays. The breach of customer data—including names, addresses, and purchase histories—further compounded the crisis, triggering regulatory scrutiny from the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and legal action from affected consumers.

M&S's response has been pivotal in shaping its recovery narrative. The company accelerated a two-year technology modernization plan to six months, investing heavily in infrastructure, network security, and supply-chain systems. By early July 2025, limited online ordering was restored for domestic deliveries, with full functionality expected by late summer. The CEO, Stuart Machin, emphasized a “security-first” approach, prioritizing system testing over speed to prevent future breaches. ainvest.com


Exploiting AI for Data Theft & Manipulation
Research shows AI agents are highly vulnerable to hijacking attacks

Experts from Zenity Labs demonstrated how attackers could exploit widely deployed AI technologies for data theft and manipulation.

Some of the most widely used AI agents and assistants from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI and other major companies are susceptible to being hijacked with little or no user interaction, according to new research from Zenity Labs.

During a presentation at the Black Hat USA cybersecurity conference, Zenity researchers showed how hackers could exfiltrate data, manipulate critical workflows across targeted organizations and, in some cases, even impersonate users.

Beyond infiltrating these agents, the researchers said, attackers could also gain memory persistence, letting them maintain long-term access and control.

“They can manipulate instructions, poison knowledge sources, and completely alter the agent’s behavior,” Greg Zemlin, product marketing manager at Zenity Labs, told Cybersecurity Dive. “This opens the door to sabotage, operational disruption, and long-term misinformation, especially in environments where agents are trusted to make or support critical decisions.”

Researchers demonstrated vulnerabilities in multiple popular AI agents:

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT could be compromised using an email-based prompt injection that granted them access to connected Google Drive accounts.

• Microsoft Copilot Studio’s customer-support agent leaked entire CRM databases, and researchers identified more than 3,000 agents in the wild that were at risk of leaking internal tools.

• Salesforce’s Einstein platform was manipulated to reroute customer communications to researcher-controlled email accounts.

• Attackers could turn Google’s Gemini and Microsoft 365’s Copilot into insider threats, targeting users with social-engineering attacks and stealing sensitive conversations. cybersecuritydive.com

 
Cyber experts ponder a non-government future for the CVE program

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Palm Desert, CA: Palm Desert Authorities Investigate Jewelry Store Theft
A Palm Desert jewelry store was robbed by smash-and-grab thieves who wore masks and carried hammers, authorities said Monday. Deputies responded to a call regarding a robbery at 2:20 p.m. Saturday in the 72000 block of Highway 111, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The agency told City News Service that multiple suspects “smashed open display cases, grabbed an undisclosed amount of merchandise and fled the location in a vehicle.” No arrests have been reported. A video circulating on social media showed the suspects smashing cases, stealing merchandise and fleeing with large black trash bags in hand from a Don Roberto Jewelers at the Shops in Palm Desert.  mynewsla.com


Alexandria, VA: Four D.C. women linked to organized retail theft ring that hit Old Town Lululemon
Four women arrested and charged with shoplifting in Maryland have been linked to the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a Lululemon store in Old Town. On Feb. 19, the Gaithersburg Police Department arrested Precious Spivey, 18, Mone Herndon, 27, Shawn Stewart, 27, and Tanaysia Stewart, 18, all of Washington, D.C., for stealing more than $10,000 in merchandise from Bath & Body Works in Germantown and a LensCrafters and Lululemon store in Gaithersburg. The department said the group was engaged in an “organized retail theft ring.” Ten days before the arrest, on Feb. 9, the theft of $3,500 in merchandise from the Lululemon store at 700 King Street was reported to the Alexandria Police Department. After the suspects were arrested in Maryland, APD reviewed video surveillance of the incident and checked the seized merchandise. Three pairs of white “Zeroed In” pants were then found to have been stolen from the Alexandria shop, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.  alxnow.com


Warrington, Township, PA: 3 men wanted for questioning after robbery at Bucks County BJ's Wholesale Club
Police want to talk to three people about a robbery that happened at a BJ's Wholesale Club store in Bucks County in June, according to the Warrington Township Police Department. The robbery happened around 5:30 p.m. on June 28 at the BJ's on the 200 block of Easton Road in Warrington, police said.  bucks.crimewatchpa.com


Louisville, KY: Man accused of stealing nearly $4,000 in Nordstrom Rack merchandise