Following the Money
Civil Court Is Another Weapon Retail Can Use to Fight ORC

By the D&D Daily staff

For years, the fight against Organized Retail Crime has centered almost entirely on criminal enforcement — police reports, felony thresholds, and coordinated task forces. But a quieter trend is emerging across the industry: more retailers are turning to civil courts as an additional way to disrupt ORC networks, freeze assets, and force accountability when criminal cases stall.

While criminal charges remain the backbone of ORC enforcement, civil litigation could give retailers a tool that doesn’t depend on prosecutors’ caseloads or state-by-state legal limitations. Using existing civil recovery statutes, retailers can pursue lawsuits that allow them to recoup losses, subpoena records, seize inventory, and target the financial infrastructure behind fencing operations.

The approach isn’t hypothetical. In late 2023, Amazon filed a civil lawsuit against a global refund-fraud network known as REKK, alleging that the group orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to steal goods and launder them through online marketplaces. The suit is one of several examples of retailers using civil courts to go after fraud rings tied to ORC ecosystems.

Industry advisors are also beginning to push the strategy. Several loss-prevention consultancies now recommend civil action as a complement to traditional ORC responses, citing its ability to move faster than criminal investigations and target actors who operate in multiple jurisdictions. Civil tools can also force cooperation from online platforms or payment processors through subpoenas, opening doors that criminal cases often take months to reach.

For retailers facing increasingly nimble and decentralized ORC crews, civil litigation offers something critically important: speed. Rather than waiting for a prosecutor to pick up a case, retailers can initiate an action immediately, freeze assets early, and apply financial pressure long before stolen merchandise disappears into secondary markets.

The strategy isn’t a replacement for criminal prosecution, nor is it a magic fix. Civil cases require resources, legal coordination, and strong internal documentation. But as ORC continues to evolve — blending physical theft with digital fraud, shell companies, and third-party resellers — civil court is becoming a more relevant battleground.

Retailers aren’t only calling the police anymore. Increasingly, they’re calling their attorneys.


'Lego Crime Wave' Sweeping America?
Police report ‘growing concern’ of a Lego crime wave. Here’s why holiday shoppers need to be careful this year
Lego sets have evolved from a colorful pile of bricks into more elaborate and sophisticated collectibles that entertain children and adults alike. While many holiday shoppers will leave the store with a set or two for a loved one, organized criminals are also eyeing these beloved toys.

These relatively small but lucrative toys and collectibles are the perfect target for criminals looking to profit from holiday shopping.

Recent news of Lego-related arrests suggest products have been making their way into the hands of unwitting holiday shoppers through channels like online marketplaces.

“The sale of stolen LEGO collectible figurines is a growing concern due to their high resale value, popularity among collectors, and ease of concealment,” said the post. “These items are often targeted because they’re small, untraceable, and in high demand, making them ideal for quick resale through online marketplaces or informal channels.”

Unfortunately, simply choosing not to steal may not be enough to protect yourself from the potential “financial loss or legal complications” that the Santa Rosa police warned shoppers about in their post.

Stolen Lego sets may show up in places that holiday shoppers might not expect, like online marketplaces, pawn shops, flea markets, and more. As law enforcement cracks down on shoplifters targeting Lego sets, holiday shoppers could get caught in the middle. finance.yahoo.com


The Great Debate Over Chicago's Crime Drop
Is DHS making a difference, or is it just the continuation of a trend?

City leaders push back after DHS takes credit for Chicago’s crime drop

The Department of Homeland Security claims its agents’ actions led to a “historic drop” in crime, but a WBEZ analysis contradicts that claim.

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the scores of federal agents deployed in and around Chicago the last several weeks were responsible for a “historic drop in crime” in Chicago.

“Since initiating Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, homicides decreased 16%, shootings decreased 35%, robberies decreased 41%, vehicular carjackings decreased 48%, and transit crime decreased 20%,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a news release.

“It’s common sense — when you remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country — crime rates plummet,” McLaughlin wrote. But it’s unclear if that’s true, as DHS did not respond to WBEZ’s requests for clarification.

Without additional information about how the numbers were calculated, what periods of time were compared and what data sources were used, it’s difficult to fact-check the department’s claims the city has experienced a historic drop in crime.

In addition, critics point out that crime has been declining in Chicago for years and any reduction during Operation Midway Blitz could simply be a continuation of that trend. wbez.org


Clash Between NYPD & Incoming Mayor?
Mamdani, Tisch could clash over proactive policing , legality of NYPD stops
The latest report from the federal monitor overseeing civil rights compliance at the NYPD points to a potential flashpoint for the incoming Mamdani administration, with profound implications for public safety in the city.

At issue is the ongoing disparity between street stops based on a suspect’s description and conducted mostly by patrol officers — and those that are self-initiated and often carried out by officers assigned to specialty units tasked with getting guns and drugs off the streets.

While those stops are often criticized as being overly aggressive, proponents say there is a direct correlation between that sort of “proactive policing” and the dramatic reductions in crime across the five boroughs over the last several years.

