First, what is ORC?
Organized Retail Crime (ORC) is the theft of goods, through fraud or other means, perpetrated against an enterprise at a professional and organized level. There are many Loss Prevention industry descriptions, but all essentially describe the same issue: a highly organized network of theft rings that control the theft of goods on a large geographic scale. These nefarious groups may specialize in product or theft type and they are frequently connected to other types of crime, such as illegal drug or money laundering.
Organized Retail Crime grows ever stronger each year. The National Retail Federation’s 2020 survey on Organized Retail Crime reflected a 68 percent increase in activity for 2020 versus 2019, impacting retailers to the tune of more than $30 billion. The weakening of shoplifting statutes, the raising of felony limits, and the changing focus of law enforcement are all leading contributors to the increased losses.
ORC is no longer a straight shoplifting problem. Today’s rings are sophisticated groups perpetrating a variety of complex operations including:
- coupon scams
- return fraud
- cargo theft
- pinpointed product theft specifically for resale such as designer products, OTC drugs, power tools, electronics, etc.
Finding the anonymous is an essential, evidentiary step.
Physical surveillance, while still valuable, may no longer be the first step in an investigation. Learning the source of the problem, the “who” behind the ORC ring so to speak, can be as important as actually witnessing a crime.
The online marketplace is the new “flea” market. Online, ORC rings can retain some anonymity, procure protected information, plan sophisticated operations, and sell their stolen goods. A critical need for any investigation is intelligence and there is an astounding amount of intelligence online in social media groups, marketplaces, and organizations.
The trick is not getting absorbed in the sheer mass of it.
The ability to gather, decipher and use intelligence relevant to an investigation takes skill and the right tools. Whether you are looking to put the finishing touches on an investigation or doing initial vetting for a new case, your ability to source precise intelligence is critical to the gathering of case evidence.
Leveraging Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) requires expertise, knowledge, time, and resources. With work you can find information, but doing it quickly, concisely, and without leaving a footprint can be challenging for the inexperienced. Your anonymity during an investigation is as important as unmasking the people behind an ORC ring. The right resources to complete this process professionally can make all the difference.
“With the current lack of transparency and accountability by the online marketplaces, anyone can sell large quantities of stolen products completely anonymously online. Uncovering the true identities of potential bad actors can be tricky and cause significant delays in an investigation. To be effective, investigators need a process to expedite the identification of suspicious online sellers while remaining just as anonymous as the criminal organizations they are investigating”.
- Ben Dugan, President Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail
Support for your ORC investigations.
The Zellman Group’s investigators have the skills and tools to conduct the valuable research you need to conduct your complex investigation quickly and thoroughly. The Zellman Group is partnered with state-of-the-art industry tools to scrape the internet. Additionally, we have relationships within the financial industry, law enforcement at local, state, and federal level, as well as other multiple resources. With our skills, tools, and professional relationships we will provide an extensive dossier on the subjects of your investigation.