But Mamdani, a democratic socialist who as a state Assemblyman has been critical of the NYPD, has already said he would eliminate the Strategic Response Group, which responds to protests.

Any move to eliminate other units, such as Neighborhood Safety Teams, whose stops were called into question in a prior report by the monitor, or to curb the emphasis on quality of life offenses or to may well put him at direct odds with Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who he is trying to keep on board. nydailynews.com


Police Warn Shoppers to Stay Vigilant
Charlotte police warn shoppers to stay alert for theft and scams this holiday season
With the holiday shopping season underway, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are urging residents to protect their valuables and stay vigilant while out shopping.

CMPD Officer Ron Hill said residents should park in well-lit areas and expect to see more officers at high-traffic shopping centers.

“The ORC, or Organized Retail Crime Task Force, works closely with Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI to conduct undercover operations to stop these habitual criminals who look to take advantage of everyone during the holiday season,” Hill said. “CMPD is ramping up these pop-up operations, and it’s at the request of businesses.”

Hill also warned residents to be cautious of online scams, including fake retailers that target holiday shoppers. wfae.org


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Securing the Seasonal Workers:
Managing insider risk and account access
Cyber threats rise sharply during the holiday rush, when retailers are onboarding more people and processing more transactions than at any other time of year. Short-term seasonal hires may require credentials to access payment systems, inventory platforms, or customer support tools.

And each new set of permissions becomes a potential opening for attackers looking to exploit fast-moving teams overwhelmed by increased traffic. In addition to unintended risks, many fraud actors openly advertise paying opportunities for insiders at companies to facilitate fraud during the holiday season, and temporary surge hires are prime recruiting targets.

These short-term workers help stores handle the crowds and manage orders during surges, but they join quickly, work briefly, and move on. That pace makes it harder to maintain consistent security practices and to remove access the moment a shift or contract ends. Retailers need extra hands at speed, without exposing customer data, leaking sensitive business processes, or disrupting operations when demand is at its peak.

Managing onboarding risk: Hiring ramps up quickly during the holidays, and in the rush, security gaps can appear. Seasonal staff may only work for a few weeks, but they may still need access to point-of-sale tools, inventory systems, and support platforms (such as databases or customer service tools) from day one.

Tight permissions from day one: Once seasonal workers are in the system, the focus shifts to what they can do with access. Limiting permissions to the essentials helps reduce the fallout if anything goes wrong. A cashier may not need refund authority, and a warehouse associate may not need to see customer profiles. Keeping access time-controlled and anchored to job tasks removes opportunities for mistakes or misuse.

Spotting trouble: Technology closes many gaps, but people play a major role in keeping systems safe. Holiday hires may be juggling new tools and steady customer pressure, which makes them attractive targets. Attackers often send emails that look like shift schedules or urgent shipping updates, hoping someone will click without thinking.

Operations payoff: When onboarding runs through automated tools, new hires are ready to work without long waits or last-minute fixes. Cleanly defined permissions mean fewer access errors at the register or in the warehouse. And when seasonal staff understand how to spot suspicious activity, they’re less likely to become a point of compromise, or a distraction for already stretched support teams. chainstoreage.com


Retail Job Postings Drop 16%
Indeed: Retail job listings continue to fall
According to the Indeed Hiring Lab’s Job Posting Index, job postings were 2.4% above the Feb. 1, 2020, measure as of Oct. 10, 2025. Job postings have declined 8.5% from the same time last year, as employers continue to pull back on hiring amid a high level of economic uncertainty. Retail job postings continued to decline, seeing a 16% year-over-year drop compared to last October.

Indeed Hiring Lab found retail wage growth increased slightly to 2.4% compared to January 2019 levels, surpassing that of food preparation & service, which fell to 2.1% in September 2025.

“The retail vertical slogged through the third quarter without much change from previous trends,” said Daniel Culbertson, senior economist with Indeed Hiring Lab. “Job postings in all three categories continued to drop and are now all below their pre-pandemic level. Wage growth trends are mostly stable but have swapped places after a slight decline in food preparation & service and a slight pickup in retail.” chainstoreage.com


New Walmart CEO
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon to retire, John Furner to succeed

McMillon will step down from the top position in January after more than four decades at the company. He will remain as an adviser through fiscal 2027.

After over a decade in the position, Walmart Inc. CEO and President Doug McMillon will retire Jan. 31.

Current Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner has been elected by the board of directors to succeed McMillon effective Feb. 1, according to a Friday press release. Furner has also been elected to the board effective immediately and the company plans to announce his successor before the end of fiscal year 2026.

McMillon will remain on the board until June to support the transition and serve as an adviser to Furner through January 2027. retaildive.com

   RELATED: Expert weighs in on retirement of Walmart Inc. CEO


Report: Saks Off 5th closing nine stores in 2026
Saks Off 5th will close nine of its 79 stores in early 2026. The news was first reported by WWD. The shutterings come as Nordstrom is expanding the footprint of its off-price division, Nordstrom Rack, which continues to add stores to its 2026/2027 lineup.

On says tariff-driven price increases have been ‘very well received’

FAA will lift emergency flight reductions Monday